II  B  R.AR.Y 

OF  THL 
UNIVERSITY 

or  ILLINOIS 


977.323 
B52 


111.    Hist.    Surv. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


OF 


KANE  COUNTY, 


ILLINOIS. 


people  t/int  lake  no  pride  in  the  noble  achievements  of  remote  ancestors  -juiJI  never  achieve 
anything  worthy  to  be  remembered  with  pride  bv  remote  generations." — MACAULEY. 


CHICAGO : 
THE  S.  J.  CI-ARKE  PUBLISHING  COMPANY, 

1898. 


" Biography  is  the  only  true  history." 

— EMERSON. 


(T 


PRKFACE. 


HE  greatest  of  English  historians,  MACAULAY,  and  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  writers  of  the  present  century,  has  said:  "The  history  of  a 
country  is  best  told  in  a  record  of  the  lives  of  its  people."  In  con- 
formity with  this  idea,  the  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD  has  been  prepared. 
Instead  of  going  to  musty  records,  and  taking  therefrom  dry  statistical 
matter  that  can  be  appreciated  but  by  few,  our  corps  of  writers  have 
gone  to  the  people,  the  men  and  women  who  have,  by  their  enterprise 
and  industry,  brought  these  counties  to  a  rank  second  to  none  among 
those  comprising  this  great  and  noble  State,  and  from  their  lips  have  the  story  of  their  life 
struggles.  No  more  interesting  or  instructive  matter  could  be  presented  to  an  intelligent 
public.  In  this  volume  will  be  found  a  record  of  many  whose  lives  are  worthy  the  imitation 
of  coming  generations.  It  tells  how  some,  commencing  life  in  poverty,  by  industry  and 
economy  have  accumulated  wealth.  It  tells  how  others,  with  limited  advantages  for  securing 
an  education,  have  become  learned  men  and  women,  with  an  influence  extending  throughout 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land.  It  tells  of  men  who  have  risen  from  the  lower  walks  of 
life  to  eminence  as  statesmen,  and  whose  names  have  become  famous.  It  tells  of  those  in 
every  walk  in  life  who  have  striven  to  succeed,  and  records  how  that  success  has  usually 
crowned  their  efforts.  It  tells  also  of  many,  very  many,  who,  not  seeking  the  applause  of  the 
world,  have  pursued  the  "  even  tenor  of  their  way,"  content  to  have  it  said  of  them,  as  Christ, 
said  of  the  woman  performing  a  deed  of  mercy — "They  have  done  what  they  could."  It 
tells  how  many,  in  the  pride  and  strength  of  young  manhood,  left  the  plow  and  the  anvil,  the 
lawyer's  office  and  the  counting-room,  left  every  trade  and  profession,  and  at  their  country's 
call  went  forth  valiantly  "  to  do  or  die,"  and  how  through  their  efforts  the  Union  was 
restored  and  peace  once  more  reigned  in  the  land.  In  the  life  of  every  man  and  of  every 
woman  is  a  lesson  that  should  not  be  lost  upon  those  who  follow  after. 

Coming  generations  will  appreciate  this  volume  and  preserve  it  as  a  sacred  treasure,  from 
the  fact  that  it  contains  so  much  that  would  never  find  its  way  into  public  records,  and  which 
would  otherwise  be  inaccessible.  Great  care  has  been  taken  in  the  compilation  of  the  work, 
and  every  opportunity  possible  given  to  those  represented  to  insure  correctness  in  what  has 
been  written  ;  and  the  publishers  flatter  themselves  that  they  give  to  their  readers  a  work  with 
few  errors  of  consequence.  In  addition  to  biographical  sketches,  portraits  of  a  number  of 
representative  citizens  are  given. 

The  faces  of  some,  and  biographical  sketches  of  many,  will  be  missed  in  this  volume. 
For  this  the  publishers  are  not  to  blame.  Not  having  a  proper  conception  of  the  work,  some 
refused  to  give  the  information  necessary  to  compile  a  sketch,  while  others  were  indifferent. 
Occasionally  some  member  of  the  family  would  oppose  the  enterprise,  and  on  account  of  such 
opposition  the  support  of  the  interested  one  would  be  withheld.  In  a  few  instances  men 
never  could  be  found,  though  repeated  calls  were  made  at  their  residence  or  place  of  business. 


July,  1898. 


THE  S.  J.  CLARKE  PUBLISHING  Co. 


HON.  CHARLES  WHEATON. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


HON.  CHARLES  WHEATON,  a  lead- 
ing member  of  the  bar  of  Aurora,  Illi- 
nois, was  born  in  Warren,  Rhode  Island, 
May  29,  1829,  and  is  the  son  of  Nathan  M. 
and  Content  B.  (Maxwell)  Wheaton,  the 
former  being  the  son  of  Charles  Wheaton, 
who  was  born  in  Rehoboth,  Massachusetts, 
and  was  the  son  of  Nathaniel,  who  was  a 
native  of  the  same  place.  Nathaniel  was 
the  son  of  Daniel,  who  was  also  born  in  Re- 
hoboth, while  Daniel  was  the  son  of  Eph- 
raim,  who  was  the  son  of  Robert,  who  was 
born  in  England  in  1606,  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1636,  landing  at  Salem.  He  was  the 
founder  of  the  family  in  this  country.  From 
Salem,  he  removed  to  Rehoboth,  where  his 
death  occurred.  He  was  a  minister  of  the 
Baptist  church. 

Nathan  M.  Wheaton  was  born  in  War- 
ren, Rhode  Island,  in  1785.  He  was  a 
merchant  and  trader,  in  his  own  ships,  to 
the  West  Indies,  Cuba  and  other  islands. 
His  death  occurred  July  3,  1861.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  in 
politics  was  a  Whig.  Content  Maxwell,  his 
wife,  was  a  daughter  of  James  and  Content 
(BraytonJ  Maxwell,  who  were  members  of 
the  society  of  Friends,  or  Quakers.  Not- 
withstanding his  religion,  James  Maxwell 
served  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  going 
into  the  service  from  Rhode  Island.  He 
was  of  Scotch  ancestry.  The  Braytons  were 
also  Quakers.  Content  Maxwell  was  born 


in  Warren,  Rhode  Island,  December  26, 
1795,  and  died  in  November,  1837.  To 
Nathan  M.  Wheaton  and  wife  were  born 
nine  children — Elbridge  Gerry,  Mary, 
Emma,  Laura,  Rebecca,  Susan,  Charles, 
Elizabeth,  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 
Emma  married  William  Baker;  Laura  mar- 
ried George  L.  Cooke;  Susan  married  S.  V. 
R.  Hickox;  and  Elizabeth  married  Daniel 
L.  Turner.  All  are  now  deceased  save  our 
subject  and  Elizabeth. 

The  early  life  of  Charles  Wheaton  was 
spent  at  Warren,  Rhode  Island,  and  until 
sixteen  years  of  age  he  attended  the  Epis- 
copal school  at  Warren.  He  then  came 
west,  and  entered  the  college,  at  Robin's 
Nest,  known  as  Bishop  Chase's  Jubilee  Col- 
lege, in  Peoria  county,  Illinois,  where  he  re- 
mained one  year.  To  assist  Bishop  Chase, 
his  father  had  bought  two  scholarships,  one 
of  which  he  used  for  his  son.  Upon  leav- 
ing that  college,  he  entered  Trinity  College 
at  Hartford,  Connecticut,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  June,  1849. 

After  his  graduation,  Mr.  Wheaton  en- 
tered the  law  office  of  Hon.  Benjamin  F. 
Thomas,  at  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  where 
he  spent  two  years,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar,  in  September,  1851.  He  there  be- 
gan practice,  which  he  continued  for  three 
years,  and  in  October,  1854,  again  came 
west,  locating  at  Batavia,  in  January,  1855, 
then  one  of  the  most  promising  towns  in 


10 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  Fox  River  Valley,  where  he  opened  his 
office.  He  practiced  there  until  1859,  when 
he  removed  to  Aurora,  opened  an  office,  and 
has  here  continued  in  active  practice.  His 
first  partner  was  S.  W.  Burns  and  then  A. 
G.  McDole,  the  firm  name  being  Wheaton 
&  McDole.  In  1873,  he  opened  an  office 
in  Chicago,  which  was  run  under  the  firm 
name  of  Wheaton,  Canfield  &  Smith.  This 
partnership  continued  until  1875,  when  it 
was  dissolved,  since  which  time  he  has  been 
alone.  Since  1875,  his  time  has  almost  en- 
tirely been  devoted  to  the  trial  of  cases,  and 
there  has  been  but  few  cases  of  importance, 
in  this  or  adjoining  counties,  that  he  has 
not  been  on  one  side  or  the  other. 

.  Mr.  Wheaton  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Sarah  H.  Brewster,  July  17,  1860,  at 
Middlebury,  Vermont,  of  which  place  she  is 
a  native,  born  October  i,  1830.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  Elisha  and  Rebecca  (Fish) 
Brewster.  Elisha  Brewster  was  born  at 
Norwich,  Connecticut,  in  1790,  and  was  the 
son  of  Seabury  Brewster,  who  was  the  son 
of  Wrestling,  who  was  a  native  of  Norwich. 
His  father,  also  named  Wrestling,  was  like- 
wise a  native  of  Norwich,  and  whose  father, 
also  named  Wrestling,  was  a  native  of  Dux- 
bury,  Massachusetts.  His  father  was  Love 
Brewster,  who  was  born  in  England,  and 
who  was  the  son  of  Elder  William  Brewster, 
who  came  over  in  the  Mayflower  in  1620. 
Elisha  Brewster  married  Rebecca  Fish,  at 
Hartford,  Connecticut,  September  28,  1812. 
She  was  born  September  28,  1789.  Her 
father  was  Miller  Fish,  born  in  Bazrott, 
Connecticut,  in  1764,  and  married  Huldah 
Corning,  who  was  born  in  Hartford,  No- 
vember 4,  1765.  Their  children  were:  Hen- 
ry, Rebecca,  John,  Mary,  Frederick,  Ed- 
ward J.,  George  H.,  Huldah  C.,  John  M., 
Julia  C.  and  Arthur  M. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wheaton  are  the  parents 
of  five  children,  as  follows:  Lizzie  T.,  who 
married  Charles  H.  Hale,  of  Aurora,  by 
whom  she  has  two  children,  Bessie  W.  and 
Helen  L. ;  Clara  S.,  at  home;  Sarah,  the 
wife  of  Bert  A.  Allen,  living  in  Aurora,  and 
they  have  one  child,  Charles  W. ;  Anna  H., 
at  home;  and  Mary  F.,  who  married  Harry 
H.  Holden,  of  Aurora,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Sarah  M. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wheaton  are  members  of 
the  Congregational  church,  and  in  politics 
he  is  a  Republican.  In  1864  he  was  elected 
mayor  of  the  city,  but  resigned  before  the 
expiration  of  his  term.  For  four  years  he 
served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  super- 
visors, and  in  1870  was  a  member  of  the 
constitutional  convention,  in  which  body  he 
was  an  active  factor.  He  resides  in  a  beauti- 
ful home,  at  297  La  Salle  street,  which  he  had 
erected  for  himself,  and  around  him  are  all 
his  family,  to  whom  he  has  given  a  home,  and 
in  whose  society  he  finds  much  enjoyment. 

In  his  long  professional  career,  Mr. 
Wheaton  has  much  to  be  proud  of.  He  has 
been  eminently  successful  in  the  trial  of 
cases,  rarely  losing  a  cause  he  espoused,  and 
his  arduous  labors  have  brought  him  a  lib- 
eral competency.  His  professional  career 
has  been  free  from  trickery  and  question- 
able practices,  so  often  resorted  to  by  mem- 
bers of  the  bar.  His  strength  has  been  in  a 
good  education,  a  sound  knowledge  of  law, 
a  careful  study  of  cases  placed  in  his  charge, 
the  completeness  of  his  briefs,  his  skillful 
management,  and  his  able,  logical  and  elo- 
quent pleading,  having  always  the  respect 
of  the  court  and  the  confidence  of  the  jury. 
His  private  life  has  been  as  pure  as  his  pro- 
fessional one,  and  he  holds  the  esteem  and 
confidence  of  the  community  in  which  he 
has  so  long  dwelt. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ii 


SAMUEL  W.  CHAPMAN,  ex-postmaster 
of  Elgin  and  senior  member  of  the  firm 
of  S.  W.  &  A.  M.  Chapman,  dealers  in  car- 
riages, wagons  and  agricultural  implements, 
26  River  street,  Elgin,  is  a  truly  representa- 
tive citizen  of  Kane  county,  where  almost 
his  entire  life  has  been  spent.  He  was  born 
in  Wyoming,  New  York,  September  9,  1843, 
and  is  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Margaret 
(Spittal)  Chapman,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  Glasgow,  Scotland.  Their  family 
comprised  nine  children,  four  sons  and  five 
daughters,  eight  of  whom  are  now  living — 
Samuel  W. ,  of  this  sketch;  Helen  M.,  wife 
of  Frank  P.  Smith,  of  Kinsley,  Kansas; 
Mary  E.,  wife  of  John  Collins,  of  Harter, 
Kansas;  Sarah  J.,  wife  of  Edson  B.  Easton, 
of  Guthrie,  Oklahoma;  Albert  A.,  of  Texas; 
John  E. ,  of  Texas;  Grace  A.,  wife  of  Royal 
W.  Kimball,  of  Elgin;  Julia  A.,  wife  of 
George  M.  Peck,  of  Elgin;  and  Fred  L. , 
publisher  of  "  The  Ram's  Horn,"  Chicago. 
Samuel  Chapman,  the  father,  by  occu- 
pation was  a  farmer,  and  came  to  America 
in  1841,  locating  in  Wyoming,  New  York. 
In  1844,  he  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
and  settled  in  Plato  township,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  his  death.  He  first 
purchased  forty  acres  of  wild  land,  and  as 
his  means  increased  added  to  his  posses- 
sions until  he  was  the  owner  of  four  hundred 
and  sixty  acres.  Thoroughly  loyal  to  his 
adopted  country,  when  the  South  rebelled 
against  the  general  government  he  assisted 
in  raising  a  company  of  cavalry  known  as 
the  Plato  Cavalry,  of  which  he  was  commis- 
sioned first  lieutenant.  He  and  John  S. 
Durand  furnished  the  horses  for  the  com- 
pany, which  they  afterwards  sold  to  the 
government.  After  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge 
he  resigned  and  came  home.  Politically  he 
was  a  democrat,  and  while  not  caring  for 


office,  served  his  township  as  supervisor  for 
some  years.  His  death  occurred  in  Octo- 
ber, 1886,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  His 
good  wife  survived  him  more  than  a  year, 
dying  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  They 
were  members  of  the  Congregational  church 
and  died  in  the  full  assurance  of  faith  in  the 
life  beyond  the  grave.  Both  were  well 
known  and  universally  esteemed. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
also  named  Samuel  Chapman,  was  likewise 
a  native  of  Scotland,  and  there  died  when 
about  seventy-five  years  of  age.  His  occu- 
pation was  that  of  a  farmer.  The  maternal 
grandfather,  Andrew  Spittal,  was  born  in 
Scotland  and  died  near  Glasgow  when  about 
eighty  years  of-  age.  He  followed  farming 
as  a  means  of  livelihood. 

Samuel  W.  Chapman,  our  subject,  was 
about  one  year  old  when  brought  by  his  par- 
ents to  Kane  county,  and  upon  the  old  farm 
in  Plato  township  his  boyhood  and  youth 
were  passed.  The  eldest  in  the  family,  he 
was  early 'trained  to  labor  upon  the  farm 
and  knows  from  experience  the  meaning  of 
hard  work.  His  primary  education  was  ob- 
tained in  the  subscription  and  district 
schools,  and  his  collegiate  training  at  Beloit 
College. 

Soon  after  leaving  college  Mr.  Chapman 
went  to  Burlington,  Iowa,  as  cashier  in  the 
American  and  United  States  Express  office, 
where  he  remained  four  years,  discharging 
his  duties  in  a  faithful  and  conscientious 
manner.  He  then  returned  to  Elgin  and 
ran  a  flouring-mill.  for  ten  years,  when  he 
secured  the  position  as  agent  of  the  McCor- 
mick  Harvesting  Machine  Company,  remain- 
ing with  that  company  for  fifteen  years,  re- 
signing in  1893,  when  he  embarked  in  his 
present  wagon,  carriage  and  implement 
business.  In  1896  he  associated  with  him- 


12 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


self  A.  M.  Chapman,  who,  while  of  the 
same  name,  is  no  relation,  and  the  business 
has  since  been  conducted  under  the  firm 
name  of  S.  W.  &  A.  M.  Chapman.  Not- 
withstanding the  hard  times  since  the  busi- 
ness was  begun,  a  good  trade  has  been 
established,  which  is  constantly  increasing. 

On  the  1 5th  of  December,  1867,  Mr. 
Chapman  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Alvena  F.  Stone,  a  native  of  Elgin  town- 
ship, and  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Abigail 
Stone,  natives  of  New  Hampshire,  and  who 
came  to  Kane  county  in  1831.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Chapman  now  reside  in  a  pleasant 
home,  No.  753  Highland  avenue,  where 
they  delight  to  entertain  their  many  friends. 
Mrs.  Chapman  has  for  many  years  been  a 
member  of  the  Congregational  church,  and 
is  well  known  in  religious  circles.  Frater- 
nally, Mr.  Chapman  is  a  Master  Mason. 

Like  his  father  before  him,  Mr.  Chap- 
man is  a  thorough  Democrat,  and  in   the 
success  of  the  party  takes  especial  delight. 
His  face  is  a  familiar  one  in  the  conventions 
of  the  party,  and  his  influence  is  felt  in  its 
councils.      He  has  never  cared   for  official 
position,  as  his  tastes  and   inclinations  ran 
in  an  entirely  different  channel.     For  seven 
years,    however,    he   served    as  a  member 
of  the  board  of  education,  because  of  the 
fact  that  he  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  public 
schools  and  desired  to  render  all  the  aid  in 
his  power  to  make  them  efficient.     In  Feb- 
ruary, 1894,  he  was  appointed  by  President 
Cleveland,   and    confirmed   by   the    United 
States  senate,  as  postmaster  of  Elgin,  and 
served  until  February,  1898.      His  admin- 
istration of  the  office  was  such  as  to  win 
the   confidence    and  good  will  of    all    the 
patrons  of  the  office  of  whatever  political 
belief. 

As  a  business  man  Mr.  Chapman  is  prob- 


ably best  known.  For  about  eight  years 
he  has  been  a  director  in  the  Century  club, 
a  business  men's  association,  and  as  such 
has  exerted  an  influence  for  good  in  behalf 
of  his  adopted  city.  Thoroughly  progress- 
ive, he  is  ever  ready  to  champion  anything 
that  will  advance  the  best  interests  of  Elgin. 
This  fact  is  well  known,  and  this  it  is  which 
commends  him  to  all  business  and  profes- 
sional men,  those  on  whose  efforts  the  city 
relies  for  its  growth  and  well-being.  A  cit- 
izen of  the  county  for  more  than  half  a  cen- 
tury, there  is  nothing  that  affords  him  more 
satisfaction  than  to  see  it  take  front  rank 
among  the  counties  of  this  great  common- 
wealth, and  to  this  end  he  is  willing  to  bend 
all  his  energies. 


MILTON  THORNTON,  who  is  living 
retired  in  the  city  of  Geneva,  has  been 
a  resident  of  Kane  county  for  more  than 
sixty-one  years,  having  located  here  in  May, 
1837,  at  a  time  when  the  whole  country 
was  comparatively  new,  the  cabins  of  the 
settlers  being  few  and  far  between.  He  is 
a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  born  in  the 
town  of  Thornton,  Grafton  county,  October 
20,  1809.  His  father,  William  Thornton, 
was  also  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  and  a 
direct  descendant  of  Matthew  Thornton,  of 
national  reputation,  and  one  of  the  signers 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  He 
was  a  farmer  in  New  Hampshire,  and  there 
spent  his  entire  life.  His  wife  was  Polly 
Bagley,  a  daughter  of  Winthrop  Bagley,  a 
soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 

Milton  Thornton  grew  to  manhood  in 
his  native  state,  and  had  but  limited  educa- 
tional advantages.  He  is  mostly  self-edu- 
cated, his  knowledge,  which  is  of  a  practical 
nature,  being  acquired  since  reaching  ma- 
ture years.  He  remained  on  the  home 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


farm  with  his  father,  assisting  in  its  cultiva- 
tion until  he  was  twenty-eight  years  old. 
He  then  came  west  by  way  of  the  New 
York  &  Erie  canal  and  the  great  lakes,  to 
Chicago,  and  crossed  the  Fox  river  at  Gen- 
eva May  24,  1837.  He  at  once  took  up  a 
claim  in  the  town  of  Virgil,  Kane  county, 
comprising  a  tract  of  two  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-five acres,  on  which  he  built  a  dwell- ' 
ing  house,  and,  fencing  the  land,  began  its 
improvement.  In  due  time  he  had  a  splen- 
did farm,  on  which  he  resided  for  about 
forty  years.  He  first  built  a  small  house, 
to  which  additions  were  later  made. 

For  seven  years  after  his  arrival  in  Kane 
county,  Mr.  Thornton  lived  a  bachelor's 
life,  and  during  that  time  suffered  from  fever 
and  ague,  the  prevailing  disease  of  that 
early  time,  and  also  endured  all  the  hard- 
ships and  privations  incident  to  pioneer  life. 
His  first  marriage  was  in  June,  1844,  when 
he  married  Miss  Ruth  Jenkins,  a  native  of 
Columbia  county,  New  York,  who  came  to 
Illinois,  with  her  father,  Joseph  Jenkins,  who 
was  also  a  pioneer  of  Kane  county.  There 
were  two  children  by  this  union,  both  of 
whom  died  in  childhood.  This  wife  died  Jan- 
uary 27,  1847,  and  Mr.  Thornton  next  mar- 
ried Paulina  Bunker,  the  wedding  ceremony 
taking  place  December  23,  1847.  She  was 
a  native  of  Columbia  county,  New  York, 
and  died  May  16,  1876,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
five  years.  There  were  also  two  children  by 
this  marriage,  and  they  also  died  in  child- 
hood. In  Campton  township,  May  31, 
1877,  Mr.  Thornton  married  Mary  C. 
Thompson,  a  native  of  Greenbrier  county, 
West  Virginia,  who  came  to  Illinois  in  child- 
hood, and  was  reared  in  Kane  county.  Her 
father,  Robert  Thompson,  was  also  a  native 
of  West  Virginia,  and  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  Kane  county. 


In  early  life  Mr.  Thompson  was  an  old- 
line  Whig,  and  cast  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  Henry  Clay  in  1832.  In  1840  he 
voted,  in  Kane  county,  for  Harrison  and 
Tyler,  "  Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too."  Be- 
ing a  strong  anti-slavery  man,  and  a  be- 
liever in  equal  rights  of  all,  he  voted  for 
John  C.  Fremont,  in  1856,  and  has  since 
been  a  stanch  Republican,  casting  his  last 
presidential  vote  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven 
for  William  McKinley  and  protection.  He 
has  never  missed  a  presidential  election 
since  casting  his  first  vote  for  that  office. 
He  has  held  several  local  positions  of  honor 
and  trust,  including  township  supervisor, 
justice  of  the  peace,  road  commissioner,  and 
in  whatever  position  elected,  made  a  faith- 
ful and  efficient  officer.  He  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Unitarian  church,  be- 
ing a  firm  believer  in  its  doctrines  and  ten- 
ets. By  his  exemplary  habits  and  upright 
character  he  has  won  the  respect  and  es- 
teem of  all  who  know  him. 


WILLIAM  W.  BALDWIN  is  one  of 
the  younger  members  of  the  legal 
profession  in  Elgin,  but  his  ability  is  by  no 
means  limited  by  his  years,  and  he  has  now 
gained  a  clientage  and  reputation  that  many 
an  older  attorney  might  well  envy.  A  na- 
tive of  Cooperstown,  New  York,  born  April 
9,  1870,  he  is  a  son  of  Philander  and  Esther 
(Laberdie)  Baldwin,  the  former  of  German 
ancestry  and  the  latter  of  French  ancestry. 
The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
a  man  of  considerable  prominence  in  Coop- 
erstown, where  he  spent  his  entire  life,  and 
by  speculation  he  became  quite  wealthy, 
but  lost  most  of  his  money  before  his  death. 
His  son,  Philander  Baldwin,  was  a  mason, 
contractor  and  builder  for  many  years,  but 


'4 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


now  follows  farming  near  Ottawa  Lake, 
Michigan,  where  he  and  his  wife  now  make 
their  home.  They  are  the  parents  of  six 
children,  all  living:  William  W. ;  Mrs.  Min- 
nie Davidson,  who  resides  in  Wisconsin; 
Albert,  in  the  Tri-State  College,  Toledo, 
Ohio;  Philander,  a  resident  of  Toledo,  Ohio; 
Wesley  and  John,  still  with  their  parents. 
The  father  of  this  family  is  a  Jeffersonian 
Democrat  in  his  political  belief,  and  his 
wife  is  a  Catholic  in  religious  faith. 

William  W.  Baldwin  obtained  his  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  and  received 
few  advantages  in  his  youth  to  fit  him  for 
the  practical  and  responsible  duties  of  life. 
He  was  ambitious,  however,  and  made  the 
most  of  his  opportunities.  In  1887  he 
came  to  Elgin,  where  he  continued  his  edu- 
cation by  pursuing  a  commercial  course, 
after  which  he  took  up  the  study  of  law. 
By  correspondence  he  pursued  a  two-years' 
law  course  under  the  direction  of  the 
Sprague  University,  and  then  entered  the 
law  office  of  Frank  E.  Shopen,  who  in- 
structed him  in  the  principles  of  jurispru- 
dence for  two  years,  after  which  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  Ottawa,  Illinois,  in  De- 
cember, 1896. 

Mr.  Baldwin  at  once  returned  to  Elgin, 
opened  an  office  ajid  has  since  engaged  in 
practice,  meeting  with  gratifying  success  in 
his  chosen  calling.  On  the  I5th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1897,  ne  formed  a  partnership  with 
J.  R.  Powers,  Jr.,  and  the  firm  has  attained 
considerable  prominence  in  legal  circles  in 
Kane  county.  Mr.  Baldwin  was  appointed 
notary  public  in  1895.  1°  his  business  he 
has  made  a  specialty  of  pension-law  prac- 
tice, also  patent-law,  and  in  the  latter  divi- 
sion of  jurisprudence  he  has  handled  a  num- 
ber of  very  important  cases  with  success. 
These  have  frequently  called  him  to  Wash- 


ington; and  he  has  won  some  notable  vic- 
tories in  forensic  encounters  with  men  of 
high  worth  in  the  legal  profession,  a  fact 
which  plainly  indicates  his  own  ability. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Chicago  Law  Stu- 
dents Association. 

In  his  political  relations  Mr.  Baldwin  is 
a  Republican  and  served  as  delegate  to  the 
Illinois  Lincoln  Republican  League  at 
Springfield  in  1894.  Socially  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  Knights  of  the  Globe  and 
the  Sons  of  Veterans.  He  is  also  a  valued 
member  of  the  First  Baptist  church  and  a 
man  of  benevolent,  kindly  nature. 

Mr.  Baldwin  was  married  September  15, 
1897,  in  Elgin,  to  Miss  May  L.  Smith,  a 
daughter  of  Curtis  A.  and  Mary  (Crowfoot) 
Smith.  Her  father  is  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  old  families  of  Elgin  and  is  now 
connected  with  the  Elgin  Watch  Factory  in 
the  responsible  position  of  foreman  of  one 
of  the  departments.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baldwin 
have  a  wide  acquaintance  and  high  standing 
in  the  social  circles  of  Elgin  and  share  in 
the  warm  regard  of  many  friends. 


ISAAC  H.  WARREN,  a  prominent  at- 
I  torney  of  Elgin,  with  office  in  the  Home 
Bank  Building,  is  a  man  who  thoroughly 
loves  his  profession,  and  is  eminently  gifted 
with  the  capabilities  of  mind  which  are  in- 
dispensable at  the  bar.  In  preparing  a  case 
for  trial  every  fact,  however  insignificant, 
is  carefully  studied  and  its  possible  relevancy 
to  the  merits  of  the  case  weighed  and  con- 
sidered. He  is  thoroughly  familiar  with 
authority  and  never  at  a  loss  for  a  prec- 
edent. 

Mr.  Warren  was  born  March  8,  1851,  in 
Boone  county,  Illinois,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Anna  (Church)  Warren.  His  maternal 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


grandfather,  William  Church,  was  an  Eng- 
lishman by  birth  and  was  a  lieutenant  in 
the  English  army,  being  in  the  service  when 
Napoleon  threatened  to  invade  England. 
On  coming  to  the  United  States  William 
Church  located  in  New  York,  where  he  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  farming  until  his 
death.  He  married  Miss  Esther  Deacon, 
and  to  them  were  born  eight  children — five 
sons  and  three  daughters — of  whom  Mrs. 
Warren  is  the  eldest.  Two  sons  and  all  the 
daughters  are  still  living,  their  average  age 
being  seventy-five  years,  and  both  in  mind 
and  body  they  are  well  preserved. 

John  Warren,  our  subject's  father,  was 
born  in  England,  in  1811,  and  when  nine- 
teen years  of  age  accompanied  his  parents 
on  their  emigration  to  America.  He  was 
one  of  a  family  of  nine  children — five  sons 
and  four  daughters.  During  his  younger 
years  he  engaged  in  farming  in  the  Empire 
state,  but  at  an  early  day  came  to  Illinois, 
and  upon  a  farm  in  Boone  county  lived  un^ 
til  called  from  this  life  in  1884,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-three  years.  He  was  officially 
connected  with  the  Congregational  church, 
of  which  he  and  his  wife  were  both  earnest 
and  faithful  members.  She  is  still  living. 
Their  children  were  as  follows:  J.  W. ,  a 
salesman  living  in  Omaha,  Nebraska;  A.  G. , 
who  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years;  Isaac 
H.,  of  this  sketch;  Etta,  wife  of  W.  W. 
Ware,  a  farmer  of  Batavia,  New  York; 
Josephine,  deceased  wife  of  Rev.  M.  N. 
Clark,  a  Congregational  minister;  and  Del- 
la,  wife  of  W.  A.  Whiting,  a  merchant  of 
Poplar  Grove,  Illinois. 

Reared  on  the  old  farm  in  Boone  county, 
Illinois,  Isaac  H.  Warren  obtained  his  early 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  the  local- 
ity, and  he  was  later  a  student  in  Beloit 
College,  of  Wisconsin,  having  secured  the 


means  to  continue  his  studies  by  teaching 
for  four  years  in  the  country  schools.  When 
his  literary  education  was  completed,  he 
read  law  in  the  offices  of  several  attorneys, 
and  in  January,  1891,  was  admitted  to  the 
bar,  being  licensed  to  practice  before  all  the 
courts  of  the  state.  He  at  once  opened  an 
office  in  Elgin,  and  now  enjoys  a  good 
practice. 

On  the  i6th  of  May,  1882,  Mr.  Warren 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Viola  O. 
McAllister,  daughter  of  S.  McAllister,  of 
Elgin,  and  to  them  have  been  born  two 
daughters:  Louie  O.  and  Vera  L.  Mr. 
Warren  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
church,  while  his  wife  is  a  Baptist  in  relig- 
ious belief.  Socially  he  is  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  lodge  of  Elgin, 
in  which  he  is  now  serving  as  treasurer,  and 
has  passed  through  all  the  chairs  in  the 
Royal  League,  being  past  archon  and  deputy 
of  the  same.  As  a  Republican  he  takes  an 
active  interest  in  political  affairs,  and  has 
held  some  minor  offices,  including  that  of 
township  collector  and  school  director.  In 
all  the  relations  of  life  Mr.  Warren  displays 
that  integrity  of  character  that  wins  and 
holds  the  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he 
comes  in  contact,  and  his  many  estimable 
traits  of  character  have  gained  for  him  a 
host  of  warm  friends.  As  a  citizen  he  holds 
a  prominent  place  in  the  regard  of  his  fellow- 
townsmen. 


DANIEL  VAN  GORDER,  a  well-known 
contractor,  and  one  of  the  -highly  re- 
spected citizens  of  Elgin,  living  at  No.  432 
Fulton  street,  is  a  native  of  New  York,  born 
May  15,  1830,  near  Aurora,  on  Lake  Cay- 
uga,  in  the  town  of  Scipio,  Cayuga  county, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Helms)  Van 


i6 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Gorder,  who  were  born  in  Pennsylvania,  of 
Holland  ancestry.  Throughout  his  business 
career  the  father  engaged  in  contracting  and 
hotel  keeping,  conducting  a  popular  hostelry 
in  Geneseo,  New  York,  for  more  than 
•twenty  years.  He  was  widely  and  favor- 
ably known,  and  well  deserved  the  reputa- 
tion he  enjoyed  of  being  one  of  the  best 
landlords  in  his  section  of  the  state.  He 
died  August  20,  1852,  aged  sixty  years,  and 
his  wife  seven  days  later,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
nine.  She  was  a  devout  and  earnest  Chris- 
tian woman,  a  faithful  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  the  poor  and 
needy  were  never  turned  from  her  door 
empty-handed.  She  was  kind  and  obliging 
at  all  times,  and  her  home  was  the  favorite 
stopping  place  with  the  minister.  Of  her 
nine  children,  Daniel  is  the  eighth  in  order 
of  birth,  but  only  three  are  now  living,  the 
others  being  Selah,  a  contractor  and  builder, 
residing  in  Elmira,  .New  York;  and  Amy, 
widow  of  Henry  Boughton,  and  a  resident 
of  Galena,  Kansas. 

The  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject 
were  spent  in  his  father's  hotel  at  Geneseo, 
New  York,  which  he  visited  a  few  years 
since,  and  in  the  public  schools  of  that  city 
he  acquired  his  education.  After  leaving 
the  school  room  he  learned  the  painter's 
trade  and  for  some  years  engaged  in  house 
painting,  after  which  he  was  employed  as 
clerk  in  hotels  in  New  York  City,  Newark, 
New  Jersey,  and  Rochester,  New  York.  He 
began  contracting  in  1855,  in  New  York, 
where  he  was  employed  as  foreman  on  the 
Erie  canal,  but  in  1857  came  west,  stop- 
ping first  in  Chicago.  Subsequently  he 
went  to  Dubuque,  Iowa,  and  still  later  to 
Prairie  du  Chien,  Wisconsin,  where  he 
spent  some  years  as  a  railroad  contractor. 
He  has  engaged  in  the  same  business  in 


many  states,  including  Colorado,  New  York, 
Michigan,  Indiana,  Ohio,  Illinois,  Minne- 
sota, Iowa,  Kansas,  Tennessee,  Kentucky, 
Arkansas,  Alabama  and  Mississippi.  From 
Memphis,  Tennessee,  he  came  to  Elgin  in 
1889,  and  here  he  has  since  made  his  home 
while  continuing  to  engage  in  both  railroad 
and  general  contracting. 

In  1849  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Van  Gorder  and  Miss  Laura  Welton, 
daughter  of  Amos  Welton,  of  Canandaigua, 
New  York,  and  to  them  was  born  a  son, 
Charles,  now  a  job  printer  and  prominent 
citizen  of  Elgin,  who  married  Hannah 
Bundy  and  has  two  children,  Prentice  and 
William.  The  first  wife  of  our  subject  died 
in  1864,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years, 
and  in  1866  he  wedded  Miss  Susan  Bundy 
by  whom  he  has  one  daughter,  Lucille,  a 
proficient  and  popular  music  teacher,  now 
connected  with  the  Hecker's  College  of 
Music  in  Elgin.  In  religious  belief  the 
the  mother  is  an  Episcopalian. 

In  1859  Mr.  Van  Gorder  was  made  a 
Mason  at  Prairie  du  Chien  lodge.  No.  106, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  and  has  since  affiliated  with 
that  fraternity.  Politically  he  is  not  identi- 
fied with  any  party  but  votes  independently, 
endeavoring  to  support  the  man  best  quali- 
fied for  office  regardless  of  party  ties.  As 
a  citizen  he  ever  stands  ready  to  discharge 
every  duty  devolving  upon  him,  and  he  has 
a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances 
in  the  various  states  where  he  has  been 
located  at  different  times  throughout  his 
active  and  useful  career. 


JUDGE  R.  N.  BOTSFORD,  senior  mem- 
»J  ber  of  the  firm  of  Botsford,  Wayne  & 
Botsford,  lawyers,  Cook  block,  Elgin,  is 
one  of  the  truly  representative  members  of 


JUDGE  R.  N.  BOTSFORD. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  legal  profession  in  Kane  county.  What- 
ever may  be  said  of  the  legal  fraternity,  it 
cannot  be  denied  that  members  of  the  bar 
have  been  more  prominent  actors  in  public 
affairs  than  any  other  class  of  the  commun- 
ity. This  is  but  the  natural  result  of  causes 
which  are  manifest  and  require  no  explana- 
tion. The  ability  and  training  which  qual- 
ify one  to  practice  law  also  qualify  him  in 
many  respects  for  the  duties  which  lie  out- 
side the  strict  path  of  his  profession  and 
which  touch  the  general  interests  of  society. 
This  is  what  makes  him  a  leader  of  men 
and  often  leads  him,  sometimes  in  reality 
against  his  will,  into  the  political  arena,  and 
in  times  of  war  into  the  military  serv- 
ice as  commander  of  regiments,  brigades, 
divisions  and  corps.  That  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  has  left  his  impress  upon  the 
history  of  Kane  county,  its  annals  for  the 
past  fifty  years  will  duly  attest. 

Richard  N.  Botsford  was  born  in  New- 
ton, Fairfield  county,  Connecticut,  October 
28,  1830,  and  is  a  son  of  Austin  N.  and 
Volucia  V.  (Glover)  Botsford,  also  natives 
of  the  same  state,  and  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  five  of  whom  are  now  living: 
Richard  N.,  our  subject;  Eugene  M.,  of 
Newton,  Connecticut;  Austin  N.,  of  Fort 
Dodge,  Iowa;  Caroline,  wife  of  Edward 
Parsons,  of  Connecticut;  and  Alosia,  wife 
of  Reuben  Johnson,  of  New  Haven,  Con- 
necticut. 

Austin  N.  Botsford,  the  father,  was  a 
man  of  marked  ability,  and  by  occupation 
was  a  farmer.  He  served  his  district  as  a 
member  of  the  legislature,  and  was  also  a 
captain  of  the  state  militia.  Religiously  he 
was  a  Universalist.  His  death  occurred  in 
1842,  at  the  age  of  forty-four  years.  After 
his  death  his  wife  married  W.  Northrup, 
who  died  many  years  ago.  She  lived  to  be 


eighty  years  of  age,  dying  in  1894,  in  New 
Haven,  Connecticut. 

The  paternal  grandfather,  Philo  Bots- 
ford, was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  of  Eng- 
lish stock.  He  was  the  father  of  two  chil- 
dren. His  death  occurred  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight  years.  The  maternal  grand- 
father Glover  was  also  born  in  Connecticut 
and  died  at  the  age  of  about  fifty  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  man- 
hood in  his  native  state  and  is  a  graduate  of 
the  State  Normal  School,  at  New  Britain, 
Connecticut.  For  some  years  after  his 
graduation  he- taught  school  in  Connecticut, 
Illinois,  Wisconsin  dnd  Missouri.  While 
engaged  in  teaching  he  read  law,  and  in 
1857  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Black  River 
Falls,  Wisconsin.  Removing  to  St.  Charles, 
Kane  county,  for  a  time  he  was  engaged  in 
publishing  a  newspaper,  and  in  1858  com- 
menced the  practice  of  law  there.  In  1869 
he  removed  to  Elgin  and  has  here  continu- 
ously made  his  home  from  that  time,  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  profession. 
While  yet  residing  at  St.  Charles,  in  1861, 
he  was  elected  county  judge  and  acceptably 
filled  out  a  four-years'  term. 

On  the  2/th  of  December,  1860,  Judge 
Botsford  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Ellen  E.  Bundy,  daughter  of  P.  E.  and 
Pamelia  (Lowell)  Bundy.  By  this  union 
two  children  were  born,  Carl  E.  and  Alosia. 
The  latter  died  in  1892  at  the  age  of  eight- 
een years.  The  former  is  now  the  junior 
member  of  the  firm  of  Botsford,  Wayne  & 
Botsford. 

Politically  Judge  Botsford  is  a  Democrat, 
and  although  he  has  always  taken  an  active 
part  in  political  affairs  he  has  never  been 
an  office  seeker.  Business  and  professional 
interests  have  demanded  of  him  his  time, 
and  he  therefore  left  to  others  office  seek- 


20 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


ing.  His  reputation  as  an  attorney  secured 
him  the  nomination  of  his  party  for  the  of- 
fice of  supreme  judge,  in  June,  1897,  but  as 
his  party  is  in  a  strong  minority  in  the  dis- 
trict, he  failed  of  an  election.  That  he 
would  have  creditably  filled  the  position  is 
acknowledged  by  all,  especially  the  legal 
fraternity. 

The  Judge  comes  of  a  long-lived  race, 
his  maternal  grandmother  living  to  be  one 
hundred  and  two  years  old.  Although  near 
the  three-score-and-ten  mark,  he  is  a  well- 
preserved  man  with  physical  and  mental 
abilities  unabated.  With  the  exception  of 
a  short  time  in  Missouri  and  Wisconsin,  he 
has  been  a  resident  of  Kane  county  since 
1 85 1,  and  as  stated,  the  impress  of  his  mind 
has  been  left  upon  the  county.  He  is  hon- 
ored and  respected  by  all. 


ELISHA  WEED  is  a  retired  farmer  living 
in  the  village  of  Hampshire,  and  is  well 
and  favorably  known  throughout  Kane  coun- 
ty. He  was  born  in  Bloomfield  township, 
Trumbull  county,  Ohio,  August  20,  1817. 
His  educational  advantages  were  such  as 
were  provided  in  the  early  days  in  his  native 
county,  when  teachers  were  paid  eight  dol- 
lars a  month  and  board  around,  many  of 
them  knowing  but  little  more  than  some  of 
their  pupils.  The  school  houses  were  built 
of  logs  and  provided  with  wooden  benches 
for  seats. 

John  Weed,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  near  Bangor,  Maine,  and  by  oc- 
cupation was  a  farmer.  In  the  war  of  1812 
he  served  two  years  as  sergeant  in  a  Maine 
regiment  and  was  in  the  battle  of  Sackett's 
Harbor.  In  Ohio  he  married  Jemima  Big- 
elow,  daughter  of  Timothy  Bigelow,  a  sol- 
dier of  the  Revolutionary  war,  who  came 


with  the  family  to  Ohio,  where  he  died. 
His  wife  was  a  Miss  Hovey.  In  1815  Tim- 
othy Bigelow  moved  with  his  family  from 
Vermont  to  Ohio,  the  father  and  son  walk- 
ing all  the  way,  the  mother  driving  a  four- 
horse  wagon  containing  all  their  earthly 
possessions.  In  Cattaraugus  county,  New 
York,  wolves  killed  one  of  their  horses,  and 
from  there  they  drove  three.  They  settled 
in  Ohio  when  that  was  a  wilderness  and 
lived  the  life  usual  to  pioneers.  Of  the  nine 
children  born  to  John  and  Jemima  Weed, 
four  are  yet  living,  as  follows:  Elisha,  our 
subject;  George  N.,  living  in  Ohio;  Eliza- 
beth, wife  of  John  Burns,  of  Hampshire; 
and  William,  who  resides  in  Missouri. 

At  the  age  of  nineteen  our  subject  went  to 
Indiana,  working  in  Bartholomew,  Johnson, 
Floyd  and  Tippecanoe  counties,  at  one  time 
being  employed  on  the  old  state  road,  from 
New  Albany  northwest.  While  at  this  work 
the  contractor  failed,  and  Mr.  Weed  could 
get  no  pay  for  his  labor.  The  contractor 
promised  to  pay  him,  however,  and  agreed 
to  keep  him  until  he  was  paid.  Mr.  Weed 
walked  one  hundred  miles  to  the  contractor's 
home,  where  he  remained  for  some  time 
and  was  finally  paid.  For  a  time  he  rented 
land  in  Indiana  and  engaged  in  farming. 

On  the  roth  of  March,  1842,  at  Blue 
River,  Bartholomew  county,  Indiana,  Mr. 
Weed  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Julia  A.  Hartman,  who  was  second  in  order 
of  birth  in  a  family  of  eleven  children  born 
to  Francis  and  Magdeline  (Gilbert)  Hart- 
man, both  of  German  origin.  She  was  born 
near  Little  York.  Pennsylvania,  July  22, 
1822.  A  few  years  later  her  parents  moved 
to  Indiana  and  settled  in  Bartholomew 
county,  at  a  time  when  the  country  was 
comparatively  new,  and  where  they  had 
none  of  the  comforts  of  their  old  Pennsyl- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


21 


vania  home.  The  mother  cried  over  the 
desolate  outlook,  but  after  a  time  became 
more  contented.  By  this  union  there  were 
five  children:  the  first  named  died  in  infancy; 
Helen  M.  married  E.  L.  Starks,  of  Starks 
Station,  and  died,  leaving  one  daughter, 
Mabel  H.,  while  one  child  died  in  infancy; 
Francis  W.  married  Rachel  Dean,  by  whom 
he  has  four  children,  Carrie  A.,  Harry, 
Edith  and  Frederick,  and  they  reside  in 
Sac  county,  Iowa;  George  A.  married  Jane 
Tait,  and  lives  in  Sac  county,  Iowa;  and 
Frederick  P.  A.,  who  married  Harriet  Plum- 
mer,  and  lives  on  the  old  home  farm. 

In  1845  Mr.  Weed  came  to  Kane  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  traveling  by  wagon  drawn  by 
oxen,  and  located  in  Hampshire  township, 
where  he  bought  forty  acres  on  section  27, 
to  which  he  later  added  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres.  His  deeds,  signed  by  James 
K.  Polk,  then  president  of  the  United  States, 
have  never  been  transferred.  Deer,  wolves 
and  wild  game  abounded  in  the  country  at 
that  time  and  the  few  neighbors  were  very 
far  apart.  It  was  nearly  all  raw,  unbroken 
prairie  and  timber. 

Mr.  Weed  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order,  and  is  the  last  of  the  charter  mem- 
bers living,  of  Hampshire  lodge,  No.  443. 
He  has  been  a  Mason  for  over  forty  years. 
In  early  life  he  was  a  Whig,  his  first  vote 
being  for  William  H.  Harrison,  in  1840. 
Since  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party 
he  has  been  a  strong  advocate  of  its  princi- 
ples, and  has  voted  his  party's  ticket.  In 
early  life  he  served  as  constable,  road  com- 
missioner, school  director  and  in  other 
minor  official  positions.  He  is  now  one  of 
the  solid  and  substantial  men  of  Hampshire 
township.  The  conditions  of  life  now  ex- 
isting are  very  different  from  what  they 
were  when  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weed  came  to 


Kane  county,  a  young  married  couple.  Mrs. 
Weed  learned  to  spin,  weave  linen  and 
wool,  and  in  early  days  made  all  the  clothes 
for  herself  and  family.  After  a  long  and 
useful  life  they  are  now  living  in  retirement, 
enjoying  the  fruits  of  their  former  toil,  and 
surrounded  by  those  who  have  intimately 
known  them  in  days  gone  by. 


JOHN  R.  POWERS,  of  the  firm  of 
Baldwin  &  Powers,  attorneys  of  Elgin, 
was  born  in  the  city  which  is  still  his  place  of 
residence,  April  6,  1870,  his  parents  being 
John  and  Johanah  (Sutton)  Powers,  who 
were  natives  of  Ireland  and  Illinois  respect- 
ively. The  father  was  a  cooper  by  trade, 
and  at  the  beginning  of  the  Rebellion  he  laid 
aside  all  business  cares  and  offered  his 
services  to  the  Union,  enlisting  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Fifty-second  Illinois  Infantry, 
with  which  he  went  to  the  front.  After- 
ward he  joined  Company  K,  Sixteenth  New 
York  Cavalry,  serving  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  war  as  a  scout.  His  command 
often  engaged  in  skirmishes  with  Mosby's 
cavalry,  and  in  one  of  these  engagements 
he  was  wounded,  and  was  sent  to  a  hospital 
in  Washington.  A  few  days  after  his  re- 
covery he  was  sent  out  with  a  company  to 
hunt  up  Booth,  the  assassin,  and  was  in  the 
command  that  captured  him.  After  his 
return  from  the  war  he  secured  a  position 
on  the  police  force  of  Elgin  and  served 
creditably  in  that  capacity  until  he  was 
chosen  for  the  office  of  city  marshal  in  1870. 
For  eighteen  years  he  filled  the  latter  posi- 
tion, discharging  his  duties  with  marked 
fidelity  and  ability,  a  fact  which  is  plainly 
indicated  by  his  long  continuance  in  office. 
On  his  retirement  from  that  position  he 
was  elected  supervisor  and  served  for  one 


22 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


term,  after  which  he  filled  the  office  of  con- 
stable, was  then  deputy  sheriff,  and  was  at 
one  time  alderman  from  the  Seventh  ward. 
When  he  left  the  office  of  marshal  he  pur- 
chased a  half  interest  in  the  Elgin  Ice  Com- 
pany, with  which  he  was  connected  for  two 
years.  In  1897  he  was  again  appointed 
marshal  by  Mayor  Price,  and  is  now  serv- 
ing in  that  capacity.  In  politics  he  is  a 
stanch  Republican,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  He  has  a  family  of 
five  living  children — John  R. ,  May,  Celia 
A.,  Mabel  and  Charles  L.,  and  has  lost  one 
daughter,  Nellie. 

John  R.  Powers,  of  this  review,  pur- 
sued his  elementary  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Elgin  and  afterward  attended  the 
Elgin  Academy.  At  the  same  time  he  read 
law  with  the  firm  of  Botsford  &  Wayne,  and 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Ottowa  in 
June,  1897.  He  soon  afterward  entered 
into  partnership  with  W.  W.  Baldwin, 
under  the  firm  style  of  Baldwin  &  Powers, 
and  the  firm  is  now  enjoying  a  fair  clientage. 
They  have  pleasant  offices  in  the  Spurling 
Block,  and  they  have  already  met  with 
creditable  success,  while  the  business  is 
constantly  increasing.  Mr.  Powers  is  a 
young  man  of  strong  intellectuality  and  ex- 
cellent business  ability,  and  has  the  energy 
which  always  overcomes  obstacles  and 
ultimately  reaches  the  goal  of  success.  He 
is  now  holding  the  position  of  first  sergeant 
in  General  W.  F.  Lynch  camp,  Sons  of 
Veterans,  also  secretary  of  the  Philomenian 
Club,  and  a  member  of  several  other  social 
organizations.  He  has  many  friends  in  the 
community  in  which  his  entire  life  has  been 
passed,  and  enjoys  the  confidence  and  respect 
of  all. 


MOSES  H.  THOMPSON.— The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  has  been  almost  a 
lifelong  resident  of  Kane  county,  having 
come  here  with  his  parents  in  1834,  when 
but  one  year  old.  His  father,  Captain 
Thomas  H.  Thompson  came  to  Chicago  in 

1833,  returned  to  Plattsburg,  New  York,  in 

1834,  and  at  once  removed    his  family  to 
Illinois,    settling  in   Du   Page  county,    and 
from  there  removed   to  Fox  river  valley  in 

1835,  settling  in  what  is  now  Dundee  town- 
ship, Kane  county.      Like  all  country  boys 
in  pioneer  days,    Mr.   Thompson    remained 
at  home,  working  on  his  father's  farm  until 
twenty-one  years  of  age. 

When  wishing  for  a  broader  and  bet- 
ter education  than  could  be  obtained 
at  the  public  schools,  he  took  a  course  in 
civil  engineering,  which  profession  he  fol- 
lowed for  many  years,  beginning  in  the  Ga- 
lena and  Dubuque  lead  mines  about  in  1858, 
and  then  upon  government  surveys  and  the 
early  railroad  lines  west  of  the  Mississippi. 
About  1860  he  concluded  to  abandon  the 
engineering  and  surveying  business  and  en- 
gage in  map  publishing,  which  he  did,  con- 
fining himself  almost  exclusively  to  county 
map  work,  being  the  pioneer  publisher  in 
the  west  to  show  the  name  of  each  land 
owner  upon  each  tract.  This  business  was 
extended  over  nearly  all  of  the  northwestern 
states.  In  Illinois  alone  nearly  one-third 
of  the  entire  state  was  thus  mapped.  These 
maps  were  made  so  thorough  and  complete 
that  copies  were  added  to  many  of  the 
libraries  of  the  most  prominent  geograph- 
ical societies  of  the  world. 

In  1872  Mr.  Thompson  became  con- 
nected with  the  Elgin  Gas  Light  Company, 
as  its  secretary  and  manager,  in  which  po- 
sition he  continued  about  ten  years.  He 
then  became  identified  with  the  South- 


M.   H.  THOMPSON. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


western  Lumber  Company,  as  president 
and  manager,  but  after  four  years'  active 
management  of  the  company's  affairs,  on 
account  of  ill  health,  it  was  determined  to 
sell  the  property  of  the  company,  consist- 
ing of  mills  and  pine  lands  in  the  state  of 
Arkansas.  After  this  Mr.  Thompson  re- 
turned to  Elgin,  his  old  home,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  In  1864  he  purchased 
one  of  the  largest  farms  in  Dundee  town- 
ship, from  which  time  he  has  been  largely 
engaged  in  the  dairy  business,  and  was 
among  the  first  to  make  Elgin  a  pronounced 
dairy  district.  He  was  the  first  secretary 
of  the  Illinois  State  Dairymen's  Association 
and  continued  as  such  for  several  years,  al- 
ways taking  an  interest  in  whatever  per- 
tains to  the  dairy  interest  of  the  state  of 
Illinois.  Mr.  Thompson  is  now  serving  as 
president  of  the  Elgin  National  Bank  and 
has  been  since  its  organization  in  1892. 
He  is  also  president  of  the  Old  Settlers' 
Association  of  Fox  River  Valley.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Lakeside,  Century  and  Wal- 
tonian  .Clubs.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch 
Republican,  his  father,  Captain  T.  H. 
Thompson  being  one  of  the  founders  of 
that  party. 

In  1862  Mr.  Thompson  was  married  to 
Miss  Clarissa  I.  -Miller,  daughter  of  David 
and  Clarissa  Miller,  and  to  them  have  been 
born  two  children:  Walter  M.  and  Clara  I. 
Walter  M.  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Cliff, 
December  16,  1885,  and  they  have  two 
children:  Arthur  C.  and  Kathryn.  Clara 
I.  was  married  to  John  A.  Carlisle  in  1891, 
and  they  now  have  one  son,  Donald  T. 
The  parents  of  our  subject,  Captain  T. 
H.  and  Sarah  (Hoit)  Thompson,  were  na- 
tives of  Maine  and  Plattsburg,  New  York, 
respectively.  The  mother  was  a  daughter 
of  Colonel'  Moses  X.  Hoit,  who,  as  well  as 


his  ancestors,  was  among  the  foremost  to 
make  history  during  the  American  Revolu- 
tion. The  paternal  ancestors  of  our  sub- 
ject were  also  among  the  defenders  of  the 
rights  of  this  country. 


DEWITT  C.  ADAMS,  now  living  a  re- 
tired life  in  the  city  of  Dundee,  but 
who  for  years  was  one  of  the  active,  enter- 
prising and  respected  business  men  of  this 
section  of  the  state,  is  numbered  among  the 
old  settlers  who  date  their  residence  in  Illi- 
nois since  1842.  He  was  born  in  Cortland 
county,  New  York,  January  29,  1824,  and 
is  of  English  descent,  the  family  coming  to 
this  country  at  a  very  early  date  in  its  his- 
tory, William  Adams,  his  father,  was  born 
in  Saratoga,  -Northumberland  county,  New 
York,  in  1784,  and  wfesvthe  son  of  Oliver 
Adams,  also  born  in  New  York.  Oliver 
Adams  moved  to  Cortland  county  about 
1 804,  and  there  made  a  home  in  the  wilder- 
ness, where  he  reared  his  family.  William 
Adams  married  Phebe  Lewis,  also  a  native 
of  New  York.  After  residing  in  Cortland 
county  a  number  of  years  he  removed  to 
Syracuse,  New  York,  and  resided  there  four 
yeafs.  In  1842  he  came  to  Illinois  and  set- 
tled in  Cook  county,  where  he  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life,  dying  at  the  residence 
of  his  son,  DeWitt  C. ,  in  1859.  His  wife 
survived  him  five  years,  passing  away  Jan- 
uary i,  1864.  They  were  laid  to  rest  in  the 
cemetery  at  Dundee.  William  Adams  was 
a  well-posted  man  and  while  taking  an  act- 
ive interest  in  political  affairs  never  sought 
nor  would  he  hold  public  office. 

In  the  family  of  William  and  Phebe 
Adams  were  three  sons  and  two  daughters 
who  grew  to  mature  years,  as  follows:  Maria, 
wife  of  John  Van  Hoesen,  of  Hastings,  Min- 


26 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


nesota.  Oliver,  who  was  for  many  years  a 
publisher  of  school  records  in  Chicago,  is 
now  deceased.  He  was  well-known  through- 
out the  state  and  elsewhere  among  educators 
as  the  publisher  of  Adams  School  Records 
and  various  school  supplies  which  are  yet 
used  to  some  extent.  DeWitt  C. ,  our  sub- 
ject, is  next  in  order  of  birth.  Harriet  S. 
married  Edward  F.  Wells,  with  whom  she 
removed  to  San  Diego,  California,  where 
she  died.  John  C.,  who  resides  in  Chicago, 
is  a  practical  jeweler  and  was  one  of  the 
original  founders  of  the  Elgin  watch  fac- 
tory. He  is  now  living  a  retired  life.  One 
daughter,  Betsy,  died  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
years. 

The  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject 
were  spent  in  Cortland  county,  and  in  the 
city  of. Syracuse,  New  York.  He  had  fair 
educational  advantages,  which  he  improved 
as  well  as  possible,  but  is  mostly  a  self-edu- 
cated man.  He  was  eighteen  years  of  age 
when  he  came  with  the  family  to  Cook 
county,  Illinois.  For  three  winters  after  his 
arrival  there  he  taught  in  the  public  schools, 
being  one  of  the  pioneer  teachers  of  Cook 
county.  His  life  work,  however,  was  that 
of  a  farmer.  Soon  after  coming  of  age  he 
purchased  two  hundred  forty  acres  of  land 
in  Barrington  township,  which  he  put  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  on  which  he 
resided  for  many  years.  In  1883  he  rented 
the  place  and  moved  to  Dundee,  purchased 
some  lots  and  built  his  present  residence. 
Previous  to  this,  however,  he  had  become 
interested  in  business  in  that  city,  having 
become  part  owner  in  a  lumber  and  coal 
yard.  After  his  removal  to  the  city  he  took 
an  active  part  in  the  management  of  the 
business  for  several  years,  but  lately  sold 
out  and  is  now  practically  living  a  retired 
life. 


Mr.  Adams  was  married  in  Elgin  No- 
vember 25,  1852,  to  Mary  E.  Harvey,  a 
native  of  New  York,  born  in  Herkimer 
county,  and  a  daughter  of  David  Harvey,  a 
pioneer  settler  of  Plato  township,  Kane 
county.  She  was  reared  in  this  county, 
and  received  her  education  in  the  schools  of 
Elgin.  For  some  years  previous  to  her 
marriage  she  was  a  successful  teacher  in 
the  public  schools.  She  died  at  her  home 
in  Dundee,  February  19,  1895,  leaving  one 
son  and  one  daughter.  The  son,  William 
H.,  is  now  a  business  man  residing  in  Chi- 
cago, while  the  daughter,  Mary  E.,  yet  re- 
sides at  home,  and  is  her  father's  house- 
keeper. She  is  a  well-educated  lady,  a 
graduate  of  the  Loring  Young  Ladies'  School 
of  Chicago.  One  daughter,  Carrie,  died  at 
the  age  of  seven  years,  while  one  son,  Louie, 
died  at  the  age  of  two  and  a  half  years,  and 
another,  Charles,  died  at  the  age  of  nine 
months. 

In  early-  life  Mr.  Adams  was  an  old-line 
Whig,  and,  like  his  father,  was  a  strong  be- 
liever in  the  principles  of  that  party.  A 
friend  of  liberty,  he  united  with  the  Repub- 
lican party  on  its  organization,  and  voted 
for  its  first  presidential  candidate;  John  C. 
Fremont,  in  1856.  Being  a  strong  temper- 
ance man,  he  has  of  late  identified  himself 
with  the  Prohibition  party.  He  has  ever 
been  a  friend  of  education  and  the  public 
schools,  and  has  at  all  times  used  his  influ- 
ence in  their  behalf.  Religiously  he  is  a 
Baptist,  of  which  church  he  has  been  a 
member  for  forty-eight  years.  The  cause 
of  the  Master  has  ever  been  dear  to  his 
heart,  and  he  has  ever  been  willing  to  sac- 
rifice time  and  money  to  advance  its  inter- 
ests. For  some  years  he  was  an  active 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  but  of 
late  has  been  dimitted. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


27 


When  Mr.  Adams  came  to  Illinois  he 
had  but  little  of  this  world's  goods,  but  by 
his  own  labor  and  enterprise  he  has  accu- 
mulated a  valuable  property,  and  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  Kane 
county.  He  is  a  man  of  exemplary  habits, 
of  upright  character  and  worth,  and  has  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  all  who  know  him, 
and  his  friends  are  numerous  both  through- 
out Kane  and  Cook  counties. 

In  the  summer  of  1895  Mr.  Adams  and 
his  daughter  made  a  trip  to  Europe,  visiting 
a  number  of  the  cities  and  kingdoms  of  that 
land.  They  first  visited  Glasgow  and  North 
Scotland,  including  Edinburgh,  through  some 
of  the  German  states  and  Switzerland,  Paris, 
Venice,  Rome,  London  and  Liverpool,  and 
altogether  had  a  pleasant  and  profitable  time. 
They  returned  home  in  the  fall  of  the  same 
year,  feeling  well  repaid  for  the  time  and 
money  spent. 

REV.  CASPER  J.  HUTH,  the  popular 
priest  in  charge  of  St.  Charles  Catholic 
church  at  Hampshire,  Illinois,  was  born  in 
Cologne,  Germany,  September  22,  1845,  and 
with  the  family  emigrated  to  America  in 
1855,  leaving  their  home  May  27,  sailing 
from  Antwerp  June  i,  and  landing  in  New 
York,  June  17.  His  father,  Peter  Huth, 
was  born  in  Cologne,  September  15,  1819, 
and  in  his  native  country  worked  as  a  day 
laborer.  With  a  view  of  bettering  his  con- 
dition he  came  to  the  United  States  and 
settled  in  Freeport,  Illinois,  where  he  made 
his  home  the  remainder  of  his  life,  with  the 
exception  of  a  short  time  spent  with  our 
subject  in  Hampshire.  Shortly  before  his 
death  he  returned  to  Freeport  and  died  at 
the  residence  of  his  daughter,  January  29, 
1898.  On  coming  to  this  country  he 
secured  work  with  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee 


&  St.  Paul  railroad,  in  whose  services  he 
remained  for  many  years,  filling  various 
positions,  and  for  a  number  of  years  before 
retiring  had  charge  of  the  roundhouse  at 
Freeport.  His  life  though  an  uneventful 
one,  he  so  lived  as  to  merit  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  his  fellow  men.  In  his 
native  city  he  married  Cecelia  Mevis,  who 
became  the  mother  of  four  children  as  fol- 
lows: Caspar  J.,  our  subject;  Mary,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  eleven  years;  Clara,  who 
married  John  Zengerle,  of  Still  water,  Minne- 
sota; and  Theresa,  wife  of  Charles  Seeker, 
of  Freeport,  Illinois,  with  whom  the  father 
made  his  home  at  the  time  of  death. 

While  yet  residing  in  Germany,  our 
subject  attended  the  parochial  schools, 
which  he  also  attended  after  coming  to 
Freeport,  and  which  was  supplemented  by 
attendance  in  the  public  schools  of  Free- 
port.  He  began  his  theological  studies  in 
the  University  of  St.  Louis,  at  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  and  later  attended  St.  Mary's  of 
the  Lake,  at  Chicago,  Illinois,  where  he  re- 
mained seven  years,  and  was  then  a  short 
time  in  St.  Francis  College,  Milwaukee, 
where  he  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood 
January  29,  1869. 

Father  Huth's  ministry  has  been  an 
unusual  one  in  the  length  of  time  which  he 
served  at  his  various  stations.  His  first 
charge  was  at  Somonauk,  De  Kalb  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  remained  fifteen  and  a 
half  years,  then  took  a  vacation  for  six 
months,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  he 
was  assigned  to  St.  Charles  church,  in 
Hampshire.  This  was  in  the  spring  of 
1885,  since  which  time  he  has  ministered  to 
the  spiritual  wants  of  the  congregation  of 
that  village,  in  sickness  and  in  health,  at 
the  bridal  altar,  and  at  the  bier.  He  is  a 
man  of  energy  and  strong  mental  vigor,  and 


28 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


is  greatly  esteemed  by  Catholics  and  Prot- 
estants alike.  One  of  his  most  pleasant 
recollections,  is  that  of  a  visit  while  at 
Somonauk,  of  Archbishop,  now  Cardinal, 
Gibbons,  who  was  visiting  Bishop  Froley, 
of  Chicago.  Many  years  after,  at  a  large 
gathering  of  clergymen,  at  which  the  Cardi- 
nal was  present,  the  latter  recalled  the  visit 
and  asked  if  the  young  priest  who  officiated 
at  Somonauk  was  present,  and  when  he 
was  presented  to  him,  gave  the  Father  Huth 
a  most  cordial  greeting. 

After  an  absence  of  more  than  forty 
years  from  his  native  land,  Father  Huth 
now  contemplates  a  trip  abroad  to  revisit 
the  place  of  his  birth  and  greet  his  kindred 
whom  he  has  not  seen  since  boyhood.  His 
many  friends  in  Kane  and  De  Kalb  counties 
will  wish  him  a  pleasant  journey  and  a  safe 
return  to  take  up  the  work  of  ministering  to 
fallen  humanity. 


CHARLES  P.  REID,  M.  D.,  Hamp- 
shire, Illinois,  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  best  physicians  in  the  north  part  of 
Kane  county.  He  was  born  near  Kingston, 
Frontenac  county,  Canada,  October  16, 
1848,  and  with  his  parents  came  to  Kane 
county,  Illinois.  His  father,  David  Reid, 
was  born  near  Aiken  Claurie,  about  thirty- 
five  miles  south  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  Feb- 
ruary 13,  1813.  His  early  life  was  spent 
in  his  native  country,  and  in  1833,  when 
twenty  years  of  age,  he  emigrated  to  Canada, 
sailing  from  Campbellton  on  the  vessel  Mar- 
garet, of  Londonderry.  The  voyage  re- 
quired three  months,  the  vessel  landing  at 
(,)uebec.  Two  years  later  he  was  followed 
by  his  father,  John  Reid,  the  family  settling 
near  Kingston,  in  Frontenac  county,  where 
he  lived  seventeen  years.  John  Reid,  the 


father  of  David,  bought  a  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred acres  near  Kingston,  where  his  death 
occurred  about  1852.  His  wife,  Martha 
Armour,  died  about  1859.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  William  and  Margaret  Armour. 
John  Reid  was  the  son  of  William  Reid, 
who  married  a  Miss  Gordon,  and  both  died 
in  Scotland. 

In  1848,  David  Reid  came  to  Kane  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  on  a  prospecting  tour,  and  liking 
the  country  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  in  Hampshire  township, 
returned  home  and  in  the  spring  of  1850, 
moved  here  with  his  family.  He  is  now 
living  with  his  daughter  on  the  old  home- 
stead, where  he  spent  nearly  half  a  cen- 
tury. At  one  time  he  was  the  owner  of 
three  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  forty  acres 
of  which  he  later  sold,  leaving  him  the 
possessor  of  the  south  half  of  section  17. 
He  was  a  good  farmer,  a  good  citizen,  and 
good  neighbor,  and  is  yet  living  at  the  age 
of  eighty-five  years,  but  in  ill  health  from  a 
stroke  of  paralysis.  While  yet  residing  in 
Canada,  he  married  Olive  Powley,  a  native 
of  Frontenac  county,  Canada,  born  in  April, 
1813.  Her  death  occurred  at  the  family 
residence  on  section  17,  Hampshire  town- 
ship, in  1871.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
William  Powley,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
who  attained  the  age  of  ninety  years,  and 
who  married  Elizabeth  Hoffman.  His  par- 
ents lived  in  America  prior  to  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  but  after  the  close  of  that 
struggle  returned  to  their  native  country, 
Germany',  but  some  years  later  again  emi- 
grated to  the  states.  About  the  time  of 
the  outbreak  of  the  war  of  1812,  William 
Powley  moved  to  Canada,  where  he  secured 
a  good  farm  and  passed  the  remainder  of 
his  life.  He  often  related  to  his  children, 
how  at  one  time  in  the  forest  he  ran  out  of 


C.   P.   REID,   M.   D. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


provisions,  and  killed,  cooked  and  ate  a 
rattlesnake,  which  he  always  declared  was, 
under  the  circumstances,  very  good.  Of 
the  four  children  born  to  David  and  Olive 
Reid,  three  are  yet  living  as  follows:  John, 
a  speculator  and  banker  of  Kansas  City, 
Kansas.  Dr.  Charles  P.,  our  subject.  Mar- 
tha, wife  of  Alexander  R.  Walker,  lives  on 
the  old  home  farm,  and  ministers  to,  and 
cares  for  her  aged  father,  in  his  affliction. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended  the 
public  schools  of  Hampshire  and  the  Elgin 
Academy,  and  for  one  year  at  Clark  Semi- 
nary, now  Jennings  Seminary,  in  Aurora. 
He  then  taught  school  during  six  winter 
terms,  being  occupied  with  farm  work  dur- 
ing the  summer  seasons.  He  began  teach- 
ing at  the  age  of  nineteen.  Previous  to 
this  he  began  reading  medicine,  reading 
privately  fora  time  and  then  in  the  office  of 
Doctor  Kelly,  of  Elgin.  He  then  attended 
Bennett's  Medical  College  of  Chicago,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1872.  He  also 
studied  pharmacy  in  Chicago,  in  the  Phar- 
maceutical College,  passing  examination, 
and  was  for  three  years  engaged  in  phar- 
macy in  that  city.  In  1875  he  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  Hampshire, 
where  he  remained  until  1888,  when  he 
joined  his  brother  in  Kansas  City,  Kansas, 
practicing  there  until  1894,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Hampshire.  Since  his  first  ad- 
mission to  practice,  Dr.  Reid  has  kept 
abreast  of  the  times  by  occasional  courses 
in  medical  colleges,  having  attended  two 
courses  of  lectures  in  the  Chicago  Medical 
College,  and  one  in  Hahnemann,  of  the 
same  city.  In  the  summer  of  1898,  he  pro- 
poses to  again  take  a  post-graduate  course, 
obtaining  a  knowledge  of  the  improved 
methods  of  medicine  and  surgery. 

Dr.  Reid,  on  the  6th  of  February,  1877, 


married  Rosamond  Heath,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, who  died  in  Kansas  City,  Kansas, 
August  16,  1889,  leaving  one  child,  Guy,  a 
pupil  in  the  Hampshire  High  School.  Two- 
children,  Olive  and  Mayne,  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

Dr.  Reid  delights  in  scientific  subjects, 
and  is  of  an  inventive  turn  of  mind.  Among 
the  creations  of  his  inventive  genius,  may 
be  mentioned  an  improved  electric  alarm, 
which  gives  warning  when  wires  are  cut  or 
disabled,  as  well  as  when  the  apartment  is 
surreptitiously  entered..  The  fault  with 
prior  inventions  has  been 'that  they  get  out 
of  order  and  give  no  warning  as  to  their 
condition.  '"»->. 

Dr.  Reid  is  prominent  in  business  and 
social  circles  and  was  for  eight  years  presi- 
dent of  the  village  board,  and  for  six  years 
was  a  member  of  the  school  board.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge  at  Hamp- 
shire, in  which  he  has  filled  all  the  chairs, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Foresters  and 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  A  genial, 
wholesouled  gentleman,  he  enjoys  the  es- 
teem of  the  people  amongst  whom  he  has 
lived  for  nearly  half  a  century. 


f>EORGE  P.  HARVEY.— The  subject 
vj  of  this  review  is  one  whose  history 
touches  the  pioneer  epoch  in  the  annals  of 
Kane  county  and  whose  days  were  an  in- 
tegral part  of  that  indissoluble  chain  which 
linked  the  early,  formative  period  with  that 
of  later-day  progress  and  prosperity.  He 
has  borne  an  important  part  in  the  upbuild- 
ing of  this  section  of  the  state  and  his  name 
deserves  an  honored  place  among  its  prom- 
inent pioneers.  He  is  now  living  at  No. 
208  Kimball  street. 

Mr.    Harvey    was    born    December    22, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1816,  in  Ontario  county,  New  York,  a  son 
of  Joel  and  Polly  (Bennett)  Harvey.  On 
the  paternal  side  he  is  of  English  descent. 
His  great-grandfather  was  Medad  Harvey, 
while  his  grandfather  was  Joel  Harvey,  Sr., 
a  farmer  by  occupation,  who  removed  from 
New  Hampshire  to  New  York  at  an  early 
day,  locating  near  Utica,  where  he  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy  years.  Our  subject's 
maternal  grandfather  spent  his  last  days  in 
Herkimer  county,  New  York. 

Joel  Harvey,  Jr. ,  was  a  native  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, but  spent  the  greater  part  of  his 
early  life  upon  a  farm  twelve  miles  east  of 
Utica,  New  York.  He  married  Polly  Ben- 
nett, a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  they  be- 
came the  parents  of  six  children,  who  grew 
to  man  and  womanhood.  Four  are  still 
living,  namely:  George  P. ;  Emily,  wife  of 
Paul  R.  Wright,  of  Santa  Barbara,  Califor- 
nia, Sarah,  wife  of  Major  W.  M.  Taylor,  of 
Chicago,  Illinois;  and  Joel  D.,  of  Geneva, 
Illinois.  The  father  was  a  blacksmith  by 
trade.  In  1835  he  came  by  team  to  Illi- 
nois, accompanied  by  all  the  members  of 
his  family  with  the  exception  of  our  subject, 
who  made  the  trip  by  water,  as  their  goods 
were  shipped  in  that  way.  They  were  fol- 
lowed by  their  faithful  dog,  who  was  very 
watchful  of  their  possessions,  not  permitting 
a  stranger  to  touch  anything.  The  dog 
considered  all  Indians  his  enemies.  The 
family  arrived  in  Kane  county  in  October, 
1835,  at  which  time  there  were  only  two 
log  houses  on  the  present  site  of  Elgin,  one 
on  either  side  of  the  river.  The  father 
took  up  a  claim  of  three  hundred  acres  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  town  of  St.  Charles 
and  improved  and  cultivated  the  place  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1840,  at  the 
age  of  forty-six.  He  took  quite  a  prominent 
and  influential  part  in  public  affairs,  served 


as  treasurer  of  Kane  county  for  one  term, 
was  justice  of  the  peace  several  years,  and 
held  various  township  offices.  He  was  a 
soldier  of  the  war  of  1812.  and  was  always 
a  loyal  and  patriotic  citizen.  His  estimable 
wife  long  survived  him,  dying  June  10, 
1872,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four. 

Mr.  Harvey,  of  this  review,  was  reared 
eight  miles  west  of  Syracuse,  in  Onondaga 
county,  New  York,  on  a  farm,  and  com- 
pleted his  education  in  the  academy  in  Bald- 
winsville.  He  was  nineteen  years  of  age 
when  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  in  1837 
he  purchased  a  farm  of  his  own  in  Kane 
county,  containing  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  which  he  improved  and  cultivated 
until  his  removal  to  Elgin,  in  1848.  Here 
he  has  since  made  his  home  with  the  excep- 
tion of  two  years  spent  upon  a  farm  in  Elgin 
township.  He  built  a  large  warehouse  on 
the  east  side  of  the  river  for  the  Northwest- 
ern railroad  in  1850-51,  and  had  charge  of 
the  same  for  a  number  of  years,  storing  all 
kinds  of  goods  and  grain.  Later,  in  part- 
nership with  George  W.  Renwick,  he  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  threshing  ma- 
chines. 

On  the  1 3th  of  November,  1839,  Mr. 
Harvey  married  Miss  Mary  L.  Burr,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Atwell  and  Betsy  (Wheeler)  Burr, 
who  came  to  Kane  county  from  Pompey, 
Onondaga  county,  New  York,  in  the  spring 
of  1836,  and  first  settled  in  St.  Charles. 
Later  they  removed  to  Campton  township, 
where  they  purchased  land  and  continued 
to  make  their  home  until  called  from  this 
life.  They  were  of  English  descent,  and 
Mrs.  Burr  was  born  and  reared  at  the  foot 
of  the  Hoosac  mountains.  Mr.  Burr  also 
aided  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  died  about 
1 85 1 . 

Of    the    ten  children    born  to    Mr.    and 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mrs.  Harvey,  four  sons  died  in  infancy. 
The  others  are  as  follows:  Charles  M.  en- 
listed in  the  Seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  under 
the  first  call  for  three-months'  men,  and 
after  the  expiration  of  his  term  re-enlisted 
in  the  Plato  Cavalry,  his  company  being 
first  assigned  to  the  Thirty-sixth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  later  to  the  Fif- 
teenth Illinois  Cavalry,  serving  as  first  lieu- 
tenant of  Company  B.  Re-enlisting  again 
as  a  veteran,  he  served  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  He  was  with  Sherman's  army 
on  the  celebrated  march  from  Atlanta  to 
the  sea,  and  was  once  slightly  wounded 
while  carrying  dispatches.  He  married 
Clara  E.  Conger  and  lived  in  Waco,  Texas, 
at  which  place  he  and  his  wife  and  daugh- 
ter all  died.  Welford  W.  makes  his  home 
on  a  ranch  near  Buffalo,  in  Wyoming.  He 
married  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Orr,  by  whom  he 
has  one  son,  Ray  Phelps,  and  she  has  two 
daughters  by  her  former  marriage — Minnie 
and  Nellis.  Cecil  C.  was  formerly  a  suc- 
cessful teacher  for  a  number  of  years,  but 
for  the  past  fourteen  years  has  been  libra- 
rian of  the  city  library  of  Elgin.  Mary  E. 
is  also  at  home.  Estelle  E.  is  the  wife  of 
William  Freck,  a  machinist  and  inventor 
living  in  Chicago,  and  they  have  three  chil- 
dren— Florence,  Howard  B.  and  Margaret 
Loraine.  Illione  is  a  writer  in  an  insurance 
office  in  Chicago.  The  wife  and  mother 
passed  away  September  19,  1895,  when 
almost  seventy-eight  years  of  age.  She 
was  a  member  of  the  Universalist  church, 
which  her  husband  also  attends. 

With  Mr.  Harvey  resides  his  aunt,  Mrs. 
Emily  (Harvey)  Ainsworth,  who  in  1843 
came  to  McHenry  county,  Illinois,  but  later 
spent  a  short  time  in  Missouri.  On  her  re- 
turn to  this  state  she  located  in  Richview 
and  subsequently  removed  to  St.  Charles, 


where  she  had  three  sisters  living,  all  now 
deceased.  For  the  past  twelve  years  she 
has  made  her  home  in  Elgin,  and  is  now 
eighty-eight  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Harvey  has  ever  been  one  of  the 
popular  and  prominent  citizens  of  the 
county,  and  in  early  life  took  quite  an  active 
and  influential  part  in  public  affairs.  In  the 
fall  of  1854  he  was  elected  county  treasurer, 
and  two  years  later  was  made  alderman  of 
the  third  ward  of  Elgin,  serving  in  that 
capacity  for  six  years.  Subsequently  he 
filled  the  office  of  assessor  of  Elgin  town- 
ship for  two  terms.  He  also  served  as  in- 
ternal revenue  assessor  for  Kane  county  two 
years.  From  1860  until  1862,  he  lived  on 
his  farm,  but  in  the  latter  year  returned  to 
Elgin,  where  he  has  since  continued  to  re- 
side. For  sixty-two  years  he  has  been 
identified  with  the  interests  of  the  county, 
has  seen  almost  its  entire  development,  as 
on  his  arrival  here  the  Indians  were  far 
more  numerous  than  the  white  settlers  and 
most  of  the  land  was  still  in  its  primitive 
condition.  He  is  now  the  oldest  member 
of  Kane  lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F. ,  with  which  he 
has  been  connected  since  1851.  Although 
eighty-one  years  of  age  he  is  still  well  pre- 
served. Nature  deals  kindly  with  the  man 
who  abuses  not  her  laws,  and  although  his 
business  cares  have  been  extensive  age  rests 
lightly  upon  him.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  no 
man  in  Elgin  has  more  or  warmer  friends 
than  George  P.  Harvey. 


THOMAS  BISHOP,  deceased,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Devonshire,  England,  born  Sep- 
tember 12,  1820,  and  at  the  age  of  eight 
years  accompanied  his  parents  across  the 
ocean  to  Canada,  the  family  locating  in 
Quebec,  in  the  schools  of  which  locality  he 


34 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


completed  his  education,  which  was  begun 
in  the  mother  country.  After  entering  upon 
his  business  career  he  became  interested  in 
lumber  and  operated  large  tracts  of  forest 
land.  He  served  as  captain  in  the  militia 
while  in  Quebec,  and  was  a  leading  citizen 
of  the  community  in  which  he  made  his 

home. 

After  his  mother's  death  he  and  three 

brothers,  accompanied  their  father,  Nathan- 
iel Bishop,  to  Kane  county,  Illinois.  The 
four  sons  secured  work  as  farm  hands, 
Thomas  and  one  brother  working  on  a  farm 
on  section  22,  Elgin  township,  Henry  and 
the  other  brother  on  a  farm  on  section 
28.  After  two  years  Thomas  and  Will- 
iam purchased  a  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  twenty-five  acres,  on  which  they 
had  been  employed,  and  Henry  and  his 
brother  purchased  the  farm  on  section  28. 
In  a  few  years  two  of  the  brothers  went  to 
Clinton,  Illinois,  and  with  the  financial  as- 
sistance of  Thomas  and  Henry  established 
themselves  in  the  grain  business,  which  they 
conducted  with  good  success  until  their  life 
labors  were  ended,  winning  a  comfortable 
competence  by  their  judicious  management 
and  untiring  industry. 

Immediately  after  becoming  owner  of 
the  farm  on  section  22,  Elgin  township, 
Thomas  Bishop  began  its  further  develop- 
ment and  improvement  and  in  1856  erected 
the  present  commodious  residence,  which  is 
one  of  the  land  marks  of  the  neighborhood. 
He  employed  only  common  laborers  to  help 
him  and  laid  the  masonry,  which  is  a  fine 
specimen  of  cobble-stone  range  work,  with 
his  own  hands.  He  also  did  the  interior 
finishing  and  the  home  to-day  stands  as  a 
monument  of  his  thrift  and  enterprise.  It 
has  very  substantial  and  thick  walls  like  the 
edifices  of  the  old  countries,  built  to  stand 


for  centuries.  When  he  arrived  in  Kane 
county  it  was  a  wild  and  largely  unsettled 
district.  There  was  a  stage  road  over  the 
prairie  and  across  his  farm  and  all  was  open 
country.  He  hauled  his  produce  to  the  Chi- 
cago market,  finding  there  a  little  city  just 
coming  into  prominence  by  reason  of  its 
shipping  facilities.  During  the  early  years 
he  also  became  an  extensive  stock  trader, 
selling  large  numbers  of  cattle  to  the  distil- 
lery companies  and  to  the  beef  canning 
companies.  He  placed  his  land  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  until  the  well-tilled 
fields  yielded  to  him  a  golden  tribute  and 
his  farm  became  one  of  the  best  improved 
in  the  county.  Neither  was  his  attention 
given  entirely  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
was  a  man  of  broad  capability  and  made 
judicious  investments  in  other  business  con- 
cerns which  brought  to  him  a  handsome 
revenue.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  and 
stockholders  of  the  Home  National  Bank,  in 
which  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  director- 
ate and  was  at  one  time  a  stockholder  in  the 
Elgin  Canning  Company.  A  man  of  strong 
personality  he  also  took  a  leading  part  in 
local  affairs  and  his  influence  and  support 
were  important  factors  in  promoting  the 
welfare  of  the  community.  He  did  efficient 
service  in  the  interest  of  the  public  schools 
during  his  many  years  service  as  school 
director,  and  for  about  fourteen  years  he 
served  as  road  commissioner,  while  for  eight 
years  he  filled  the  office  of  supervisor,  dis- 
charging all  these  duties  with  marked  fidel- 
ity and  promptness.  He  held  membership 
in  the  Universalist  church,  and  gave  his  po- 
litical support  to  the  men  and  measures  of 
the  Republican  party. 

Thomas  Bishop  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Emma  Stringer,  who  was  born  in 
Kane  county,  March  19,  1848,  a  daughter 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


35 


of  John  A.  and  Ann  (Sterricker)  Stringer. 
Her  father  was  born  in  Devonshire,  England, 
July  20,  1807,  and  died  June  17,  1895.  He 
removed  from  England  to  Canada,  at  the 
age  of  fifteen  years,  resided  for  a  time  in 
New  York,  and  in  September,  1845,  came 
to  Kane  county,  where  he  acquired  three 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  on  section 
29,  Elgin  township.  In  early  years  he  was 
a  grain  farmer,  and  later  became  largely  in- 
terested in  dairy  farming.  His  parents  were 
Richard  and  Hannah  (Garbet)  Stringer. 
The  former  died  in  Canada,  about  1822,  at 
the  age  of  sixty  years,  and  the  latter  attained 
the  advanced  age  of  ninety- four  years.  Mrs. 
Ann  Stringer,  mother  of  Mrs.  Thomas  Bish- 
op, was  born  near  London,  England,  June 
7,  1816,  and  is  now  living  in  California  with 
her  daughter.  She  is  still  a  well-preserved 
old  lady,  able  to  walk  a  number  of  miles, 
and  took  a  long  journey  across  the  continent 
without  great  fatigue.  Her  parents  were 
Rev.  Thomas  and  Jane  (Williams)  Sterricker, 
the  former  a  Methodist  minister,  who  spent 
the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Cherry  Valley, 
Otsego  county,  New  York,  where  he  died  at 
the  age  of  fifty-five  years,  while  his  wife 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-four. 

By  the  marriage  of  Thomas  Bishop  and 
Emma  Stringer  were  born  six  children: 
Clarence,  of  whom  further  mention  is  made 
in  this  sketch;  Florence,  his  twin  sister,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  six  months;  Frank,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  three  months;  Birdie,  wife 
of  A.  M.  Srnythe,  a  jeweler,  of  Elgin;  Wil- 
bur and  Walter,  who  are  living  in  Elgin 
with  their  mother.  The  father  of  this  fam- 
ily was  called  to  the  home  beyond  October 
5,  1891,  in  his  sixty-ninth  year,  and  the 
community  thereby  lost  one  of  its  most  val- 
ued citizens — a  man  whom  to  know  was  to 
honor.  He  was  true  to  every  trust  reposed 


in  him,  whether  public  or  private;  his  hon- 
esty in  all  business  transactions  was  above 
question;  and  he  commanded  the  unqual- 
ified respect  of  those  with  whom  he  was 
brought  in  contact.  He  bore  an  important 
part  in  the  work  of  development  in  Kane 
county,  and  "his  name  will  always  be  linked 
with  those  pioneers  who  laid  the  foundation 
for  the  present  prosperity  and  advancement 
of  this  community. 

CLARENCE  BISHOP,  the  eldest  son  of 
Thomas  and  Emma  Bishop,  was  born  on 
the  farm  which  is  now  his  home,  March  6, 
1870.  His  elementary  education,  acquired 
in  the  district  schools,  was  supplemented  by 
study  in  the  Elgin  Academy  and  in  Drew's 
Business  College.  At  the  age  of  eighteen 
years  he  put  aside  his  text-books  and  be- 
came his  father's  able  assistant  on  the  farm, 
continuing  his  work  with  him  until  the  fa- 
ther's death.  He  then  operated  the  place 
for  his  mother  until  his  marriage,  in  1895, 
since  which  time  he  has  leased  the  property 
from  the  estate.  This  is  one  of  the  best 
farms  in  the  county,  improved  with  large 
barns  and  outbuildings,  supplied  with  a  wind- 
mill connected  with  a  well  two  hundred  and 
sixty-five  feet  deep,  which  furnishes  an  in- 
exhaustible supply  of  good  water.  There  is 
also  a  mill  and  feed  grinder  and  a  twelve-horse 
power  steam  engine,  and  the  fire  appliances 
can  throw  a  stream  of  water  over  any  build- 
ing on  the  farm.  There  is  an  ice-house 
with  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  tons,  and 
thus  upon  his  own  place  Mr.  Bishop  has  all 
of  the  conveniences  of  city  life.  His  land 
is  sufficiently  rolling  to  make  good  drainage, 
and  is  under  a  very  high  state  of  cultivation. 
He,  however,  raises  hay  and  grain  mostly 
for  his  stock,  for  he  is  a  dairy  farmer  and 
keeps  on  hand  from  sixty  to  seventy  head  of 
high-grade  cattle. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mr.  Bishop  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Emma  L.  Schumacher,  a  native  of 
Pekin,  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  Rev. 
Henry  Schumacher,  who  was  born  in  Ohio, 
and  died  in  Elgin  April  25,  1885.  He  was 
a  minister  of  the  Evangelical  church,  and 
for  twenty-five  years  was  a  member  of  the 
Illinois  conference.  His  wife,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Susanna  Klick,  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  now  resides  in  Elgin. 

Mr.  Bishop  is  a  member  of  the  Univer- 
salist  church,  in  which  he  has  served  as 
trustee  for  six  years;  gives  his  political  sup- 
port to  the  Republican  party,  and  is  an  in- 
fluential factor  in  the  political  circles  in 
Kane  county.  He  is  now  serving  his  sec- 
ond term  as  school  trustee,  is  a  member  of 
the  Lincoln  Republican  club,  of  Elgin,  and 
has  been  a  delegate  to  the  state  Republican 
convention  in  Springfield.  He  is  a  man  of 
excellent  business  and  executive  ability, 
whose  sound  judgment,  unflagging  enter- 
prise and  capable  management  have  brought 
to  him  a  well- merited  success.  In  manner 
he  is  pleasant  and  cordial,  which,  combined 
with  his  sterling  worth,  makes  him  one  of 
the  popular  citizens  of  his  native  county. 


F)ROFESSOR  MARVIN  QUACKEN- 
I  BUSH,  of  Dundee,  Illinois,  is  the 
efficient  superintendent  of  public  schools  of 
Kane  county,  which  position  he  has  held 
since  1886.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
best  educators  in  the  state,  and  as  superin- 
tendent has  but  few  equals.  •  He  is  a  native 
of  New  York,  born  in  the  town  of  Hatwick, 
Otsego  county,  November  25,  1842.  His 
father,  Abram  Quackenbush,  was  also  born 
in  Otsego  county  in  1801,  while  his  grand- 
father, James  Quackenbush,  was  likewise  a 
native  of  that  state.  The  family  were  origi- 


nally from  Holland  and  settled  in  New  York 
in  the  seventeenth  century.  Two  brothers 
came  from  Holland  about  that  time,  one 
locating  in  Fort  Orange,  later  called  Alba- 
ny, and  the  other  in  New  York  City.  The 
branch  of  the  family  from  which  the  Pro- 
fessor descended  was  that  of  the  Albany 
brother.  The  name  was  originally  spelled 
Quackenbos. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
James  Quackenbush,  was  a  soldier  in  the 
war  of  1812,  in  which  he  held  a  commission. 
He  settled  in  Otsego  county,  engaged  in 
agriculture  pursuits  and  there  reared  his 
family.  Abrarn  Quackenbush  grew  to  man- 
hood in  that  county,  and  in  1826  married 
Miss  Delaney  Wolf,  also  a  native  of  New 
York,  whose  father  was  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  the  Empire  state  and  served  in  one 
of  the  old  Indian  wars.  They  were  the 
parents  of  six  children,  as  follows:  Cath- 
erine, now  the  wife  of  Bradley  Foss,  of 
Laporte  City,  Iowa;  Edward,  a  well  edu- 
cated man  and  a  professional  teacher  for 
some  years,  and  also  a  farmer,  now  living 
retired  at  Laporte  City,  Iowa;  Maria,  de- 
ceased; Adelia,  now  the  wife  of  Rev.  R. 
H.  Wilkinson,  a  minister  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  now  residing  in  Evanston, 
Illinois;  Amelia,  now  the  wife  of  Louis 
Dutton,  of  Chicago;  and  Marvin. 

Abram  Quackenbush  was  a  farmer  in 
Otsego  county,  New  York,  and  there  all  his 
children  were  born.  Desiring  to  give  them 
better  opportunities  for  advancemeut  in  life 
he  determined  to  come  west,  and  in  1850 
they  moved  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Kane 
county,  near  the  city  of  St.  Charles,  where 
he  purchased  a  farm  and  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  While  yet  a  young  man 
he  learned  the  blacksmith  trade,  which  oc- 
cupation he  followed  in  his  native  state  in 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


37 


connection  with  farming.  After  residing  in 
Kane  county  for  some  years  he  moved  to 
Laporte  City,  Iowa,  where  he  spent  the  re- 
maining years  of  his  life,  dying  at  the  resi- 
dence of  his  daughter,  in  1885,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-four  years.  His  wife 
preceded  him  to  their  heavenly  home  three 
years  previously  and  both  were  laid  to  rest 
in  I  he  Laporte  City  cemetery,  where  a  sub- 
stantial monument  marks  their  last  resting 
place. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  Kane 
county  with  his  parents  a  lad  of  seven  years, 
here  grew  to  manhood  and  received  his  ed- 
ucation in  the  common  schools  and  in  Jen- 
nings Seminary  at  Aurora,  supplemented  by 
a  course  at  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Commer- 
cial College,  Chicago.  The  war  for  the 
Union  was  now  in  progress  and  our  subject 
felt  it  his  duty  to  enlist,  and  accordingly 
offered  his  service  as  a  member  of  the  Thir- 
teenth Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  but  was 
rejected  at  the  examination  on  account  of  a 
severely  injured  foot.  His  desire,  however, 
to  assist  in  putting  down  the  Rebellion  was 
not  cooled  by  his  rejection,  and  in  Novem- 
ber, 1864,  after  raising  a  company  of  forty 
men,  he  joined  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
third  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry 
and  went  to  the  front.  He  was  assigned  to 
the  quartermaster's  department,  and  served 
in  that  connection  until  July  21,  1865,  when 
he  was  discharged  for  disability  and  re- 
turned to  his  home. 

Previous  to  entering  the  service  of  his 
country  Mr.  Quackenbush  had  taught  three 
terms  in  the  public  schools,  and  after  his 
return  resumed  teaching,  first  in  country 
schools  and  later  in  charge  of  the  St. 
Charles  school  on  the  east  side,  where  he 
remained  six  years.  He  then  taught  one 
year  at  Geneva,  after  which  he  taught 


eleven  years  in  Dundee.  While  in  charge 
of  the  school  at  that  place  he  received  the 
nomination  of  superintendent  of  public 
schools  of  Kane  county,  to  which  position 
he  was  elected.  He  has  been  twice  re- 
elected,  both  times  without  opposition. 
This  certainly  shows  the  popularity  of  the 
man  and  his  efficiency  as  superintendent. 

Professor  Quackenbush  was  married  at 
Clintonville,  Illinois,  in  August,  1870,  to 
Miss  Eleanor  Boynton,  a  native  of  Dun- 
dee, Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  Nathan  and 
Margaret  (McClure)  Boynton,  who  were 
pioneer  settlers  of  Dundee.  By  this  union 
there  is  one  son,  Edward,  a  graduate  of 
Hobart  College,  Geneva,  New  York,  now 
taking  a  law  course  at  Elgin,  Illinois.  The 
grandfather  of  Mrs.  Quackenbush,  General 
McClure,  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812, 
and  died  in  Elgin  about  1850.  His  son-in- 
law,  Captain  Jamison,  was  the  first  com- 
mander of  old  Fort  Dearborn,  and  he  and 
his  wife  were  the  first  white  couple  married 
in  Kane  county. 

Politically  Professor  Quackenbush  is  a 
Republican,  and  supports  the  men  and 
measures  of  that  party  in  all  general  elec- 
tions, but  in  local  elections  casts  his  ballot 
for  the  best  men,  regardless  of  politics. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order,  of  the  blue  lodge  at  Dundee,  Fox 
River  chapter  of  Geneva,  and  of  Bethel 
commandery  at  Elgin.  He  has  served  as 
master  of  the  blue  lodge  and  high  priest  of 
the  commandery,  and  has  represented  his 
lodge  in  the  grand  lodge  of  the  state  and  his 
commandery  in  the  grand  body  of  that  or- 
der. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  Religiously  he  and 
his  wife  are  members  of  the  Congregation- 
alist  church,  in  which  they  both  take  an 
active  interest.  For  almost  fifty  years  he 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


has  been  identified  with  the  interests  of 
Kane  county,  especially  in  educational  af- 
fairs. No  man  is  better  known  in  the  coun- 
ty, and  not  one  has  more  warm  friends. 


MAJOR  B.  T.  HUNT.— More  than  six- 
ty-one years  have  passed  since  this 
gentleman  arrived  in  Kane  county,  and  he 
is  justly  numbered  among  her  honored  pio- 
neers and  leading  citizens.  He  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  her  business  in- 
terests, but  is  now  living  retired.  His  is 
an  honorable  record  of  a  conscientious  man, 
who  by  his  upright  life  has  won  the  confi- 
dence of  all  with  whom  he  has  come  in 
contact. 

Major  Hunt  was  born  October  19,  1812, 
in  Abington,  Plymouth  county,  Massachu- 
setts, of  which  county,  his  father,  Thomas 
Hunt,  Jr.,  was  also  a  native.  There  the 
grandfather,  Thomas  Hunt,  Sr. ,  reared  his 
family  and  lived  for  many  years.  Our  sub- 
ject's mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Susannah  Pool,  was  also  born  in  the  old 
Bay  state.  The  father  was  a  merchant, 
farmer  and  tanner,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
to  extensively  engage  in  the  manufacture  of 
shoes  in  New  England:  He  was  one  of 
the  representative  and  successful  business 
men  of  the  state. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  only 
one  of  the  family  now  living.  In  his  native 
place  he  grew  to  manhood  and  obtained  a 
good  common-school  education,  which  has 
well  fitted  him  for  the  practical  duties  of 
business  life.  During  his  youth  he  assisted 
his  father  in  the  tanning  and  manufacturing 
business,  as  well  as  in  the  store,  and  thus 
obtained  a  good  practical  knowledge  of  busi- 
ness affairs,  which  has  been  of  great  value 
to  him  in  later  years.  After  the  father  be- 


came too  old  to  have  active  charge  of  the 
business,  the  older  brother,  Joseph,  and 
Thomas  assumed  control  and  built  up  the 
large  shoe  factory  in  that  section,  employ- 
ing many  men. 

In  1836,  during  his  early  manhood, 
Major  Hunt  came  west,  locating  in  St. 
Charles  on  the  loth  of  September.  Through 
a  friend  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  two 
hundred  acres  of  land  east  of  the  Fox  river 
—the  original  town  site — the  other  owners 
being  Reed  Persons  and  Ira  Minard.  These 
three  gentlemen  engaged  in  merchandise 
there  through  the  summer  of  1836,  but  in 
the  fall  the  Major  returned  to  Massachu- 
setts, locating  permanently  here  the  follow- 
ing spring.  They  continued  in  mercantile 
pursuits  together  for  a  couple  of  years,  and 
then  our  subject  sold  his  interest  and  started 
in  business  on  his  own  account.  Selling 
his  general  store  in  1850,  he  built  a  tannery, 
which  he  successfully  operated  until  1861, 
when  his  plant  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Sub- 
sequently he  embarked  in  the  hardware  busi- 
ness, in  which  he  was  interested  until  1890, 
and  also  erected,  at  St.  Charles,  the  first 
paper  mill  in  the  northwest,  beginning  the 
business  on  a  small  scale,  with  Mr.  Butler, 
but  gradually  it  developed  into  a  large  con- 
cern. Subsequently  he  built  a  new  mill  on 
the  west  side  of  the  river,  put  in  modern 
machinery,  and  did  an  extensive  business  for 
many  years.  In  1850  he  leased  the  factory 
to  Butler  &  Hunt,  who  continued  its  opera- 
tion. The  Major  has  been  instrumental  in 
establishing  a  number  of  enterprises  that 
have  not  only  advanced  his  own  prosperity 
but  have  been  extremely  beneficial  to  the 
city. 

At  St.  Charles,  October  12,  1842,  Major 
Hunt  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Har- 
riet H.  Lathrop,  who  was  born  in  New  York 


MAJOR  B.  T.   HUNT. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  reared  near  Auburn,  Cayuga  county,  that 
state.  Her  father,  Simon  Lathrop,  settled 
in  St.  Charles  as  early  as  1841.  He  had 
been  a  merchant  previous  to  his  removal  to 
the  west.  He  had  three  daughters.  They 
became  the  parents  of  four  children,  of  whom 
Charles,  the  eldest,  died  when  young.  (2) 
Frank  Bradley  is  married  and  has  four  chil- 
dren, one  son  and  three  daughters.  In  1887 
he  removed  to  Iowa,  and  for  ten  years  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits  in  that  state. 
In  October,  1 897,  he  and  his  family  returned 
to  St.  Charles,  where  they  are  now  living. 
With  his  son,  Frank  C.,  he  is  engaged 
in  the  hardware  business  in  St.  Charles. 
(3)  Clarence  married  and  located  in  St. 
Charles,  whence  he  removed  to  Michigan, 
and  later  was  engaged  in  business  for  about 
three  years  in  Chicago.  He  then  returned 
to  St.  Charles,  where  he  died  in  the  summer 
of  1897.  (4)  Wilbur  C.  obtained  an  excel- 
lent education  and  adopted  the  legal  profes- 
sion, which  he  followed  in  St.  Charles  for 
some  years.  He  was  a  man  of  superior  busi- 
ness ability  and  had  the  confidence  and  es- 
teem of  all.  He  died  suddenly  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1897,  leaving  a  wife  and  two  sons, 
besides  his  parents  and  many  friends  to 
mourn  his  loss. 

Politically,  Major  Hunt  is  a  Jacksonian 
Democrat,  and  has  ever  been  a  stalwart 
supporter  of  the  principles  of  that  party,  but 
has  never  cared  for  official  honors,  though 
he  served  for  a  number  of  years  on  the  board 
of  trustees  of  the  village.  He  served  as  the 
first  treasurer  of  Kane  county;  the  receipts 
for  the  first  year  was  about  seventy-five 
cents.  In  those  days  the  sheriff  collected 
all  taxes,  and  the  treasurer  served  only  in  a 
nominal  capacity.  During  his  younger  years 
he  also  served  as  major  of  the  county  mili- 
tia. His  estimable  wife  is  a  member  of  the 


Baptist  church.  Major  Hunt  has  witnessed 
almost  the  entire  growth  and  development 
of  Kane  county,  and  in  the  upbuilding  and 
prosperity  of  St.  Charles  he  has  been  an  im- 
portant factor,  giving  his  aid  to  all  objects 
which  he  believed  calculated  to  prove  of 
public  benefit.  He  is  widely  and  favorable 
known  throughout  this  section  of  the  state, 
and  those  who  know  him  best  are  numbered 
among  his  warmest  friends. 


THOMAS  W.  DUNCAN.— The  expres- 
sion ' '  the  dignity  of  labor  "  is  exemplified 
in  the  life  record  of  this  gentleman,  who 
without  reserve  attributes  his  success  to 
earnest  work.  He  is  a  man  of  strong  force 
of  character,  purposeful  and  energetic,  and 
his  keen  discrimination  and  sound  judg- 
ment are  shown  in  his  capable  management 
of  what  is  one  of  the  leading  industrial 
concerns  of  the  state — the  Illinois  Watch 
Case  Factory.  No  special  advantages  gave 
him  a  good  start  in  life;  he  worked  his  way 
upward  by  energy,  perseverance  and  dili- 
gence and  the  prosperity  which  is  now  his 
is  the  fitting  reward  of  his  own  honorable 
efforts. 

A  native  of  Lindsay,  Canada,  Thomas 
Wellington  Duncan  was  born  December  6, 
1858,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Mary 
(Hawkins)  Duncan.  His  paternal  grand- 
father was  Thomas  Duncan,  a  native  of 
Belfast,  Ireland,  which  city  was  also  the 
birthplace  of  James  Duncan,  who  left  his 
native  land  in  1837  and  immigrated  to 
Lindsay,  Canada.  He  was  by  trade  a  car- 
riagemaker  and  followed  that  occupation 
until  his  retirement  from  business  life  about 
fifteen  years  ago.  He  is  still  living  in  Lind- 
say, a  respected  and  valued  citizen  of  that 
community.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of 


42 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Thomas  and  Jane  Hawkins  and  was  born 
in  Edinburg,  Scotland,  where  her  parents 
spent  their  entire  lives.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Duncan  are  members  of  the  Episcopal 
church.  Their  family  numbered  six  chil- 
dren— Thomas,  Jane,  Margaret,  John,  James 
and  William,  of  whom  the  first  and  last  are 
still  living,  William  being  a  resident  of  St. 
Louis,  Missouri. 

In  the  city  of  his  birth  Mr.  Duncan,  of 
this  review,  acquired  his  education  and  in 
Toronto,  Canada,  he  learned  the  watch- 
maker's trade.  In  1881  he  removed  to 
Chicago,  and  in  1887  became  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  M.  C.  Eppenstein  &  Company, 
wholesale  jewelers  of  that  city.  In  1888 
the  Illinois  Watch  Case  Company  was  in- 
corporated and  began  the  manufacture  of 
watch  cases  on  Clinton  street.  On  the  1st 
of  May,  1890,  the  factory  was  removed  from 
Chicago  to  Elgin,  where  an  extensive  busi- 
ness is  now  carried  on  in  the  manufacture 
of  gold  and  silver  watch  cases.  The  com- 
pany is  capitalized  for  two  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  dollars  and  their  output  is 
about  five  hundred  thousand  watch  cases, 
which  are  sold  in  all  parts  of  this  country 
and  shipped  extensively  abroad,  even  to 
Switzerland,  the  country  famous  for  its 
watches.  Their  reputation  for  the  excel- 
lence of  their  goods  as  well  as  the  business 
reliability  of  the  house  extends  throughout 
the  country  and  has  secured  them  an  ex- 
tensive patronage  which  yields  to  them  a 
handsome  financial  return.  In  1895  they 
added  a  new  department  to  their  business — 
the  manufacture  of  bicycles,  and  invested 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  this 
enterprise.  Their  special  wheels  are  the 
Elgin  King  and  the  -Elgin  (Jueen,  which  find 
a  ready  sale  on  the  market  by  reason  of 
their  durability,  their  lightness,  the  ease 


with  which  they  are  manipulated  and  the 
other  strong  points  of  the  first-class  wheel. 
They  manufactured  the  celebrated  ten  thou- 
sand dollar  cycle  of  the  Chicago  Cycle  ex- 
hibition in  1896.  It  was  one  of  the  "  King  " 
cycles  and  won  the  prize  on  the  exhibition. 
It  has  been  sent  to  Europe  where  it  will  be 
placed  on  exhibition  first  at  a  cycle  show 
in  Belfast,  Ireland,  and  then  in  other  cities 
of  Great  Britain,  after  which  it  will  be  ex- 
hibited on  the  continent.  One  hundred 
operatives  are  employed  in  the  manufact- 
ure of  the  wheels  and  employment  is  fur- 
nished to  four  hundred  hands  in  the  watch- 
case  department.  The  officers  of  the 
company  are  Thomas  W.  Duncan,  presi- 
dent and  treasurer;  M.  Abraham,  secretary; 
and  T.  W.  Duncan,  M.  C.  Eppenstein  and 
S.  C.  Eppenstein,  directors. 

Mr.  Duncan  is  a  supporter  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Republican  party,  and  neglects 
no  duty  of  citizenship,  but  seeks  no  political 
office.  However,  he  is  a  very  public-spirited 
and  progressive  citizen,  and  has  done  much 
for  the  advancement  and  improvement  of 
the  city  in  which  he  makes  his  home. 
Prominent  in  the  Masonic  fraternity,  he 
holds  membership  in  Garden  City  lodge,  No. 
141,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  York  chapter,  R.  A.  M. ; 
Apollo  commandery,  .  K.  T. ,  and  the 
Oriental  consistory,  S.  P.  R.  S. ,  all  of 
Chicago.  His  name  is  synonymous  with 
honorable  business  dealing,  and  in  all  circles 
Mr.  Duncan  commands  the  respect  and 
esteem  of  those  whom  he  has  met. 


FRANKLIN   S.    BOSWORTH.— Success 
is  determined  by  one's  ability  to  recog- 
nize opportunity,  and  to  pursue  this  with  a 
resolute  and   unflagging  energy.      It  results 
from  continued  labor,  and  the  man  who  thus 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


43 


accomplishes  his  purpose  usually  becomes 
an  important  factor  in  the  business  circles 
of  the  community  with  which  he  is  connect- 
ed. Mr.  Bosworth,  through  such  means, 
has  attained  a  leading  place  among  the  rep- 
resentative men  of  Elgin,  and  his  well-spent 
and  honorable  life  commands  the  respect  of 
all  who  know  him. 

Mr.  Bosworth  is  a  native  of  Boston, 
Erie  county,  New  York,  and  a  son  of  Ben- 
jamin F.  and  Almira  (Smith)  Bosworth. 
His  father  was  born  in  Greenfield,  New 
York,  and  was  a  son  of  Alfred  Bosworth, 
who  was  born  in  Bristol,  Rhode  Island,  of 
English  parentage.  The  latter  came  to  the 
West  in  the  fall  of  1839,  taking  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Dundee,  Illinois,  where  he  died  in 
June,  1861.  In  his  early  life  he  followed 
the  hatter's  trade,  but  in  his  later  years  en- 
gaged in  farming.  He  married  Olive  Child, 
a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  and  they  be- 
came parents  of  six  children:  Benjamin  F., 
Oliver  C.,  Increase  C. ,  Lucinda  C.,  Mary 
C. ,  wife  of  Harry  Weed;  Lucinda,  wife  of' 
Alfred  Ed\yards;  and  Abbie  M.,  wife  of  Ben- 
jamin Simonds.  All  of  this  family  are  now 
deceased. 

Dr.  Benjamin  F.  Bosworth,  father  of 
our  subject,  studied  medicine  in  early  life, 
and  practiced  his  profession  until  his  re- 
moval to  Illinois.  He  located  in  Chicago  in 
1856.  and  engaged "  in  merchandising  in  that 
place  until  his  removal  to  McHenry,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  conducted  a  mercantile  estab- 
lishment until  his  death,  in  September,  1843. 
In  politics  he  was  a  Whig.  In  his  early 
manhood  he  was  graduated  at  Union  Col- 
lege, New  York,  then  a  noted  institution  of 
learning,  and  while  practicing  medicine  was 
very  successful.  His  wife,  a  daughter  of 
Amos  Smith,  was  also  a  native  of  New  York. 
She  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 


pal  church,  and  died   in   New  York  about 

•834- 

Franklin  S.  Bosworth,  their  only  child, 
was  born  December  17,  1832,  and  acquired 
his  education  in  the  common  schools.  He 
began  merchandising  in  1852,  in  connection 
with  I.  C.  Bosworth,  at  Dundee,  Illinois, 
where  he  carried  on  business  until  June, 
1871,  when  he  removed  to  Elgin.  Here  he 
purchased  an  interest  in  a  hardware  store 
on  the  East  Side,  which  he  successfully  con- 
ducted until  September,  1883,  when  he  sold 
to  Metcalf  &  Reed.  In  1888  he  purchased 
an  interest  in  a  lumber  yard  on  the  West 
Side  and  soon  afterward  extended  his  field 
of  operations  by  dealing  in  coal.  For  three 
years  he  was  associated  in  business  with 
Lewis  Eaton,  but  on  the  expiration  of  that 
period  purchased  his  partner's  interest,  and 
was  alone  until  1896,  when  he  admitted  to 
a  partnership  his  son,  Frank  H.  Bosworth. 
The  business  is  now  conducted  under  the 
name  of  F.  S.  Bosworth  &  Son  and  they 
carry  all  kinds  of  lumber  and  hard  and  soft 
coal,  and  have  built  up  a  very  extensive, 
profitable  and  satisfactory  trade. 

On  the  4th  of  January,  1859,  at  Dun- 
dee, Illinois,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Bosworth  and  Miss  Sarah  E.  Hunt,  a 
daughter  of  Ward  E.  and  Mary  Hunt,  her 
father  a  native  of  Vermont.  Four  children 
were  born  of  this  union,  of  whom  the  eldest, 
Reuben  H.,  is  now  deceased.  Edward  is 
professor  of  Greek  and  also  occupies  the 
chair  of  theology  in  Oberlin  College  of 
Ohio.  After  completing  his  preliminary  ed- 
ucation in  the  common  schools,  he  was  for 
two  years  a  student  in  Oberlin  College,  and 
then  matriculated  in  Yale  College,  where  he 
was  graduated  with  honors.  He  is  a  young 
man  of  splendid  mental  attainments  and  ex- 
ceptionally brilliant  prospects.  He  married 


44 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Miss  Bertha  McClure,  of  Elgin.  Mary  is 
now  the  wife  of  Walter  F.  Skeele,  a  resi- 
dent of  Los  Angeles,  California.  Frank  H. 
is  with  his  father  in  business. 

The  family  are  members  of  the  Congre- 
gational church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  Bosworth 
and  his  sons  are  Republicans.  He  has  been 
honored  with  several  local  offices,  was  elect- 
ed a  member  of  the  city  council  in  1879, 
and  in  1880  was  elected  mayor  of  Elgin, 
filling  that  office  for  two  consecutive  terms. 
His  administration  was  progressive,  and  the 
city's  interests  were  materially  promoted 
through  his  efforts.  He  manifests  a  deep 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  Elgin,  and  his  in- 
fluence and  support  are  given  to  all  meas- 
ures beneficial  to  the  municipality.  Loyal  to 
all  public  duties,  honorable  in  all  business 
relations,  faithful  to  all  the  obligations  of 
social  life,  he  stands  as  one  of  the  leading, 
men  of  Kane  county. 


JOHN  W.  SEYMOUR,  whose  residence 
in  Illinois  covers  more  than  half  a  cen- 
tury, and  whose  home  has  been  maintained 
in  Elgin  for  twenty-five  years,  belongs  to 
that  heroic  pioneer  band  who  were  the  ad- 
vance guard  of  civilization  in  the  northern 
section  of  the  state,  and  who,  since  that 
time,  have  been  prominent  in  support  of  all 
interests  calculated  to  promote  the  general 
welfare.  A  native  of  Yates  county,  New 
York,  he  was  born  March  3,  1833,  ar)d  's 
descended  from  one  of  three  brothers  who 
emigrated  from  England  and  took  up  their 
residence  in  the  Empire  state  prior  to  the 
war  of  the  devolution.  Jesse  Seymour, 
the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  served  his 
country  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  his  father, 
Ebenezer  Seymour,  was  one  of  those  who 


aided  the  heroes  who  fought  for  the  inde- 
pendence of  the  colonies  by  supplying  the 
army  with  cattle  and  other  necessaries. 

John  Seymour,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Putnam  county,  New 
York,  December  2,  1784,  while  his  wife, 
Elizabeth  Seymour,  was  a  native  of  Yates 
county,  that  state,  .born  December  i ,  1 794. 
In  the  spring  of  1842  they  emigrated  to 
Illinois,  locating  at  Miller's  Grove,  in  the 
town  of  Barrington,  Cook  county.  They 
were  accompanied  by  their  ten  children,  all 
of  whom  located  in  this  state.  The  father 
died  August  27,  1876,  at  the  home  of  his 
son,  John  W.,  in  Elgin,  and  the  mother 
passed  away  on  the  old  homestead  in  Cook 
county,  September  28,  1881.  He  was  a 
stanch  Republican  in  politics  and  in  his 
early  life  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
.qhurch,  but  afterwards  joined  the  Methodist 
church  with  his  wife.  Of  the  children,  five 
are  yet  living:  Harvey,  of  Elgin;  Mrs.  H. 
M.  Campbell,  of  Edgewood,  Illinois;  Mrs.  J. 
M.  Miller,  of  Elgin;  Joseph  B.,  of  Aurora, 
and  John  W. ,  our  subject. 

The  last  named  came  to  Illinois  with  his 
parents  when  nine  years  of  age  and  was 
reared  in  their  home.  Later  his  home  be- 
came theirs,  and  upon  their  death  by  inher- 
itance and  purchase  he  became  the  owner  of 
the  old  farm,  comprising  three  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  of  valuable  land.  He  was  mar- 
ried December  31,  1857,  to  Miss  Emily  L. 
Wood,  of  Volo,  Lake  county,  Illinois,  a 
native  of  Gainesville,  Wyoming  county, 
New  York,  born  July  i,  1837.  With  her 
parents,  George  L.  and  Phosbe  (Potter) 
Wood,  she  came  to  Volo  Lake,  in  1844, 
and  continued  a  resident  of  this  state  until 
called  to  the  home  beyond.  By  her  mar- 
riage she  had  two  children,  William  H., 
born  March  3,  1859,  and  Kleber  A. ,  who 


Of 


JOHN  W.  SEYMOUR. 


7 


MRS.  J.  W.   SEYMOUR. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


49 


was  born  July  6,  1865,  and  died  August  15, 
1888. 

In  1868  Mr.  Seymour  removed  with  his 
family  to  Barrington  Station,  Cook  county, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  merchandising  in 
connection  with  A.  K.  Townsend,  who  was 
also  assistant  postmaster.  In  1873  he  took 
up  his  residence  in  Elgin,  and  has  since 
been  identified  with  the  interests  of  that 
city.  He  has  done  much  to  promote  its 
commercial  prosperity  through  his  con- 
nection with  various  enterprises.  In  the 
summer  of  1882  he  went  abroad,  accom- 
panied by  his  wife,  making  the  journey  both 
a  business  and  pleasure  trip.  After  visiting 
the  principal  cities  and  points  of  interest  in 
Scotland,  England  and  France,  he  pur- 
chased and  imported  fifteen  head  of  fine 
Percheron  horses,  and  has  since  been  en- 
gaged in  the  breeding  of  that  stock  in  com- 
pany with  his  son,  William  H.  In  1892 
they  located  what  is  known  as  the  Concho 
Valley  stock  ranch,  four  miles  north  of  San 
Angelo,  Texas.  Their  stock  has  gained  a 
wide  reputation  in  the  horse  markets  of  the 
country,  and  their  enterprise  has  been  at- 
tended with  most  gratifying  success.  The 
ranch  is  under  the  personal  supervision  of 
the  sen,  who  married  Jennie  E.  Hendrick- 
son,  daughter  of  Norman  G.  and  Emily 
(Townsend)  Hendrickson,  by  whom  he  has 
one  son,  Claude  H.  William  H.  Seymour 
is  also  engaged  in  dealing  in  coal,  wood, 
cement,  etc.,  in  Elgin,  as  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Adams  &  Seymour. 

In  connection  with  his  other  business  in- 
terests, John  W.  Seymour  aided  in  the 
organization  of  the  Elgin  National  Bank  in 
the  spring  of  1892,  and  is  a  member  of  its 
directorate.  From  the  beginning  the  institu- 
tion has  been  a  paying  investment,  and  is  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  most  reliable  banking 


concerns  of  the  county.  Mr.  Seymour  is  a 
man  of  sound  judgment,  keen  discernment 
and  excellent  executive  ability,  entirely 
trustworthy,  and  carries  forward  to  success- 
ful completion  whatever  he  undertakes. 
His  success  is  well  merited,  being  the  legiti- 
mate outcome  of  his  well-directed  efforts. 

In  his  political  views  he  is  a  stalwart 
Republican,  and  he  served  as  school  trustee 
in  the  town  of  Barrington.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of 
which  body  Mrs.  Seymour  was  also  a  mem- 
ber, and  in  which  she  took  a  deep  and  kind- 
ly interest,  as  well  as  in  all  charitable  work. 
She  was  a  lady  greatly  beloved  by  all  who 
knew  her,  and  her  death,  which  occurred 
July  31,  1897,  was  mourned  by  many  friends. 
In  loving  remembrance,  the  following  lines 

were  dedicated  to  her: 

*"*-  * 

"A  precrous  one  from  us-has  gone, 

A  voice  we  loved  is  stilled; 
A  place  is  vacant  in  our  home     '  •„•_, 

Which  never  can  he  filled. 
God,  in  His  wisdom,  has  recalled 

The  boon  His  love  had  given; 
And  though  the  body  slumbers  here, 

The  soul  is  safe  in  Heaven." 

Mr.  Seymour  still  makes  his  home  in 
Elgin,  and  occupies  his  residence,  at  No. 
165  North  Gifford  street,  which  he  erected 
twenty-five  years  ago.  It  is  still  one  of  the 
best  homes  of  the  city,  and  its  hospitable 
doors  are  ever  open  for  the  reception  of  his 
many  friends. 


SILAS  BALDWIN,  who,  after  a  long 
and  useful  life  in  which  toil  was  the 
principal  ingredient,  is  now  living  retired  in 
the  village  of  Hampshire,  Illinois,  is  a 
native  of  Vermont,  born  in  Dorset,  Benning- 
ton  county,  May  15,  1823.  He  attended 
the  district  school  at  Dorset  Hollow,  and 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


worked  on  neighboring  farms  by  the  month 
until  twenty-six  years  old,  when  he  had 
saved  enough  by  his  economy  to  buy  a  fifty- 
acre  farm,  which  he  cultivated  for  four 
years.  The  farm  was  almost  covered  with 
maple  trees,  from  which  he  made  maple 
sugar,  selling  the  same  through  New  York. 
The  chance  for  advancement  in  life  was 
thought  by  him  to  be  very  slim,  and  while, 
like  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  he  considered 
Vermont  a  good  place  to  be  born  in,  he 
believed  the  West  a  better  place  in  which 
to  grow.  In  1853  he  sold  his  farm  and  came 
west;  went  first  to  Iowa,  but  not  liking 
that  country  as  well,  came  to  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  bought  eighty  acres 
on  sections  26  and  27,  Hampshire  town- 
ship, which  he  improved,  and  on  which  he 
resided  until  March,  1890,  when  he  retired 
from  active  life,  visited  one  year  with  rela- 
tives in  the  east,  and  in  1891  purchased  a 
comfortable  home  in  the  village  of  Hamp- 
shire, where  he  is  now  taking  life  easy. 

Thomas  Baldwin,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  April  4,  1774,  and  died  July 
4,  1854.  He  was  the  son  of  Joseph  and 
Elizabeth  Baldwin,  the  former  dying  January 
9,  1808,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years, 
and  the  latter  dying  March  13,  1808,  at  the 
age  of  sixty  years.  Thomas  Baldwin  was  a 
blacksmith  by  trade  and  an  expert  tool- 
maker.  When  regular  work  was  slack,  he 
made  fine  tools  for  carpenters  and  others, 
and  traveled  through  the  country  selling 
them.  He  was  of  thrifty  Yankee  stock, 
and  moved  from  Connecticut  to  Vermont 
about  1817.  A  man  of  strong  vitality,  full 
of  energy  and  ingenuity,  he  could  not  help 
succeeding  in  life.  On  the  igth  of  April, 
1817,  he  married  Polly  Lamphor,  born  at 
Mansfield,  Connecticut,  in  1788,  and  dying 
in  1862.  She  was  the  daughter  of  John  and 


Mary  Lamphor,  the  latter  of  whom  died  in 
1813. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  last 
born  in  a  family  of  seven  children  born  to 
Thomas  and  Polly  Baldwin.  He  has  two 
brothers  living  in  Vermont  and  a  sister  liv- 
ing in  California.  Silas  Baldwin  was  first 
married  in  Vermont,  near  Dorset,  to  Miriam 
Mumpsted,  born  January  5,  1819,  and  who 
died  in  Hampshire  township  November  4, 
1878.  Of  the  four  children  born  to  them, 
one  died  in  Vermont  and  two  in  Hampshire 
township.  The  living  one  is  Elizabeth  Ann, 
who  married  Burdette  C.  DeWitt,  by  whom 
she  has  six  children,  as  follows:  Lillian  M. , 
who  married  J.  William  Webster,  of  Cresco, 
Iowa,  by  whom  she  has  one  son,  DeWitt; 
Benjamin  C. ;  Charles;  Miriam  E. ;  Roxie  L. 
and  Hazel  M. 

Mr.  Baldwin's  second  marriage  was  at 
Tecumseh,  Michigan,  where  he  married 
Mrs.  Louisa  Norton,  widow  of  James  T. 
Norton,  born  at  Poultney,  Rutland  county, 
Vermont,  and  a  daughter  of  Abijah  Will- 
iams, Jr. ,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  born 
April  28,  1785,  and  who  died  at  Poultney, 
Vermont,  June  27,  1845,  at  the  age  of  sixty 
years.  Abijah  Williams,  Sr.,  was  the  son 
of  John  Williams,  who  married  Asenath 
Hodge.  John  Williams  was  one  of  three 
brothers  who  came  from  England  in  colonial 
days.  Abijah  Williams,  Jr.,  married  Lu- 
cinda  Hill,  born  in  Hartford,  Connecticut, 
and  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Lydia 
(Davis)  Hill,  her  father  being  a  soldier  in 
the  Revolutionary  war. 

Politically  Mr.  Baldwin  was  formerly  an 
abolitionist,  casting  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  James  G.  Birney.  On  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Republican  party,  he  became 
an  advocate  of  its  principles  and  with  that 
party  has  continued  to  act  until  the  present 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


time.  For  twenty-five  years  he  served  as 
school  director,  supervisor  three  years,  and 
has  served  as  road  commissioner,  school 
trustee  and  village  trustee,  and  was  super- 
intendent of  Sunday-schools  in  an  early  day 
for  a  number  of  years.  He  is  of  that  self 
reliant  New  England  stock,  a  well-known 
figure  in  the  village  thoroughfares,  and 
is  highly  respected  for  his  just  and  upright 
life.  

DUNCAN  FORBES  is  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative citizens  of  Kane  county,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  "bonnie"  Scotland,  but 
who  for  forty  years  has  been  a  resident  of 
this  country.  He  is  now  enjoying  a  well- 
earned  rest  in  the  village  of  Dundee,  where 
he  has  resided  since  1894.  He  was  born 
August  12,  1834,  in  Perthshire,  Scotland, 
and  there  grew  to  manhood.  After  attend- 
ing the  common  schoois  for  a  time  he  was 
apprenticed  to  learn  the  cabinetmaker's  and 
joiner's  trade,  serving  a  four-years'  term. 
After  completing  his  trade  he  worked  as  a 
journeyman  for  a  time,  but,  believing  the 
new  world  afforded  better  opportunities  for 
advancement,  he  came  to  America  in  1858, 
locating  first  in  Hamilton,  Ontario,  Canada, 
where  he  worked  as  a  journeyman  two 
years.  In  March,  1861,  he  located  in  Chi- 
cago and  went  to  work  at  ship  carpentering. 
In  July  of  the  same  year  he  commenced 
contracting,  and  built  a  house  in  Barring- 
ton  township  and  one  in  Dundee. 

Up  to  this  time  Mr.  Forbes  was  a  single 
man,  but  on  the  I2th  of  December,  1862, 
he  was  united  in  marriage,  in  Dundee  town- 
ship, with  Miss  Jeannette  Cochran,  a  native 
of  Scotland,  who  came  to  the  United  States 
when  a  child  of  nine  years!  Her  father, 
Malcolm  Cochran,  was  also  a  native  of 
Scotland,  who  came  to  Dundee  township, 


Kane  county,  in  1849,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming,  following  that  occupation  through- 
out life.  After  their  marriage  Mr.  Forbes 
moved  to  Chicago  and  engaged  in  the  fur- 
niture trade  for  nine  years,  building  up  in 
that  time  a  most  satisfactory  trade.  In  Oc- 
tober, 1871,  he  returned  to  Kane  county, 
and  located  in  Dundee  township  on  the  old 
Cochran  homestead,  where  he  and  his 
brother-in-law,  John  Cochran,  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  until  1 894.  He  further 
improved  and  developed  the  place,  and  had 
one  of  the  best  farms  in  Dundee  township. 
For  twenty-three  years  he  continued  to  give 
personal  attention  to  the  farm,  and  then 
rented  the  place  and  moved  to  Dundee,  pur- 
chased a  lot  and  built  a  large  and  substan- 
tial residence,  one  of  the  best  in  the  village, 
and  is  now  living  a  retired  life. 

Mr.  Forbes  politically  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican, and  cast  his  first  presidential  bal- 
lot for  General  U.  S.  Grant.  He  has  sup- 
ported the  nominees  of  that  party  from  that 
time  to  the  present,  casting  his  last  vote  for 
William  McKinley  in  1896.  A  friend  of 
education  and  the  public  schools,  he  served 
some  years  as  a  member  of  the  school  board. 
He  also  served  as  township  trustee  for  some 
fifteen  years,  but  never  desired  or  sought 
public  office.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Forbes  were 
reared  in  the  Presbyterian  faith,  but  of  late 
years  have  attended  and  supported  the  Con- 
gregational church. 

Mr.  Forbes  has  been  a  resident  of  Illi- 
nois for  thirty-seven  years,  and  Mrs.  Forbes 
for  forty-nine  years.  They  have  witnessed 
much  of  the  growth  and  development  of 
Kane  county  and  northern  Illinois,  and  are 
numbered  among  the  esteemed  old  settlers. 
He  is  known  in  Dundee  and  Kane  county  as 
a  man  of  exemplary  habits,  of  tried  integ- 
rity and  worth,  and  he  and  his  estimable 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


wife  are  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  all 
who  know  them.  Commencing  life  a  poor 
man,  with  nothing  but  willing  hands  and  a 
stout  heart,  with  the  assistance  of  his  good 
wife  he  has  accumulated  a  good  property, 
and  they  can  well  afford  to  spend  the  rest 
of  their  lives  in  ease  and  retirement. 

John  Cochran,  the  brother  of  Mrs.  Forbes, 
came  with  his  parents  to  this  country  a  lad 
of  twelve  years.  He  here  grew  to  manhood 
and  continued  to  work  upon  the  farm  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  July  14,  1894. 
For  two  years  he  and  his  sister  conducted 
the  home  farm,  and  also  for  a  time  were 
partners  in  the  furniture  trade.  He  was  a 
man  of  sterling  character,  and  one  of  the 
honest  yeomen  of  the  county. 


ABEL  D.  GIFFORD,  a  retired  farmer 
and  pioneer  of  1837,  now  resides  in  a 
beautiful  home  at  No.  254  Villa  street,  El- 
gin. He  is  a  native  of  Chenango  county, 
New  York,  born  in  Sherburne,  August  9, 
1818,  and  is  a  son  of  Asa  and  Dinah  (Tal- 
cott)  Gifford,  natives  of  Massachusetts,  who 
at  a  very  early  day  settled  in  Chenango 
county,  New  York,  removing  from  there  to 
Oneida  county,  where  their  last  days  were 
spent,  the  latter  dying  in  November,  1822, 
at  the  age  of  about  fifty-seven  years,  and 
the  former  in  May,  1837,  in  h's  seventieth 
year.  They  were  the  parents  of  eleven 
children,  five  sons  and  six  daughters,  ten  of 
whom  grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood — 
Ruth,  Experience,  James  T. ,  Peleg,  Sarah, 
Susan,  Asa,  Hezekiah  and  Harriet.  Of 
this  number,  Peleg  died  when  about  a  year 
old,  and  Sarah,  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
two. 

All  of  the  children  then  living  came  west 
and  located  in  Kane  county,   in    1835,  ex- 


cept Abel  D. ,  who  remained  at  home  to 
care  for  his  parents.  Both  parents  were 
members  of  the  Baptist  church,  of  which 
the  father  was  a  deacon  for  many  years. 
By  trade  he  was  a  carpenter,  at  which  oc- 
cupation he  spent  his  early  life.  Later  he 
engaged  in  merchandising,  but  the  last 
years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  was  a  good  reader,  a  close 
observer,  and  a  very  prominent  man  in  his 
community.  For  one  term  he  served  as 
sheriff  of  his  county,  was  county  judge  and 
a  justice  of  the  peace  for  some  years. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
who  was  of  English  descent,  died  in  Massa- 
chusetts in  middle  life.  The  maternal 
grandfather  Talcott  was  a  judge  in  Herkimer 
county,  New  York,  and  at  one  time  was 
very  wealthy,  but  lost  his  money  and  prop- 
erty in  unfortunate  law-suits.  He  was  about 
seventy-eight  years  old  when  he  died. 

Abel  D.  Gifford,  of  whom  we  now  write, 
was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  Chenango  coun- 
ty, New  York,  and  was  early  in  life  inured 
to  hard  labor.  His  education  was  received 
in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  county, 
supplemented  by  a  few  terms  in  Vernon 
Academy.  Soon  after  the  death  of  his 
father  he  came  to  Illinois  and  located  on  a 
farm  two  miles  east  of  the  then  city  limits 
of  Elgin,  but  which  now  adjoins  the  city. 
This  was  six  years  before  the  government 
survey.  His  first  purchase  was  two  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  which  he  finely  improved 
and  which  yet  remains  in  his  possession. 
Since  1889  he  has  lived  in  Elgin,  his  son, 
Charles  A.,  operating  the  home  farm,  where 
he  is  also  engaged  in  dairying,  having  be- 
tween seventy  and  eighty  cows.  During 
the  season,  his  son  also  operates  a  thresh- 
ing machine. 

On   the    20th    of    February,    1838,    Mr. 


A.  D.  GIFFORD, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


55 


Gifford  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Harriet  M.  Root,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  An- 
son  Root,  a  pioneer  physician  of  Kane 
county.  By  this  union  there  was  one  child, 
Frank  A.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nine 
months.  Eighteen  days  later  the  little 
one's  mother  gave  up  her  life.  Religiously 
she  was  a  Baptist.  The  second  union  of 
Mr.  Gifford  was  on  the  9th  of  August,  1855, 
when  he  married  Miss  Julia  E.  Chappell, 
daughter  of  Harvey  M.  and  Mary  Chappell. 
For  a  number  of  years  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage Mrs.  Gifford  taug"ht  school  in  Kane 
county.  By  this  union  there  were  two  chil- 
dren, Carrie  L.  and  Charles  A.  The  for- 
mer married  Charles  Holden,  and  they  have 
two  children.  Hazel  H.  and  Gifford  Merrell. 
Charles  A.  married  Miss  Florence  D.  Stick- 
ney,  who  died  in  March,  1897.  They  had 
four  children,  Frank  A.,  Stanley,  Walter 
and  Florence. 

The  second  wife  of  Mr.  Gifford  died 
July  10,  1893,  in  her  sixty-ninth  year.  Re- 
ligiously she  was  also  a  Baptist,  and  in  the 
work  of  the  church  took  a  deep  and  com- 
mendable interest.  For  his  third  wife  Mr. 
Gifford  chose  Mrs.  Clara  F.  Whitten,  widow 
of  Dr.  Parker  Whitten  and  daughter  of 
David  and  Harriet  (Cain)  Flood.  Their 
wedding  ceremony  took  place  December  15, 
1896.  For  some  years  the  present  Mrs. 
Gifford  was  a  successful  teacher-  in  Rich- 
mond, Virginia,  and  Atlanta,  Georgia,  where 
she  gave  instruction  to  several  hundred  col- 
ored children.  By  her  first  marriage  Mrs. 
Gifford  had  two  children^-Parker  Merritt, 
who  was  killed  by  a  kick  from  a  horse  when 
one  year  old;  and  Manfred  Pitt,  who  is 
studying  medicine  at  the  Vermont  State 
University. 

Mrs.  Gifford's  parents  were  natives  of 
the  state  of  Maine.  In  early  life  her  father 


was  a  farmer,  and  later  a  trader.  He  died 
in  Lewiston,  Maine,  in  1865,  at  the  age  of 
forty-five  years.  His  widow  is  still  living, 
and  makes  her  home  at  Woodsville,  New 
Hampshire,  The  father  was  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Baptist  church,  while  the 
mother  holds  membership  with  the  Chris- 
tian church.  The  paternal  grandfather  of 
Mrs.  Gifford,  John  Flood,  was  a  native  of 
Maine,  of  supposedly  Irish  descent.  In  the 
war  of  1812  he  served  his  country  faithfully 
and  well.  Her  maternal  grandfather,  Moses 
Cain,  was  also  for  a  -time  jn  the  military 
service.  By  occupation  he  was  a  farmer 
and  a  minister  of  the  gospel.  ''''^y 

The  Gifford  family  are  well  known  in 
Kane  county.  James  T.  Gifford,  a  brother 
of  our  subject,  laid  out  the  city  of  Elgin, 
naming  it  after  the  title  of  a  piece  of  music 
that  he  fancied.  As  stated,  the  entire  fam- 
ily, save  the  parents,  came  to  Kane  county 
and  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Elgin  in  pioneer 
days.  All  were  highly  honored  citizens, 
whose  names  and  memories  are  cherished 
by  their  many  friends  and  acquaintances. 

Abel  D.  Gifford  has  now  been  a  resident 
of  this  vicinity  for  more  than  sixty  years, 
and  has  been  identified  with  its  growth  and 
prosperity.  The  country  was  then  wild  in- 
deed, and  the  thriving  cities  now  in  northern 
Illinois  existed  but  in  name.  Chicago  then 
gave  no  evidence  of  its  present  prosperity 
and  magnificent  proportions. 

Since  his  thirteenth  year  Mr.  Gifford  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and 
and  is  the  only  surviving  charter  member  of 
the  First  Baptist  church  of  Elgin,  which  was 
organized  in  1838,  and  of  which  he  has 
been  trustee  since  its  organization  and 
deacon  for  about  fifty  years.  In  the  service 
of  his  Master  he  has  always  taken  special 
delight,  and  has  done  much  to  advance  the 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


cause  in  the  place  which  has  so  long  been 
his  home.  Mrs.  Gifford  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  church. 

Politically,  Mr.  Gifford  is  a  Republican, 
with  which  party  he  has  been  connected 
since  its  organization.  A  strong  believer  in 
liberty,  he  naturally  allied  himself  with  the 
Republicans  and  labored  for  the  success  of 
the  party.  In  the  discharge  of  his  duties 
as  a  citizen  he  has  served  in  several  local 
offices,  being  road  commissioner  of  Hanover 
township  for  several  years  and  also  town- 
ship assessor.  On  coming  to  Elgin  he  built 
his  present  beautiful  home  in  1889.  On 
the  premises  he  makes  his  own  gas  for  light- 
ing purposes,  although  he  uses  in  connec- 
tion electricity.  The  house  is  heated  by 
steam  and  is  handsomely  furnished  and 
most  home  like. 

In  all  his  life  Mr.  Gifford  never  drank 
intoxicating  liquors  of  any  kind,  never 
chewed  tobacco,  and  never  smoked  but  a 
few  times.  His  life  has  been  indeed  a  tem- 
perate one,  and  no  man  stands  higher  in 
the  estimation  of  the  people.  All  esteem 
him  for  his  many  excellent  qualities  of  head 
and  heart. 

A  DIN  MANN,  a  well-known  surveyor, 
civil  engineer  and  prominent  citizen 
of  Elgin,  residing  at  No.  112  Porter  street, 
was  born  in  Oxford,  New  Hampshire,  Oc- 
tober 14,  1816,  and  his  parents,  Aaron  and 
Sarah  (Ingraham)  Mann,  were  natives  of 
the  same  state.  Of  their  seven  children, 
six  sons  and  one  daughter,  only  two  are 
now  living,  Adin,  and  Monroe,  a  resident  of 
Montana. 

The  father,  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
came  to  Illinois  in  1838  with  his  family  and 
settled  on  a  "claim"  in  the  western  part 
of  Elgin  township,  Kane  county,  that  our 


subject  had  taken  up  the  year  previous. 
Overwork  and  change  of  climate  broke 
down  his  health  the  first  season  and  he 
turned  over  the  active  operations  of  the 
farm  to  the  boys,  and  cultivated  only  his 
garden  which  he  always  kept  in  prime  con- 
dition till  his  death  in  1852,  when  sev- 
enty-seven years  of  age.  His  faithful  wife 
survived  him  only  three  weeks,  dying  at  the 
age  of  sixty-three.  Both  were  earnest 
members  of  the  Congregational  church. 
He  served  as  captain  of  a  militia  company 
in  the  war  of  1812. 

John  Mann,  our  subject's  paternal  grand- 
father, was  of  English  and  Welsh  descent, 
and  born  in  Hebron,  Connecticut,  and  was 
the  youngest  of  twelve  sons.  His  father 
was  joint  proprietor  of  a  township  on  the 
Connecticut  river,  in  the  northerly  part  of 
New  Hampshire,  having  surveyed  the  lands 
under  the  Crown  and  obtaining  title  to  one- 
half  of  the  territory  surveyed. 

These  lands  he  offered  to  each  of  his 
several  sons  as  they  became  of  age,  if  they 
would  go  up  and  settle  on  it,  but  they  all 
refused  till  it  came  to  John,  the  youngest. 
He  said  "Yes,  I  will  go,"  and  with  his 
young  bride,  a  little  woman  of  one  hundred 
pounds  weight,  he  started  for  the  northern 
wilds,  to  find  his  promised  land,  and  pur- 
sued his  journey  to  the  end  of  all  roads  or 
means  of  conveyance.  Here  he  engaged  a 
man  with  a  "dugout"  to  take  his  little 
worldly  effects  and  row  up  the  river,  while 
he  hired  a  horse  from  a  frontier  settler,  and 
mounting,  took  his  little  wife  on  the  "pil- 
lion "  behind  him,  and  pushed  on  through 
the  tangled  forest  sixty  miles  further,  and 
dismounting  they  stood  there  alone  on  an 
October  in  1765  in  the  solitude  of  the  wil- 
derness. The  man  who  had  navigated  the 
"  dugout"  took  back  the  horse  to  its  owner. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


57 


They  found  and  took  possession  of  a  log 
shanty  that  some  daring  adventurer  had 
built  and  abandoned  after  felling  two  acres 
of  the  surrounding  dense  timber.  Thus 
John  Mann,  with  a  small  stock  of  provi- 
sions, an  axe,  jack-knife  and  drawing-knife, 
and  the  wife  with  a  bed,  a  six-quart  iron 
kettle  and  a  three-pint  tin  dish,  started  out, 
at  the  coming  on  of  winter,  to  commence 
the  battle  of  life  and  carve  out  for  them- 
selves a  home  and  fortune  in  the  wilderness, 
and  they  succeeded.  Being  a  cooper,  with 
his  axe,  jack-knife  and  drawing-knife,  he 
soon  made  a  pail  and  tub  for  the  wife,  and 
learning  that  a  settlement  some  distance  up 
the  river  had  raised  some  corn  and  impro- 
vised a  crude  mill  to  grind  it  into  meal,  he 
made  a  dozen  more  pails  in  the  same  crude 
way,  and  a  hand-sled,  going  fifteen  miles 
over  into  Vermont  to  his  nearest  neighbor 
to  borrow  a  small  augur  for  the  purpose, 
and,  when  the  river  froze  over,  took  his 
wares  on  the  sled  and  hauled  them  up  to 
the  Haverhill  settlement,  traded  them  for 
corn,  which  he  brought  back  in  the  shape 
of  meal.  In  the  spring  he  burned  off  the 
brush  and  limbs  on  the  two  acres  of  fallen 
timber,  and  planted  corn  among  the  logs 
and  raised  one  hundred  and  fifty  bushels. 
Thereafter  his  granary  was  never  empty, 
and  he  became  known  the  country  round  as 
the  Joseph  of  Egypt,  where  all  who  needed 
could  find  a  supply  of  grain.  His  little  wife 
presented  him  with  twelve  sons  and  three 
daughters,  all  who  lived  to  marry  but  one, 
and,  dying  at  the  age  of  eighty-four,  John 
Mann  left  one  hundred  and  fifty-six  living 
descendants. 

Our  subject's  maternal  grandfather  was 
also  of  English  descent  and  spent  his  entire 
life  in  the  old  Granite  state,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits.  His  daugh- 


ter, Mrs.  Mann,  was  one  of  the  heirs  to 
the  lands  on  which  the  city  of  Sheffield, 
England,  the  great  steel  manufacturing  cen- 
tre is  builded,  by  will  to  the  children  of  the 
fourth  generation  of  the  testator,  of  whom 
Mrs.  Mann  was  one,  but  the  loss  of  certain 
papers  has  hitherto  defeated  a  successful 
prosecution  of  the  claim.  On  the  old  home- 
stead in  New  Hampshire,  which  was  a  part 
of  the  John  Mann  tract,  where  he  first 
opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day,  Adin 
Mann  remained  till  he  attained  his  majority, 
during  the  last  three  years  of  which  he 
worked  on  the  farm  in  summer,  taught 
school  in  the  winter  and  attended  the  Kim- 
ble  Union  Academy  at  the  spring  and  fall 
terms,  where  he  acquired  a  good  .practical 
education.  In  the  summer  of  1837  he  came 
to  Illinois  and  "  took  up  a  claim  "  on  the  as 
yet  unsurveyed  government  lands  in  the 
west  part  of  Elgin  township,  anticipating  a 
future  home  for  his  -father's  'family,  and  had 
some  land  broken  up.  Later  in  the  season 
he  returned  to  the  old  home,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1838  the  whole  family  with  two  or 
three  others,  in  all  thirty  persons,  in  wagons, 
started  for  Illinois,  where  they  safely  landed 
the  latter  part  of  June,  after  a  tedious  jour- 
ney of  nearly  six  weeks.  A  frame  house 
was  soon  erected  and  the  work  of  improve- 
ment began  in  earnest;  shade  trees  and 
orchards  were  soon  planted  and  in  a  short 
time  the  wild  prairie  assumed  the  aspect  of 
a  thrifty  New  England  home.  Later,  when 
the  public  lands  came  into  market,  the 
claim  was  divided  between  the  three  older 
sons,  one  part  becoming  the  property  of  our 
subject,  who  devoted  the  summer  seasons 
to  the  farm  and  taught  school  in  Elgin  in 
the  winter,  being  among  the  first  teachers 
in  this  section  of  the  state.  In  1841  Mr. 
Mann  returned  to  the  old  eastern  home  for 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


"  the  girl  he  left  behind  him,"  and  on  the 
3Oth  of  May  married  Miss  Lydia  P.  Wright, 
daughter  of  Wincol  F.  and  Mary  (Worces- 
ter) Wright,  and  to  them  were  born  six  sons 
and  two  daughters — Henry  P.,  Eugene, 
Frank  W.,  George  W.,  Howard,  Mary  W., 
Hattie  M.  and  Charles  E.  In  1843  Mr. 
Mann  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  and 
county  surveyor,  and  moved  from  the  farm 
into  Elgin,  but  at  the  end  of  two  years,  on 
account  of  ill  health,  resigned  the  office  of 
justice  of  the  peace  and  returned  to  the 
farm,  retaining,  however,  the  surveyor's 
office,  to  which  position  in  after  years  he 
was  several  times  elected.  He  was  notary 
public  for  many  years,  and  also  township 
assessor.  He  also  served  as  county  treas- 
urer in  1860  and  1861,  when,  on  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  war,  the  currency  which  he 
received  at  par  depreciated  to  less  than  fifty 
cents  on  the  dollar,  and  he  was  one  of  forty- 
two  county  treasurers  who  went  under  in 
the  crash.  The  question  might,  perhaps, 
have  been  properly  raised  whether  he  and 
his  sureties  should  be  the  sufferers,  or 
whether  the  community  at  large,  from  whom 
he  had  received  the  currency  in  good  faith, 
should  have  made  good  the  losses.  He 
turned  over  every  species  of  property  he 
possessed  to  make  good  the  losses,  except  a 
cow,  two  pigs  and  a  few  bushels  of  wheat, 
leaving  still  a  deficiency  of  $5,000,  which 
his  bail  promptly  paid.  He  then,  broken 
in  spirit,  but  patriotic  to  the  core,  procured 
authority  from  the  governor  to  raise  a  com- 
pany for  the  army,  and  in  six  days  had  one 
hundred  brave  boys  enlisted,  mustered  into 
the  United  States  service,  and  with  his 
company  and  third  son  hastened  to  the  ren- 
dezvous at  Camp  Butler,  where  he  became 
captain  of  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-fourth  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteer 


Infantry.  The  two  older  sons  had  entered 
the  service  the  year  previous,  and  the  fourth 
followed  as  soon  as  he  could  carry  a  gun. 
The  father  and  four  sons  put  in  fourteen 
years  of  hard  service,  always  at  the  front, 
and  were  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  days 
under  battle  and  siege,  and,  what  is  quite 
remarkable,  neither  received  a  wound.  He 
participated  in  quite  a  number  of  important 
battles,  including  the  engagements  at  Port 
Gibson,  Raymond,  Jackson,  Champion  Hills, 
which  General  Grant  declared  to  be  the  most 
important  battle  of  the  war,  also  at  Yazoo 
and  Bentonville,  and  in  an  exposed  position 
and  under  fire  through  the  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg,  where  he  had  command  of  the  left 
wing  of  the  charging  party  at  the  blowing 
up  of  Fort  Hill.  Later  he  was  appointed 
chief  engineer  of  the  Vicksburg  district, 
which  position  he  filled  with  marked  ability 
and  efficiency  till  mustered  out  of  the  serv- 
ice, August  14,  1865,  with  the  rank  of  lieu- 
tenant-colonel. When  Lee  surrendered,  the 
headquarters  of  the  department  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi was  moved  from  Vicksburg  to  Jack- 
son, with  thirty  thousand  troops  at  that  and 
other  points  in  the  interior.  Mr.  Mann  was 
ordered  to  examine  and  report  the  condition 
of  railroad  communication  between  the  two 
points,  and  found  the  whole  line  from  the 
Big  Black  river  to  Jackson  (thirty-five  miles) 
in  a  condition  of  utter  wreck,  over  one  hun- 
dred bridges  and  culverts  burned  out,  four- 
teen miles  of  the  rails  torn  up  and  bent,  ties 
burned  and  other  material  destroyed  or  car- 
ried away. 

This  he  was  ordered  to  rebuild  at  once, 
to  furnish  the  timber,  ties  and  other  needed 
material,  straighten  the  bent  and  twisted 
rails  and  put  the  road  in  running  order,  and 
was  given  seven  regiments  of  colored  troops 
to  do  it  with,  and  in  the  meantime  to  fur- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


59 


nish  transportation  and  forward  all  supplies 
for  the  troops  at  Jackson  and  interior  until 
the  railroad  could  be  rebuilt,  and  he  was 
obliged  to  put  on  a  transportation  train  of 
nine  hundred  mules  for  that  purpose. 

There  being  no  white  troops  in  reach 
from  which  to  obtain  the  necessary  skilled 
labor,  he  was  compelled  to  pick  up  and  hire 
old  railroad  men  and  mechanics  wherever 
he  could  find  them,  and  had  one  hundred 
and  forty  such  on  his  pay  roll,  a  large  part 
of  whom  were  returned  Confederate  sol- 
diers. 

The  work  was  prosecuted  vigorously. 
Material  procured,  timber  cut  and  hewed  in 
the  forests,  fifty  miles  away,  bridges  built, 
rails  straightened  and  laid,  and  engines 
soon  on  the  'track.  During  these  later 
months  our  subject  had  the  work  of  three 
men  on  his  shoulders,  yet  every  branch  of 
the  business  was  pushed  forward  with  sys- 
tem and  vigor,  he  often  riding  forty  miles 
on  horseback  in  the  night  to  be  present  at 
some  point  where  his  presence  was  needed 
in  the  morning.  Thus  he  closed  his  mili- 
tary career,  with  the  consciousness  of  hav- 
ing discharged  every  duty  devolving  upon 
him  with  promptness  and  efficiency  and  to 
the  entire  satisfaction  of  all  his  superiors  in 
office,  and  with  the  warm  regard  of  all  who 
served  under  him,  for  he  always  looked  after 
the  comfort  of  the  common  soldier,  often 
dismounting  while  on  the  march  and  putting 
a  tired  soldier  boy  in  his  saddle,  or  taking 
up  a  half  dozen  guns  and  balancing  them 
across  the  saddle  in  front  of  him,  to  relieve 
the  weary  ones  of  a  part  of  their  burden, 
and  looking  after  the  comfort  of  the  sick 
as  far  as  possible. 

He  had  saved  over  four  thousand  dollars 
from  his  army  pay  and  when  discharged 
from  the  military  service  went  into  the  lum- 


ber business,  and  became  partner  in  three 
steam  sawmills  and  a  large  body  of  pine 
timber  land,  his  family  having  removed  to 
Vicksburg  near  the  close  of  the  war.  The 
business  prospect  was  most  excellent,  his 
interest  being  capable  of  yielding  him  a 
daily  net  income  of  fifty  dollars,  from  which 
he  hoped  soon  to  liquidate  all  his  obliga- 
tins  in  Illinois.  But  the  fates  combined  to 
crush  him  again  at  the  end  of  the  war  as  it 
had  done  at  the  beginning,  and  after  a  year 
of  hard  work  and  struggle,  with  the  life  of 
himself  and  family  in  constant  peril,  he  gave 
up  the  contest  and  with  funds  barely  suffi- 
cient to  reach  Kane  county,  he  returned  to 
his  old  home  in  Batavia,  broken  in  health 
and  penniless.  The  bitterness  of  the  South 
against  the  old  Yankee  soldiers  and  the  re- 
fusal of  the  railroads  to  ship  his  lumber  to 
market,  with  other  causes,  compelled  him 
to  abandon  a  property  worth  ten  thousand 
dollars. 

After  returning  to  Batavia,  Illinois,  he 
engaged  in  map-making  for  a  Philadelphia 
publishing  firm,  and  made  county  atlases  in 
Ohio,  Pennsylvania  and  New  York,  and  a 
state  atlas  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  which 
embraced  a  sectional  map  of  every  county 
in  those  states.  He  was  an  expert  in  this 
work.  He  filled  the  position  of  city  engin- 
eer of  Oil  City  for  a  time,  and  was  assist- 
ant engineer  at  Topeka,  Kansas,  for  a  year 
and  a  half.  With  the  exception  of  four 
years  in  Mississippi  and  twelve  years  in  Kan- 
sas he  has  made  his  home  in  Kane  county 
since  1837,  an^  nas  been  prominently  iden- 
tified with  its  interests.  His  life  has  been 
one  of  checkered  vicissitudes,  haying  lost 
the  bottom  dollar  six  times,  yet  when  over- 
whelmed and  buried  beneath  the  avalanche 
of  misfortune  has  heroically  kicked  off  the 
sods  and  commenced  anew  the  fight,  and 


6o 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


although  in  his  eighty-second  year  he  is  still 
very  active  and  is  now  acceptably  serving  as 
city  engineer  of  Elgin  and  deputy  county 
surveyor  of  Kane  county. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Mann  affiliates  with 
Veteran  post,  No.  49,  G.  A.  R.,  and,  polit- 
ically, has  always  been  identified  with  the 
Republican  party.  His  life  is  exemplary  in 
many  respects,  and  he  has  ever  supported 
those  interests  which  are  calculated  to  up- 
lift and  benefit  humanity,  while  his  own 
high  moral  worth  is  deserving  of  the  high- 
est commendation.  He  has  been  a  strictly 
temperate  man,  never  using  tobacco  or 
liquor  in  any  form,  and  both  he  and  his 
wife  are  consistent  members  of  the  Congre- 
gational church.  On  the  eightieth  anniver- 
sary of  his  birth,  the  family  and  near  rela- 
tives held  a  re-union  at  his  home,  it  being 
a  pleasant  surprise  to  himself  and  wife.  In 
memory  of  that  occasion  he  penned  the  fol- 
lowing beautiful  poem,  being  too  much  sur- 
prised and  affected  at  the  time  to  give  ex- 
pression to  his  thoughts: 

TO   THE    FRIENDS    WHO  SO    PLEASANTLY 
SURPRISED  US  ON  THE  EIGHTI- 
ETH ANNIVERSARY  OF 
OUR  BIRTHDAY. 

In  the  early  morning  still  with  dewdrops  glittering, 
With  the  mists  still  curling  and  the  robins  twittering, 
While  all  varied  nature,  fresh  from  the  couch  of  night, 
Robed   in   golden    sunbeams,  smiled   with   radiance 
bright. 

In    life's  morning   pathway,   moist   with   the  dew  of 

youth, 

I  met  a  blushing  maiden,  as  fair  and  pure  as  truth; 
She  put  her  hand  in  mine  with  confidence  and  joy, 
We  walked  along  together  in  bliss  without  alloy. 

We  roamed  o'er  life's  meadows,  through  many  downs 

and  ups, 

Breathing  balm  of  roses,  plucking  the  buttercups; 
Hand  in  hand  together  along  life's  devious  way, 
Erst  with  joy  or  sorrow,  we  walked  the  live-long  day. 

But   mid-day   heat  grew  strong,  our  shoulders  bent 
with  care, 


And  many  blinding  griefs  and  burdens  hard  to  bear; 
Yet  in  joy  or  sorrow,  hand  in  hand  as  ever, 
Through  all  life's  long   journey  we've  walked  along 
together. 

Now  the  day  is  waning,  the  evening  shades  draw  nigh, 
The  hour  is  approaching  to  lay  our  labors  by, 
Yet  through  twilight  walking,  hand  in  hand  tagether, 
We  still  will  journey  on,  nearing  the  dark  river. 

And  will  the  angels  come,  as  we  stand  together 
By  the  deep  dark  waters,  and  row  us  safely  over 
To  the  land  of  beauty — to  the  realms  forever  blest — 
Where  no  sorrow  reaches  and  weary  ones  find  rest? 

Will  our  absent  loved  ones,  who've  passed  away  be- 
fore, 

Meet  with  joyous  greeting  our  landing  on  their  shore? 
Will  those  we  leave  behind  come  to  that  happy  land? 
Shall  we  meet  together,  a  full,  unbroken  band? 

God  in  his  mercy  grant  this,  our  most  earnest  prayer: 
Guide  us  all  and  keep  us,  and  bring  us  over  there, 
Over  there,  over  there,  a  blest  united  band. 
Together  over  there,  one  in  that  happy  land. 

A.  MANN. 
Elgin,  Illinois,  October  14,  1896. 


EBEN  FOSS,  residing  at  No.  63 1  Doug- 
las avenue,  Elgin,  is  the  possessor  of  a 
handsome  property  which  now  enables  him 
to  spend  his  years  in  the  pleasurable  enjoy- 
ment of  his  accumulations.  The  record  of 
his  life  previous  to  1885,  is  that  of  an  active, 
enterprising,  methodical  and  sagacious  busi- 
ness man  and  farmer,  who  bent  his  energies 
to  the  honorable  acquirement  of  a  comfort- 
able competence  for  himself  and  family. 

Mr.  Foss  was  born  in  Thornton,  New 
Hampshire,  June  10,  1822,  a  son  of  Eben 
and  Mary  (Webster)  Foss,  also  natives  of 
that  state,  the  former  born  January  9,  1785, 
the  latter  April  24,  1793.  They  were  mar- 
ried November  2,  1815,  at  Thornton.  When 
our  subject  was  quite  small  he  lost  his 
mother,  her  death  occurring  March  24, 
1826,  but  the  father  survived  her  many 
years,  dying  March  16,  1869.  The  paternal 
grandfather,  who  also  bore  the  name  of 
Eben  Foss,  was  a  native  of  New  Hamp- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


61 


shire,  where  throughout  life  he  followed  the 
occupation  of  farming  and  reared  a  large 
family  of  children,  including  John,  Eben, 
Langdon,  Carter,  Jacob,  Milton,  Ruth, 
Betsy,  Mrs.  Robinson  and  Mrs.  Durgin. 
The  parents  of  these  children  were  both 
members  of  the  Congregational  church. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 
was  a  private  in  the  Colonial  army  during 
the  Revolutionary  war  and  late  in  life  re- 
ceived a  pension  from  the  government. 
The  great-great-grandmother,  Mrs.  Dustin, 
was  at  one  time  taken  prisoner  by  the  In- 
dians while  they  were  on  the  warpath  and 
held  in  captivity  for  a  time.  Being  notified 
of  the  approach  of  the  red  men,  she  sent 
word  by  one  of  the  children  to  her  husband 
who  was  plowing  in  the  field  at  the  time. 
He  came  at  once  to  the  house,  brought 
out  his  seven  children  and  bidding  them  to 
run  ahead  he  slowly  retreated,  keeping  the 
Indians  back  with  his  gun;  he  thus  brought 
off  his  little  flock  in  safety.  His  wife,  who 
was  unable  to  escape  with  him,  was  dragged 
into  captivity.  The  party  who  captured 
Mrs.  Dustin  marched  many  days  through 
the  forest,  at  length  reached  an  island  in 
the  Merrimac.  Several  days  later,  while 
the  Indians  were  asleep,  she,  with  the  as- 
sistance of  her  nurse  and  a  boy,  who  had 
also  been  captured,  killed  ten  of  the  red 
men  and  returned  home  with  their  scalps 
that  she  might  prove  to  the  settlers,  beyond 
a  doubt,  what  she  had  done. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  had  two 
brothers,  Betton  and  Bradley,  and  perhaps 
others,  besides  several  sisters — Mrs.  Sargent, 
Mrs.  Robinson,  Mrs.  Chatman,  and  Harriet, 
who  was  twice  married,  her  second  husband 
being  a  Mr.  Greely,  who  conducted  a  hotel 
in  Thornton,  New  Hampshire,  for  many 
years. 


Eben  Foss,  of  this  review,  is  the  fourth 
in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  six  children, 
as  follows:  Betton,  born  February  10, 
1817,  was  married  in  May,  1841,  and  both 
he  and  his  wife  are  now  deceased,  his  death 
occurring  August  21,  1859.  Mary  Ann, 
born  August  2,  1818,  married  Charles  Cal- 
don,  and  died  in  1882,  leaving  four  children, 
who  live  in  New  Hampshire.  Hannah  Jane, 
born  May  11,  1820,  was  married  in  Decem- 
ber, 1842,  to  Oris  Hitchcock,  and  died  in 
1891,  leaving  the  following  children — Pas- 
chal, Charles,  Frank,  Mary,  wife  of  Charles 
Sharp;  Mrs.  Hattie  Andrews,  Mrs.  Clara 
Bell  Loveless,  Mrs.  Ella  Sharp,  and  Ellen. 
Eben,  our  subject.  Bradley  V.,  born  July 
29,  1824,  was  married  July  n,  1852,  and 
now  lives  in  Laporte  City,  Iowa.  Harriet 
Webster,  born  February  8,  1826,  was  mar- 
ried May  9,  1850,  to  Daniel  Brandon,  and 
died  in  1887.  After  the  death  of  the  mother 
of  these  children,  the  father  married  Char- 
lotte Elliott,  by  whom  he  had  one  son — 
Charles  Elliott,  who  was  born  May  28, 
1828,  and  is  now  living  in  California.  His 
children  are  Alvah  and  Louella,  who  are 
still  living;  and  Ida,  who  died  in  1877,  at 
the  age  of  twenty  years. 

During  his  boyhood  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  attended  the  district  schools  for  three 
months  during  the  winter  season,  while  the 
remainder  of  the  year  was  spent  in  assisting 
with  the  work  of  the  home  farm.  When 
sixteen  years  of  age  he  came  with  his  par- 
ents to  Campton  township,  Kane  county, 
where  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  wild  land  at  the  government  price 
of  one  dollar  and  a  quarter  per  acre.  He 
continued  to  work  for  his  father  until  he  at- 
tained his  majority,  and  became  thoroughly 
familiar  with  every  department  of  farm  work. 
On  starting  out  in  life  for  himself,  he  con- 


62 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tinued  to  follow  the  pursuit  to  which  he  had 
been  reared,  and  became  one  of  the  most 
successful  farmers  and  stock- raisers  in  his 
locality.  The  land  which  he  purchased 
from  the  government  he  continued  to  oper- 
ate until  1884,  and  to  the  original  tract 
added  until  he  had  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
four  acres  of  valuable  land,  which  he  sold 
for  nearly  sixty-seven  dollars  per  acre.  He 
then  removed  to  Elgin,  where  he  has  since 
lived  retired,  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  for- 
mer toil. 

In  1847  Mr.  Fosswas  united  in  marriage 
to  Mrs.  Emily  C.  (Ravlin)  Cleveland,  who 
died  November  18,  1885,  at  the  age  of  six- 
ty-six years.  She  was  a  consistent  Chris- 
tian woman,  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 
By  her  first  marriage  she  had  one  son,  still 
living — Charles  L.  Cleveland,  of  Scranton, 
Greene  county,  Iowa,  who  married  Weal- 
thy Allen  and  has  two  children,  Fred  and 
Frank.  Three  children  blessed  the  second 
union,  namely:  Mary  Webster,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  one  year;  Harriet,  widow  of  J. 
A.  Daniels,  who  died  February  12,  1896,  in 
California,  aged  fifty-three  years,  and  left 
one  son,  John  F. ,  now  a  student  in  the 
public  schools;  and  Mary  F.,  wife  of  J.  H. 
Williams,  of  Elgin,  by  whom  she  has  five 
children — Howard,  Clarence,  Lloyd,  Ruth 
and  Grace. 

Mr.  Foss  cast  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  Zachary  Taylor,  but  has  never  taken  a 
very  active  part  in  politics  aside  from  vot- 
ing. He  is  a  worthy  representative  of  that 
class  of  citizens  who  lead  quiet,  industrious, 
honest  and  useful  lives,  and  constitute  the 
best  portion  of  a  community.  Wherever 
known  he  is  held  in  high  regard,  and  as  an 
honored  pioneer  and  highly-respected  citi- 
zen he  is  certainly  deserving  of  honorable 
mention  in  the  history  of  his  adopted  county. 


I ONATHAN  TEFFT,  a  farmer  living  two 
J  and  one-half  miles  south  of  Elgin  City, 
is  numbered  among  the  earliest  settlers  of 
Kane  county,  the  family  emigrating  from 
Madison  county,  New  York,  and  locating  in 
Kane  county  in  the  fall  of  1835.  The  pa- 
ternal grandfather,  Jeremiah  Tefft,  was 
a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  married  "Rhoda 
Hoxie,  of  Richmond,  Kings  county,  Colony 
of  Rhode  Island,"  as  the  old  marriage  cer- 
tificate reads,  which  is  in  possession  of  our 
subject,  "October  23,  1768,  by  Edward 
Perry,  J.  P."  ;After  the  close  of  the  Revolu- 
tion he  moved  to  Madison  county,  New 
York,  which  was  then  the  far  western  fron- 
tier. There  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life  and  reared  his  large  family,  one  of  whom, 
Jonathan,  was  the  father  of  our  subject. 

Jonathan  Tefft,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Madi- 
son county,  New  York,  where  he  married 
Elizabeth  Collins,  born  December  8,  1792, 
and  daughter  of  Solomon  Collins.  By  this 
union  were  fourteen  children,  six  of  whom 
are  yet  living:  Amos,  living  in  Nebraska; 
Jonathan,  our  subject;  Thomas  W.,  now 
serving  as  alderman  of  the  sixth  ward  in 
Elgin;  Louisa,  widow  of  P.  C.  Gilbert,  re- 
siding in  Elgin;  Emeline,  widow  of  William 
Worden,  now  residing  in  Kansas;  and  Rhoda, 
who  married  Chauncey  B.  Halley,  and  now 
lives  in  Barrington,  Cook  county. 

.  On  coming  west,  Jonathan  Tefft,  Sr. , 
settled  first  on  a  farm  in  Cook  county,  ad- 
joining the  present  city  of  Elgin,  a  part  of 
which  is  now  Lord's  Park.  The  year  fol- 
lowing he  bought  a  claim,  the  farm  on  which 
our  subject  now  resides,  lying  in  section  36, 
Elgin  township,  and  section  31,  Hanover 
township,  Cook  county.  The  first  farm  in 
Cook  county  he  sold  to  his  son,  Dr.  Joseph 
Tefft,  the  first  physician  in  Elgin.  His  death 
occurred  in  Elgin,  January  26,  1886,  having 


JONATHAN  TEFFT. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


almost  attained  his  seventy-sixth  year.  In 
his  political  views  he  was  originally  a  Dem- 
ocrat, later  a  Republican,  a  man  of  great 
strength  of  character,  never  sought  office, 
but  served  in  many  official  positions.  Jon- 
athan Tefft,  Sr. ,  was  one  of  three  commis- 
sioners to  lay  out  and  establish  a  road  from 
Elgin  to  St.  Charles  on  the  east  side  of  Fox 
river. 

Jonathan  Tefft,  our  subject,  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Lebanon,  Madison  county,  New 
York,  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  attended 
the  district  schools  until  the  age  of  eighteen, 
when  the  family  moved  west.  He  attended 
school  one  winter  after  coming  to  Illinois  in 
a  log  school  house  two  miles  south  of  Elgin. 
His  first  purchase  of  land  was  one  hundred 
and  ten  acres  lying  northeast  of  Elgin,  and 
in  1850  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  forty- 
three  acres  in  section  3 1 ,  range  9,  lying 
south  of  his  father's  homestead.  -On  that 
place  he  resided  until  March  1,  1865,  when 
he  moved  to  the  old  farm. 

Mr.  Tefft  was  married  near  Elgin  April 
8,  1841,  to  Miss  Delinda  West,  a  native  of 
Madison  county,  New  York,  and  daughter 
of  Isaac  West,  who  first  married  Ruth  W'il- 
cox,  daughter  of  Daniel  Wilcox.  The 
Wests  moved  from  the  same  neighborhood 
in  Madison  county,  New  York,  the  year  fol- 
lowing the  emigration  of  the  Tefft  family. 
Of  the  three  children  of  Isaac  and  Ruth 
West,  Mrs.  Tefft  alone  survives.  He  died 
in  1876  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tefft  five  children  have  been 
born,  only  two  of  whom  are  now  living, 
Jenny  and  Frank. 

As  a  practical  farmer,  Mr.  Tefft  is  ex- 
celled by  few.  He  has  a  large  dairy  farm, 
which  consists  of  two  hundred  and  eighty 
acres,  fifty-two  acres  lying  in  Kane  county 
and  the  rest  in  Cook  county,  and  is  well  im- 


proved in  every  respect.  His  father's  old 
house  is  still  standing  on  the  farm,  but  he 
resides  in  a  house  erected  by  himself  in  1888, 
which  cost  nearly  five  thousand  dollars. 
On  the  place  are  one  hundred  head  of  cat- 
tle, eighty  of  which  are  milch  cows.  He 
has  a  large  cattle  barn,  thirty-six  by  one 
hundred  and  forty-six  feet,  horse  barn  forty 
by  forty  feet,  and  tool  shed  thirty-two  by 
thirty- six  feet.  The  entire  farm  is  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation,  and  everything 
about  the  place  shows  a  thrift  of  the  owner. 

In  politics  Mr.  Tefft  ie  a  Republican, 
with  which  party  he  has  acted  since  its  or- 
ganization. He  has  been  honored  by  his 
townsmen  with  a  number  of  official  posi- 
tions. He  was  made  a  Master  Mason  in 
the  Elgin  lodge,  No.  117,  in  1854,  and  was 
one  of  the  charter  members  of  South  Elgin 
lodge  in  1865.  On  the  surrender  of  its 
charter  he  again  united  with  Elgin  lodge, 
No.  1 17.  He  was  a  member  of  Fox  River 
chapter  at  St.  Charles,  and  of  Bethel  com- 
mandery  at  Elgin.  He  was  formerly  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Sycamore  commandery  at  Syca- 
more. At  one  time  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Trade  of  Elgin. 

Mr.  Tefft  is  one  of  the  few  men  yet  liv- 
ing who  saw  almost  this  entire  country  in 
its  virgin  state,  and  has  done  as  much  as 
any  other  one  man  to  develop  its  resources 
and  make  it  the  garden  spot  of  the  west. 
On  his  arrival  here  there  were  but  few  cab- 
ins on  the  east  side  of  the  river  at  Elgin  and 
but  three  on  the  west  side.  He  has  hunted 
deer  on  the  present  site  of  the  city,  and  as- 
sisted in  breaking  the  prairie  on  its  present 
site.  He  remembers  when  the  Indians  came 
from  the  northwest  to  spear  fish  in  the  Fox 
river.  Nearly  all  of  his  long  and  useful 
life  has  been  spent  in  Elgin  township,  and- 
few  men  are  better  known  in  Kane  county. 


66 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


JOHN  L.  HEALY,  a  representative  mem- 
ber of  the  bar  of  Elgin  and  a  native  of 
the  city,  was  born  August  3,  1861,  his  par- 
ents being  Bernard  and  Catherine  (Laugh- 
lin)  Healy.  His  father  was  born  in  Dublin, 
Ireland,  and  was  a  son  of  Joseph  Healy,  an 
officer  in  the  English  army.  The  latter  mar- 
ried Margaret  Morgan  and  both  he  and  his 
wife  spent  their  entire  lives  in  the  old  world. 
Bernard  Healy  was  the  only  one  of  their 
family  that  ever  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
America.  He  made  the  voyage  in  1842  and 
soon  after  took  up  his  residence  in  Elgin, 
where  he  embarked  in  the  harness  and  a 
saddlery  business,  engaging  longer  in  active 
and  uninterrupted  business  than  any  other  in 
the  county.  He  aided  in  laying  out  the 
town  of  Elgin  in  connection  with  James  T. 
Gifford  and  named  two  streets  in  honor  of 
his  favorite  authors,  William  E.  Channing 
and  Joseph  Addison.  He  was  a  man  of  ex- 
tensive reading  and  broad  general  culture 
and  his  memory  was  remarkably  retentive. 
In  all  matters  of  business  his  word  was  as 
good  as  his  bond  and  he  had  the  respect  and 
confidence  of  all  who  knew  him.  He  was 
a  man  of  remarkable  purity  of  character,  of 
earnest  purpose  and.upright  life,  and  his  life 
record  forms  an  indispensable  part  of  the 
history  of  the  county.  In  politics  he  was  a 
Democrat,  and  in  religious  belief  was  a  Cath- 
olic. His  death  occurred  November  6,  1894, 
but  his  widow  is  still  living  in  Dundee,  Illi- 
nois. They  had  a  family  of  six  children: 
Bernard;  John  Leander,  of  this  sketch; 
Richard,  who  died  in  infancy;  Walter  E. , 
who  was  a  graduate  of  Ann  Arbor  Univer- 
sity and  now  a  student  in  Mr.  Healy's  law 
office;  May  E.  and  Charles,  all  residents  of 
Kane  county.  The  father  of  this  family 
was  twice  married,  and  the  children  of  the 
other  union  are  Joseph  and  Rosann.  Their 


mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Winifred 
Anderson,  and  their  marriage  was  celebrated 
in  Manchester.  England.  Her  son,  Joseph, 
was  a  graduate  of  Notre  Dame  and  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor,  and  stud- 
ied law  with  Judge  Silvanus  Wilcox.  He 
afterward  became  a  partner  of  Botsford  & 
Barry,  and  died  in  1871,  at  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-six years.  He  was  a  young  man  of  splen- 
did mental  attainments  and  brilliant  pros- 
pects. His  sister  died  at  St.  Mary's  College, 
while  pursuing  her  studies  there. 

The  public  schools  of  Elgin  afforded 
our  subject  his  preliminary  educational  ad- 
vantages, which  were  supplemented  by  a 
course  in  the  high  school  of  Dundee.  He 
next  entered  St.  Joseph's  College,  of  Bards- 
town.  He  further  continued  his  studies  in 
Notre  Dame  University,  and  was  graduated 
in  1879,  after  which  he  studied  law  in  the 
office  and  under  the  direction  of  Botsford  & 
Barry,  of  Elgin.  He  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  Chicago,  in  1884,  passing  an  exam- 
ination before  the  appellate  court,  and  then 
spent  one  year  traveling  in  Europe.  He 
did  some  post-graduate  work  in  Heidelburg 
and  spent  some  time  in  Frankfort-on-the- 
Main  and  in  other  European  cities,  and, 
with  a  mind  broadened  by  travel  and  the 
knowledge  and  culture  which  only  travel 
can  bring,  he  returned  to  his  native  land. 

Locating  in  Elgin,  Mr.  Healy  entered 
into  partnership  with  Judge  Henry  B. 
Willis,  under  the  firm  name  of  Willis  & 
Healy,  a  connection  that  was  maintained 
for  four  years  with  excellent  success.  It 
was  then  dissolved  by  mutual  consent  and 
Mr.  Healy  has  since  been  alone.  He  is  en- 
gaged in  general  practice  and  is  well  versed 
in  many  departments  of  jurisprudence.  He 
has  a  splendidly  equipped  office  in  the 
building  which  he  owns,  and  enjoys  a  large 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


67 


clientele.  He  also  has  other  real-estate  in- 
terests, including  two  store  buildings  ad- 
joining the  Spurling  block,  and  has  some 
valuable  realty  in  Chicago. 

In  politics  Mr.  Healy  is  a  Republican; 
socially,  and  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity  and  other  or- 
ganizations. He  has  attained  a  well-merit- 
ed success  at  the  bar  and  in  his  other  busi- 
ness enterprises,  and  Elgin  regards  him  as 
one  of  her  substantial  and  reliable  citizens. 


HERMAN  H.  AND  GUSTAVE  F. 
KIRCHHOFF,  Hampshire,  Illinois, 
doing  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Kirch- 
hoff  Brothers,  are  dealers  in  lumber,  grain, 
flour,  feed,  coal  and  wood.  They  carry  a 
good  stock  of  all  things  in  their  line  and  are 
doing  a  large  and  fairly  prosperous  business. 
They  are  well  known  throughout  the  north- 
ern part  of  Kane  county  and  the  adjoining 
portions  of  McHenry  and  De  Kalb  counties 
as  young  men  of  good  business  ability,  and 
who  can  be  depended  upon  in  every  busi- 
ness transaction.  Henry  Kirchhoff,  their 
father,  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  in 
1833,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  1845 
with  his  father,  John  Henry  Kirchhoff,  who 
was  a  soldier  against  Napoleon,  at  Water- 
loo, and  who  died  in  Cook  county,  Illinois, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  Henry 
Kirchhoff  married  Mary  Franzen,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  Franzen,  who  was  an  early 
settler  of  DuPage  county.  They  became 
the  parents  of  ten  sons  and  two  daughters, 
all  of  whom  are  living  in  Cook  county,  save 
Herman  H.  and  Gustave  K.,  of  whom  we 
write. 

Herman  H.  Kirchhoff  was  born  in  the 
township  of  Leyden,  Cook  county,  Illinois, 
January  27,  1862,  and  there  made  his  home 


until  1887,  in  the  meantime  attending  the 
public  schools  and  assisting  upon  the  home 
farm.  In  company  with  C.  A.  Franzen  he 
then  went  to  Pingree  Grove  and  opened  a 
lumber,  wool  and  coal  yard,  which  they  con- 
ducted for  eleven  years.  Gustave  F.  Kirch- 
hoff was  also  born  in  the  township  of  Ley- 
den,  Cook  county,  Illinois,  his  birth  occur- 
ring November  11,  1869.  He  also  received 
his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  the 
township  and  assisted  upon  the  home  farm. 
On  the  ist  of  January,  1898,  the  two 
brothers  moved  to  Hampshire  and  purchased 
the  feed  store  of  Werthwein  &  Zimmer,  and 
in  February  following,  the  lumber  yard  of 
McCIure  &  Struckman,  a  business  in  which, 
as  already  stated,  they  are  meeting  with 
success,  being  accommodating  and  popular. 
Herman  H.  Kirchhoff  was  married  De- 
cember 21,  1892,  in  Elgin,  Illinois,  to  Miss 
Margaret  J.  Shedden,  of  Plato  township, 
and  a  daughter  of  John  Shedden,  who  is 
now  living  a  retired  life  in  the  city  of 
Elgin.  To  them  have  been  born  one  daugh- 
ter, Florence  Alice.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kirch- 
hoff are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church 
and  are  active  in  all  church  and  benevolent 
work.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  Knights 
of  the  Maccabees.  In  social  circles  they 
occupy  a  prominent  place. 


ROBERT  ARCHIBALD,  a  successful 
and  progressive  farmer  residing  at  No. 
434  Chicago  street,  Elgin,  is  a  native  of 
Kane  county,  born  in  Dundee,  March  n, 
1852,  and  is  the  only  child  born  of  the  union 
of  Abram  and  Jane  (Crichton)  Archibald. 
The  parents  were  both  natives  of  Scotland, 
where  they  were  married  in  1847,  and  the 
following  year  they  left  their  old  home  near 


68 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Glasgow  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Amer- 
ica. The  father  purchased  a  farm  two 
miles  and  a  half  northwest  of  Dundee  in 
Kane  county,  and  here  followed  agricultural 
pursuits,  although  in  his  native  land  he  had 
served  as  foreman  in  a  colliery.  On  laying 
aside  business  cares,  he  moved  to  Elgin, 
where  he  died  June  23,  1897,  aged  eighty- 
four  years  and  one  month.  He  was  a 
worthy  and  highly  respected  citizen,  ever 
kind  and  accommodating  to  his  neighbors  and 
friends,  and  just  and  honorable  in  all  his 
dealings.  His  whole  life  was  characterized 
by  honesty,  industry  and  those  qualities 
essential  to  good  citizenship.  He  was  first 
a  Republican  in  politics  and  later  a  Dem- 
ocrat, while  in  religious  belief  he  was  a  Pres- 
byterian, to  which  church  his  wife  also  be- 
longed. She  died  April  8,  1893,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-one  years.  By  a  former  marriage 
he  had  one  son,  Abram  Archibald,  Jr.,  now 
living  near  Los  Angeles,  California.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  also  previously 
married,  her  first  husband  being  Daniel 
McNeal,  by  whom  she  had  three  children: 
Male  m  and  John,  members  of  the  firm  of 
McNeal  &  Higgins,  wholesale  grocers  on 
Market  street,  Chicago;  and  Anna,  wife  of 
Thomas  Todd,  of  136  South  State  street, 
Elgin.  They  came  to  the  United  States 
during  childhood. 

Robert  Archibald  began  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  Kane  county,  and 
later  attended  the  Elgin  Academy.  Since 
completing  his  education  he  has  devoted  his 
time  and  attention  to  farming,  having  be- 
come thoroughly  familiar  with  all  the  duties 
which  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist 
upon  the  home  farm  where  he  was  reared. 
Being  a  thorough  and  systematic  farmer  he 
has  met  with  a  well-deserved  success  and  is 
now  the  owner  of  two  valuable  farms  in 


Kane  county.  In  connection  with  general 
farming  he  is  also  engaged  in  dairying. 
Socially  he  affiliates  with  Dundee  lodge,  No. 
190,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  politically  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat. In  the  various  relations  of  life  he 
has  always  been  the  same  earnest,  upright, 
capable  and  courteous  gentleman,  winning 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  who  know 
him. 

D WIGHT  E.  BURLINGAME,  M.  D., 
is  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  suc- 
cessful physicians  and  surgeons  of  Elgin, 
his  office  being  at  his  beautiful  home  at  No. 
18  Villa  street.  He  was  born  in  Adams, 
Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts,  June  8, 
1844,  and  is  a  son  of  Daniel  Fenner  and 
Mary  A.  (Mason)  Burlingame,  also  natives 
of  the  old  Bay  state.  The  family  is  of 
Danish  origin  and  its  first  representatives 
in  England  were  probably  prisoners  of  war. 
It  was  founded  in  this  country  as  early  as 
1640.  The  Doctor's  grandfather,  Elisha 
Burlingame,  was  a  native  of  Rhode  Island, 
and  as  a  Continental  soldier  during  the 
Revolutionary  war,  he  fought  in  the  battle 
of  Long  Island.  He  died  of  pneumonia  in 
middle  life,  leaving  four  children,  three  sons 
and  one  daughter.  James  Mason,  the  Doc- 
tor's maternal  grandfather,  was  also  a  native 
of  Rhode  Island,  was  a  farmer  and  frontier 
tradesman,  and  died  at  an  advanced  age. 

Daniel  F.  Burlingame  was  also  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  and  died  on  his  farm  in 
Adams,  Massachusetts,  in  1895,  at  the  ripe 
old  age  of  eighty-eight  years.  During  his 
early  days  he  was  captain  of  the  state  mili- 
tia, and  did  considerable  business  in  settling 
up  estates  as  a  referee  and  appraiser.  His 
wife  departed  this  life  in  1893  at  the  age  of 
eighty-six  years.  Both  were  consistent 
members  of  the  Congregational  church,  and 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


were  highly  respected  by  all  who  knew 
them.  Four  sons  and  one  daughter  were 
born  to  them,  of  whom  four  are  still  living 
— Elisha,  a  resident  of  Adams,  Massachu- 
setts; Dwight  E. ;  Phoebe  A.;  and  John  L  , 
of  Holyoke,  Massachusetts. 

Under  the  parental  roof  Dr.  Burlingame 
grew  to  manhood,  and  after  attending  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  state  for  some 
time,  he  graduated  from  a  high  school  in 
1865.  Subsequently  he  entered  the  medi- 
cal department  of  the  Northwestern  Univer- 
sity at  Evanston,  Illinois,  and  graduated 
from  that  institution  in  1869  with  the  de- 
gree of  M.  D.  The  following  year  he 
opened  an  office  in  Elgin  at  his  present  loca- 
tion. He  has  that  true  love  for  his  work 
without  which  there  can  be  no  success,  and 
has  always  been  a  progressive  physician, 
constantly  improving  on  his  own  and  others' 
methods  and  gaining  further  encouragement 
and  inspiration  from  the  performance  of 
each  day's  duties.  Regularly  each  year  he 
makes  a  trip  to  the  east  for  the  purpose  of 
visiting  noted  medical  institutions  to  refresh 
his  memory  and  obtain  the  latest  ideas  on 
the  science  of  medicine  and  surgery.  He 
regularly  visits  the  old  University  Medical 
School  of  Philadelphia,  one  of  the  most 
thorough  medical  schools  in  the  country 
where  the  work  of  such  men  as  Drs.  Joseph 
Price,  Ashurdt,  Baldy,  Penrose,  Deavor, 
and  Hart  is  studied.  He  also  visits  the 
celebrated  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  Col- 
lege and  the  Post  Graduate  School  of  New 
York,  whose  corps  of  teachers  are  nowhere 
excelled  for  their  ability  and  skillful  work, 
both  in  medicine  and  surgery.  In  1892  he 
crossed  the  ocean  and  visited  the  hospitals 
in  Europe,  especially  those  of  Berlin,  Ger- 
many, and  Paris,  France,  gaining  much  use- 
ful and  practical  knowledge.  Although  en- 


gaged in  general  practice,  he  makes  a 
specialty  of  surgery  and  is  recognized  as  one 
of  the  most  skillful  surgeons  in  Northern 
Illinois.  At  present  and  for  some  years 
he  has  been  a  member  of  the  surgical  staff 
of  Sherman  Hospital,  Elgin,  Illinois.  In 
his  chosen  calling  he  has  met  with  remarka- 
ble success. 

In  1872,  Dr.  Burlingame  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  A.  Winchester,  a 
native  of  Canada  and  daughter  of  Dr.  Edgar 
and  Anna  Maria  (Martin)  Winchester,  the 
former  born  in  the  province  of  Quebec  and 
the  latter  in  England.  In  early  life  Dr. 
Winchester  moved  with  his  father's  family 
to  Walpole,  lower  Canada,  where  he  grew 
to  manhood  and  received  a  good  education. 
He  studied  medicine  in  that  country  and  at- 
tended a  medical  college  in  Toronto,  Can- 
ada, later  graduated  at  Ann  Arbor  and  took 
a  post-graduate  course  in  Jefferson  Medical 
College  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. 
About  1852  he  removed  with  his  family  to 
Dundee,  Kane  county,  where  he  engaged  in 
practice  a  few  years  and  then  moved  to 
Elgin,  where  he  soon  became  well  estab- 
lished and  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  best 
physicians  and  surgeons  in  the  place. 

In  1858,  Mrs.  Winchester  departed  this 
life.  She  w.as  a  woman  of  excellent  repu- 
tation, and  in  early  life  was  a  member  of 
the  Church  of  England,  but  later  in  life 
united  with  the  Baptists  and  was  a  member 
of  that  body  at  the  time  of  her  death.  She 
was  a  mother  of  four  children,  two  of  whom 
are  now  living — Mrs.  Burlingame  and  Dr. 
William  G.,  a  successful  dentist  of  Detroit, 
Michigan.  Later  Dr.  Winchester  married 
Miss  Lydia  Choate  Perkins,  of  Elgin,  by 
whom  he  had  three  children,  only  one  now 
living,  Maud,  residing  with  her  mother  in 
San  Bernadino,  California. 


72 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Early  in  1862,  Dr.  Winchester  offered 
his  services  to  the  general  government  and 
in  March  25th  of  that  year  received  his  com- 
mission as  surgeon  and  was  assigned  to  the 
Fifty-second  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry. 
He  joined  his  command  about  a  week  before 
the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  and  coming 
to  the  front  a  young,  unknown  surgeon,  he 
was  assigned  by  his  superior  officer  to  a 
minor  position  in  one  of  the  field  hospitals 
during  the  fight.  While  performing  his 
duty,  a  captain  was  brought  in  wounded,  a 
ball  having  passed  through  the  bone  of  one 
of  his  arms.  The  surgeon  in  charge  said 
the  arm  must  come  off,  and  his  opinion  was 
concurred  in  by  other  surgeons  present. 
The  captain  refused  to  submit  to  its  ampu- 
tation and  in  some  way  Dr.  Winchester  was 
called  upon  for  his  opionion.  After  exam- 
ining the  arm  he  said  that  it  could  be  saved 
though  the  operation  would  shorten  it  a 
little.  The  other  surgeons  smiled  incredu- 
ously,  but  the  Doctor  proceeded  to  work, 
cutting  out  a  portion  of  the  bone  and  bring- 
ing the  parts  together.  The  operation  was 
quickly,  neatly  and  skillfully  performed  that 
the  Doctor  was  at  once  put  to  surgical  work 
and  his  ability  was  recognized  by  all.  After 
serving  over  two  years  he  resigned  his  posi- 
tion, which  was  accepted  April  23,  1864. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  Elgin,  Dr.  Win- 
chester resumed  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession and  continued  until  1871,  when  he 
removed  to  San  Bernadino,  California, 
where  he  died  in  1875.  He  was  a  consist- 
ent member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  took 
as  active  a  part  in  church  work  as  his  pro- 
fessional duties  would  permit.  Every  Sun- 
day morning  especial  found  him  in  the 
house  of  God.  His  widow  is  yet  living  in 
San  Bernadino. 

To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Burlingame  two  children 


have  been  born — Anna  M.  and  Hattie  F., 
both  at  home.  The  family  hold  member- 
ship in  the  Baptist  church  and  occupy  an 
enviable  position  in  social  circles.  Fra- 
ternally the  Doctor  belongs  to  Monitor 
lodge,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Loyal  L.  Munn  chap- 
ter, R.  A.  M.;  and  Bethel  cornmandery, 
K.  T.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Cen- 
tury Club  of  Elgin;  the  Fox  River  Valley 
Medical  Society;  the  Illinois  State  Medical 
Association;  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion. Politically  he  is  independent.  Wher- 
ever the  Doctor  goes  he  wins  friends  and 
has  the  happy  faculty  of  being  able  to  re- 
tain them.  His  popularity  has  made  him  a 
great  favorite  in  all  circles. 


/COLONEL  WILLIAM  SMAILES,  who 
*^s  has  attained  distinction  in  military  cir- 
cles, and  is  one  of  the  leading  merchant 
tailors  of  Elgin,  has  shown  in  his  successful 
career  that  he  has  the  ability  to  plan  wisely 
and  execute  with  energy,  a  combination 
which,  when  possessed  by  men  in  any  walk 
of  life,  never  fails  to  effect  notable  results. 
Mr.  Smailes  is  a  native  of  England,  born 
in  Burlington,  Yorkshire,  May  14,  1842,  a 
son  of  William  and  Mary  (Witty)  Smailes. 
The  father  and  also  the  grandfather,  David 
Smailes,  followed  the  tailor's  trade  as  a 
life  work.  In  1853  William  Smailes,  Sr., 
brought  his  family  to  America  and  located 
in  Elgin,  Illinois,  where  throughout  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  he  worked  at  his  trade, 
at  the  same  time  being  also  interested  in 
farming.  His  death  occurred  in  December, 
1 88 1.  In  his  family  were  five  children, 
namely:  Rebecca,  who  married  James  O'Con- 
nor, and  died  in  1872;  Wjlliam;  Mary  Ann; 
Janet;  and  Frederick,  who  died  in  1897.  In 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


73 


his  religious  views  the  father  was  liberal 
and  in  politics  was  a  stanch  Republican. 

Having  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 
removal  to  this  country,  William  Smailes, 
Jr.,  grew  to  manhood  in  Elgin  and  in  the 
Elgin  Academy  completed  his  literary  edu- 
cation, being  one  of  the  first  pupils  in  that 
institution.  While  not  in  school  he  worked 
principally  upon  his  father's  farm  until  after 
the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1863,  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Thir- 
ty-sixth Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was 
ordered  to  the  front  in  the  spring  of  the  fol- 
lowing year.  During  his  first  engagement — 
the  battle  of  Resaca — he  was  wounded  in 
the  left  leg  below  the  knee  and  was  first 
sent  to  the  field  hospital,  from  there  to 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  thence  to  New  Albany, 
Indiana,  and  later  to  Quincy,  Illinois.  When 
he  had  sufficiently  recovered,  he  was  as- 
signed to  the  medical  department  at  Quincy, 
where  he  remained  until  April,  1865,  and 
was  then  engaged  in  military  duty  on  Rock 
Island  until  mustered  out  November  15,1 865. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  Elgin,  Mr. 
Smailes  worked  at  the  tailor's  trade  for 
others  for  a  while,  and  then  embarked  in 
business  on  his'own  account,  then  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  William  Smailes  &  Sons, 
and  later  Smailes  Brothers.  Since  the 
death  of  his  brother  he  has  been  alone  and 
to-day  enjoys  an  excellent  trade,  which  has 
been  built  up  through  fair  dealing  and  good 
workmanship,  for  he  is  acknowledged  to  be 
one  of  the  best  tailors  in  the  city. 

At  Quincy,  June  10,  1866,  Mr.  Smailes 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Emma 
Lane,  daughter  of  James  Lane,  and  to 
them  were  born  four  children.  Anna,  the 
eldest,  is  now  the  wife  of  Morton  V.  Gil- 
bert, a  prominent  lawyer  of  Chicago,  mem- 
ber of  the  well-known  firm  of  Smith,  Gil- 


bert &  Kreidler,  and  they  have  two  children 
— Virginia  and  Katherine.  The  others  of 
the  family  were  Willie,  now  deceased; 
Fred  J.,  who  is  employed  in  the  watch  fac- 
tory; and  Guy  Garfield,  deceased.  Re- 
ligiously the  family  is  connected  with  the 
Universalist  church. 

The  Republican  party  always  finds  in 
Mr.  Smailes  a  stalwart  supporter,  and  he 
takes  quite  an  active  and  prominent  part  in 
local  politics.  He  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Republican  executive  committee,  has 
been  a  delegate  to  numerous  conventions, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1886  was  elected  alder- 
man from  the  fifth  ward.  On  leaving  the 
army  he  did  not  allow  his  interest  in  mili- 
tary affairs  to  subside,  but  in  1876  organized 
a  company  of  state  guards,  of  which  he 
served  as  captain  for  eight  years.  It  was 
made  Company  E,  Third  Regiment  Illinois 
National  Guards,  and  was  one  of  the  best 
drilled  companies  in  the  regiment.  For 
two  years,  in  1884  and  1885,  Mr.  Smailes 
served  as  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  regiment. 
He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  Post  of  Elgin,  of  which  he  was  com- 
mander in  1894  and  1895,  and  has  held 
other  offices.  He  was  also  on  the  national 
staff  of  the  Grand  Army  under  Grand  Com- 
mander Lawler.  Mr.  Smailes  was  the  first 
secretary  and  is  now  serving  as  such  at 
the  Elgin  Children's  Home  Association.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  also  an  honored  member  of 
the  Masonic  order,  belonging  to  the  blue 
lodge,  No.  522,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Woodstock 
chapter,  No.  36,  R.  A.  M. ;  and  Bethel 
commandery,  No.  36,  K.  T.  In  this  order 
he  is  past  master  and  past  eminent  com- 
mander. It  is  safe  to  say  that  no  man  in 
Elgin  has  more  friends  or  is  held  in  higher 
regard  by  the  entire  community  than  Will- 
iam Smailes. 


74 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


WILLIAM  H.  WING,  of  Elgin,  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  for  many  years  one 
of  the  leading  attorneys,  real  estate  and 
loan  agents  of  that  city,  with  suite  of  rooms 
comprising  the  whole  second  floor  of  the 
First  National  Bank  building,  is  one  of  the 
best  known  citizens  of  the  county.  He 
was  born  in  Washtenaw  county,  Michigan, 
and  is  a  son  of  Washington  and  Catherine 
(Himes)  Wing,  both  natives  of  New  York 
state,  who  after  their  marriage  first  settled 
in  Washtenaw  county,  Michigan,  and  later 
moved  to  the  adjoining  county  of  Living- 
ston, where  they  engaged  in  the  occupation 
of  farming,  and  while  there  Washington 
Wing  was  elected  to  the  legislature ,  of- 
Michigan,  and  served  in  the  session  of 
1845-6.  In  the  summer  of  1846  he  came 
to  Elgin,  Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  pur- 
chased a  farm  just  north  of  the  city,  the 
present  site  of  the  Ludlow  shoe  factory. 
Later  he  purchased  and  moved  to  a  farm 
just  west  of  the  city,  where  the  remainder 
of  his  life  was  passed  -and  where  he  died  in 
February,  1888.  His  wife,  Catherine  Wing, 
died  there  in  March,  1854.  They  were  the 
parents  of  four  children:  William  H.,  our 
subject;  George  W.,  who  died  in  Michigan, 
April  16,  1842;  Mary  V.,  who  died  in  Elgin, 
on  the  farm  last  mentioned  December  26, 
1862;  and  Orlando  A.,  now  a  farmer  and 
resident  of  St.  James,  Minnesota. 

After  the  death  -of  his  first  wife,  Wash- 
ington Wing  married  Adeline  Willits,  of 
Delhi,  Michigan,  who  survived  him.  They 
were  the  parents  of  two  children:  Edwin 
W. ,  who  resides  on  the  old  homestead,  and 
Katie  L. ,  wife  of  Rev.  Silas  Sprowls,  of 
Elsinore,  California,  where  her  mother  also 
resides.  Washington  Wing  was  an  active, 
progressive  farmer,  well  and  favorably 
known.  For  some  years  he  served  his 


township  as  a  member  of  the  Kane  county 
board  of  supervisors,  and  from  time  to 
time  held  other  local  official  positions. 

William  H.  Wing  was  ten  years  of  age 
when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Elgin. 
His  school  life,,  beginning  in  the  public 
schools  of  Livingston  county,  Michigan,  was 
continued  in  the  schools  of  Elgin  and  Lom- 
bard University,  Galesburg,  Illinois.  He 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Abby  C. 
Saunders,  at  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  July 
1 8,  1 86 1,  and  after  reading  law  in  the  office 
of  Silvanus  Wilcox,  at  Elgin,  and  attend- 
ing the  law  department  of  the  University  of 
Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor,  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  to  practice  law  in  the  various  courts 
of..Illinois,  April  23,  1867.  He  soon  after- 
ward opened  an  office  at  Elgin,  and  from 
that  time  on  for  several  years  diligently  and 
successfully  followed  his  profession  and  the 
trial  of  cases  in  the  various  courts  of  Kane 
and  adjoining  counties.  On  the  i8th  of 
October,  1875,  he  was  admitted  to  practice 
in  the  district  and  circuit  courts  of  the 
United  States  for  the  northern  district  of 
Illinois,  having  cases  in  both  of  these  courts 
at  that  time.  Of  late  years  he  has  omitted 
the  trial  of  law  cases  as  much  as  possible, 
as  his  large  office,  real  estate  and  loan  busi- 
ness required  his  entire  attention.  Several 
of  the  young  men  of  Elgin  have  been  stu- 
dents in  his  office  at  various  times  and  are 
now  successful  practitioners. 

For  many  years  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wing  oc- 
cupied a  beautiful  home  on  Highland  ave- 
nue in  the  city  of  Elgin,  which  was  re- 
modeled by  them  in  1891,  making  it  one  of 
the  handsomest  residences  in  the  city. 
There  was  probably  no  residence  in  Elgin 
that  contained  more  elaborate  interior  finish, 
while  the  exterior  was  also  handsome  and 
modern.  This  beautiful  home  was  almost 


W.  H.  WING. 


MRS.  W.   H.  WING. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


79 


destroyed  by  fire  on  the  morning  of  March 
20,  1897,  at  which  time  Mrs.  Wing  lost  her 
life.  No  greater  calamity  ever  befell  the 
city  of  Elgin,  and  the  sympathy  of  the  en- 
tire community  went  out  to  the  bereaved 
husband.  Mrs.  Wing  was  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  her  maiden  name  being  Abby 
C.  Saunders,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Martha  Saunders.  In  1854,  through 
the  advice  of  the  governor  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, she  gave  up  the  comforts  of  her 
childhood  home  at  Wilmot,  that  state,  and 
came  west  in  company  with  friends,  among 
them  Miss  Kilbourne,  who  is  now  Mrs. 
Oscar  Lawrence,  of  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
to  engage  in  teaching.  She  soon  secured 
and  taught  the  district  school  in  the  new 
brick  school  house  northwest  of  the  city  the 
coming  fall  and  winter  terms,  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  took  charge  of  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal schools  of  Dundee,  and  among  her 
pupils  was  Alfred  Bosworth,  the  present 
cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  at  Elgin. 
Sending  for  her  younger  sister,  Martha,  who 
was  still  in  the  east,  they  continued  teach- 
ing in  the  Dundee  school,  and  were  very 
successful. 

In  1856  Miss  Saunders  came  to  Elgin 
and  taught  school  in  the  building  on  the  site 
of  the  present  Mill  street  school,  which  was 
known  as  the  Hamilton  district.  After  her 
marriage  to  Mr.  Wing,  in  1861,  she  contin- 
ued to  teach  for  a  time,  and  became  princi- 
pal of  the  Elgin  high  school.  She  also 
taught  in  the  "old  brick,"  where  the  high 
school  is  now  located,  and  in  the  old  Bap- 
tist church  school,  and  in  the  Elgin  Acad- 
emy. She  was  a  very  able  teacher,  and  a 
woman  of  much  executive  ability  and  very 
fine  educational  attainments.  Her  manage- 
ment of  the  school  room  was  tactful  and 
energetic,  while  her  opinions  were  often 

4 


sought  and  relied  upon  by  those  outside  of 
the  school  room.  Many  of  the  middle-aged 
men  and  women  of  Elgin  owe  the  excel- 
lence of  their  instruction  .to  her  conscien- 
tious discharge  of  her  duties  as  a  teacher. 
In  later  years,  as  the  wife  of  our  subject,  her 
home  influence  and  management  were  quite 
as  marked  as  her  school  government.  The 
boundless  hospitality  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wing 
encircled  a  host  of  friends  from  all  points  of 
the  compass,  and  it  was  a  rare  occurrence 
to  find  her  without  a  guest.  To  those  who 
frequented  her  home  and  shared  her  genial 
entertainment,  her  presence  was  almost 
home  itself,  and  the  friendly  words  of  advice 
or  encouragement  which  she  seemed  so  able 
to  give  to  many  an  unfortunate  or  despair-  « 
ing  one,  can  never  be  estimated  in  number 
or  fruition.  Ever  ready  to  sacrifice  herself 
for  the  benefit  of  others,  doing  through  tire- 
some exertions  what  many  probably  never 
realized,  her  multiplied  years  of  activity 
were  being  spent,  and  undoubtedly  her  go- 
ing to  the  burning  attic  the  second  time  that 
fatal  morning  was  more  with  the  thought  of 
rescuing  something  that  would  be  a  pleasure 
or  benefit  to  some  one  than  the  thought  of 
danger. 

The  pathetic  sadness  of  perishing  in  such 
an  act,  amid  the  smoke  and  flames  made  in 
consuming  her  lovely  home  and  its  manifold 
treasures — the  labors  and  garnering  of  years 
— adds  to  the  intensity.  She  never  shrank 
from  an  arduous  duty  because  of  its  great 
exertion,  and  it  was  grand  to  know  the  firm 
solidity  of  the  pillar  of  strength  there  was  in 
her  friendship,  which,  when  once  drawn 
out,  was  an  ever-flowing  source  of  proffered 
good,  and  as  reliable  as  the  round  of  the 
seasons.  A  devoted  wife,  she  made  home 
her  kingdom.  Faithful  to  her  friends,  no 
sacrifice  was  too  great  in  their  service.  Her 


8o 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


duties  were  discharged  ably,  conscientiously, 
cheerfully.  The  influence  of  her  life  can 
never  be  forgotten,  for  it  is  woven  into  the 
character  of  our  citizens  and  our  institu- 
tions. 

Mrs.  Wing  was  a  member  of  the  Woman's 
Club  of  Elgin,  and  engaged  in  many  char- 
itable enterprises.  She  verified  by  her  life 
the  lofty  ideas  that  she  honored.  Through 
her  philanthropic  principles  and  kindness, 
many  a  helping  hand  has  been  extended  to 
those  needing  charity.  Few  women  were 
more  highly  esteemed  or  had  more  true 
friends.  Those  who  knew  her  in  early 
womanhood  and  who  sat  under  her  in- 
struction, retained  for  her  a  warm  place  in 
their  remembrance  to  the  last.  The  last 
few  years  of  her  life  she  was  compelled  to 
remain  somewhat  retired  on  account  of  poor 
health,  but  her  wealth  of  intellect  never 
gave  way.  A  true  helpmeet  to  her  husband, 
her  counsel  and  advice  were  often  sought  by 
him  to  his  great  and  lasting  good.  The 
funeral  services  were  held  March  22,  1897, 
at  the  Universalist  Church,  Elgin,  con- 
ducted by  Rev.  A.  N.  Alcott.  Her  remains 
were  then  laid  to  rest  in  the  beautiful  Bluff 
City  cemetery.  Through  the  heroic  efforts 
of  the  firemen  the  residence  was  saved  from 
total  destruction  and  has  since  been  rebuilt, 
but  the  light  of  the  home  had  gone  out. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Wing  is  a 
Republican,  and  since  attaining  his  majority 
has  always  supported  the  party  with  time 
and  money,  but  has  never  sought  political 
office  of  any  kind,  preferring  to  follow  his 
chosen  profession.  He  has,  however,  been 
city  attorney  of  Elgin,  and  for  upward  of 
five  years  was  treasurer  of  the  Illinois 
Northern  Hospital  for  the  Insane.  Outside 
of  his  profession,  and  in  a  business  way,  he 
has  been  a  director  of  the  First  National 


Bank  of  Elgin  for  several  years,  is  a  stock- 
holder in  said  bank,  and  also  in  the  Elgin 
National  Bank.  He  owns  a  fine  farm  of 
one  hundred  eighty-five  acres  on  the  western 
border  of  the  city  of  Elgin,  and  other  prop- 
erty in  various  parts  of  the  city.  Com- 
mencing life  for  himself  with  scarcely  a  dol- 
lar, Mr.  Wing  has  been  diligent,  and  apply- 
ing himself  closely  to  business,  he  laid  the 
foundation  for  future  prosperity,  built  se- 
curely thereon,  and  to-day  is  numbered 
among  the  men  who,  by  labor,  sound  judg- 
ment, business  sagacity  and  wise  fore- 
thought, have  provided  for  the  time  when 
it  may  be  well  to  lay  aside  at  least  part  of 
his  many  active  business  cares. 


OWEN  B.  WELD,  who  resides  in  a 
beautiful  home  on  the  corner  of  Crys- 
tal street  and  Highland  avenue,  Elgin,  is 
numbered  among  the  pioneers  of  1838. 
He  was  born  at  Oxford,  New  Hampshire, 
October  24,  1831,  and  is  a  son  of  Francis 
and  Harriet  (Mann)  Weld,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  Massachusetts,  and  the  latter  of  New 
Hampshire.  The  Welds  are  of  English  ori- 
gin, the  first  of  the  name  locating  in  Massa- 
chusetts prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war. 
The  Manns  were  of  Scotch  origin,  and  were 
likewise  early  settlers  of  America.  The  pa- 
ternal grandfather  of  our  subject,  Josiah 
Weld,  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  while 
his  maternal  grandfather,  Aaron  Mann,  was 
born  in  New  Hampshire.  The  latter  mar- 
ried Sarah  Melvin,  and  they  reared  a  lamily 
of  five  children.  After  her  death  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Ingraham,  by  whom  he  had  six 
children.  By  occupation  he  was  a  farmer. 
His  death  occurred  when  he  was  about 
eighty  years  old. 

In  1 838  the  Weld,  Merrill  and  Mann  fam- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


81 


ilies,  numbering  seventeen  in  all,  including 
Grandfather  Weld,  started  from  their  New 
Hampshire  home,  bound  for  the  Prairie  state. 
With  the  exception  of  that  part  from  Buffalo 
to  Toledo,  the  entire  journey  was  made  by 
team.  They  arrived  in  Kane  county  June 
6,  1838,  and  found,  as  yet,  an  almost  un- 
broken wilderness.  The  present  beautiful 
city  of  Elgin  contained  but  three  or  four  log 
cabins,  and  they  were  here  two  years  before 
the  country  was  surveyed  by  the  general 
government. 

Francis  Weld,  on  his  arrival  in  Kane 
county,  made  a  claim  to  one  hundred  and 
thirty- six  acres  of  land  a  mile  and  a  quar- 
ter west  of  the  city  limits  of  Elgin,  and  the 
house  stands  precisely  in  the  center  of  the 
township.  He  there  lived  until  his  death, 
in  1873,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years. 
His  wife  preceded  him  to  their  heavenly 
home  eight  years,  dying  in  1865.  They 
were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  four  of 
whom  are  now  living:  Owen  B.,  our  sub- 
ject; Mary,  wife  of  Dr.  Briggs,  of  Musca- 
tine,  Iowa;  Newton  F.  and  Salem  E.,  both 
of  Elgin.  The  parents  were  members  of 
the  Congregational  church,  and  were  num- 
bered among  the  charter  members  of  the 
first  Congregational  church  of  Elgin.  In 
his  native  state  Francis  Weld  followed  the 
occupation  of  a  shoemaker,  which  he  had 
learned  in  his  youth,  but  on  coming  to  Kane 
county,  he  became  a  farmer,  which  calling 
he  followed  with  success  during  the  remain- 
der of  his  life. 

Owen  B.  Weld,  our  subject,  was  but 
seven  years  of  age  when  he  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Kane  county.  Although  sixty 
years  have  since  passed  he  has  a  distinct 
recollection  of  the  country  as  it  appeared  to 
his  young  eyes.  The  old  log  schoolhouse, 
with  its  slab  seats  and  puncheon  floor,  is 


vividly  remembered,  for  there  he  secur-ed  a 
limited  education  in  the  subscription  schools. 
But  the  farm  had  to  be  cultivated,  and, 
being  the  eldest  son  in  the  family,  he  was 
early  trained  to  hard  work,  and  hard  work 
it  was  in  those  days.  The  farm  implements 
of  the  present  day  were  then  unknown. 
There  were  no  riding  plows,  no  mowing 
machines,  no  reapers,  no  four-horse  culti- 
vators; in  fact,  every  implement  was  of  the 
rudest  kind.  To  do  the  work  required  one 
had  to  be  up  with  the  sun,  or  even  before 
the  break  of  day,  and  happy  was  he  if  he 
could  cease  from  his  labors  when  the  sun 
went  down.  The  prairie  sod  did  not  always 
readily  yield  to  the  teeth  of  the  wooden 
harrow,  the  rows  into  which  the  corn  must 
be  dropped  were  very  long,  but  the  work 
must  be  done. 

When  about  fifteen  years  old,  on  account 
of  the  ill-health  of  his  father,  young  Owen 
had  to  take  charge  of  the  farm.  The  re- 
sponsibility was  great,  but  he  was  equal  to 
the  occasion,  and  the  old  farm  never  suffered 
under  his  management.  On  the  death  of 
his  father  he  purchased  the  interest  of  the 
other  heirs  in  the  old  homestead  and  it  yet 
remains  in  his  possession.  Its  limits,  how- 
ever, have  been  extended,  and  it  now  com- 
prises seven  hundred  acres  of  as  fine  land  as 
one  would  wish  to  see.  The  improvements 
have  always  been  well  maintained.  Tene- 
ment houses,  barns  and  other  outbuildings 
have  been  erected  as  the  occasion  demanded, 
and  in  1897  there  were  four  families  living 
on  the  old  homestead.  In  addition  to  this 
farm,  Mr.  Weld  owns  three  hundred  acres 
at  Pingree  Grove,  where  a  little  town  is 
springing  up,  and  which  now  contains  a  tile 
factory,  stores,  a  good  schoolhouse,  a  hand- 
some park  and  a  number  of  cottages. 

On  the  i  ith  of  January,  1854,  Mr.  Weld 


82 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth 
M.  Kelley,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Eliza 
(Mansfield)  Kelley,  the  former  born  in  Sche- 
nectady,  and  the  latter  in  Esptirs,  New 
York,  but  who  moved  to  Kane  county  in 
pioneer  days.  Two  daughters  were  born  of 
this  union — Hattie  E.  and  Mary  May.  The 
former  married  Orlando  Wing,  and  they 
now  reside  in  St.  James,  Minnesota.  They 
have  two  daughters  and  one  son — Mary 
Belle,  Lyla  Abby  and  Owen  Weld  Wing. 
Mrs.  Wing  has  lately  made  application  for 
membership  in  the  Daughters  of  the  Revo- 
lution, both  Welds  and  Manns  being  repre- 
sented in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Her 
great-great-great-grandfather,  Stanford,  was 
also  in  the  service.  Mary  May  married  J. 
Frank  Page  and  they  now  reside  in  Chicago. 

Few  persons  are  better  known  in  Kane 
county  than  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weld,  and  their 
memory  of  bygone  days  is  remarkable. 
Both  remember  well  the  Rev.  N.  C.  Clark, 
the  first  Congregational  minister  to  preach 
in  Elgin,  and  also  the  Rev.  Ambrose,  the 
first  Baptist  minister  to  break  the  bread  of 
life  to  the  citizens  of  that  place.  Mrs. 
Weld  remembers  the  first  marriage  which 
occurred  in  the  neighborhood  where  her 
parents  located.  In  religious  belief  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Weld  are  Universalists,  having  an  abid- 
ing faith  in  the  love  of  God  and  in  the  final 
holiness  and  happiness  of  all  mankind. 
Mrs.  Weld  has  been  an  active  member  of 
the  Universalist  Ladies  Benevolent  Society 
since  its  organization,  and  has  done  much 
toward  relieving  the  wants  of  the  poor  and 
deserving  of  Elgin.  She  is  also  a  charter 
and  life  member  of  the  Woman's  Club,  of 
Elgin. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weld  at  No. 
52  North  Crystal  street,  Elgin,  into  which 
they  moved  in  1882,  is  one  of  the  very  best 


houses  in  the  city.  It  is  a  beautiful  brick 
mansion,  elegantly  furnished  and  located  on 
a  fine  site  commanding  a  view  of  the  busi- 
ness portion  of  the  city.  It  is  without  doubt 
one  of  the  most  substantial  built  residences 
in  the  place.  Here  they  from  time  to  time 
entertain  their  host  of  friends  in  a  most 
hospitable  manner.  Their  acquaintance  is 
very  extended  and  they  know  personally 
nearly  all  the  old  settlers  in  the  county. 

Politically,  Mr.  Weld  is  a  Prohibitionist, 
and  to  the  cause  of  Prohibition  has  given 
study  and  thought  as  well  as  time  and 
money.  The  liquor  traffic  has  always  had 
in  him  one  of  its  most  steadfast  foes.  He 
is  also  a  firm  believer  in  bimetallism,  but  as 
a  politician  he  is  but  little  known  as  he  has 
never  been  an  office  seeker,  and  has  always 
been  content  to  give  his  time  and  attention 
to  his  business  interests.  As  a  farmer  he 
was  a  pronounced  success,  and  while  prac- 
tically living  retired  much  of  his  time  is  yet 
spent  in  looking  after  his  farming  interests, 
and  he  now  raises  many  fine  horses  and 
cattle.  While  more  than  three-score  years 
have  passed  by  in  the  lives  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Weld  they  have  left  but  a  light  impress 
upon  them  and  by  their  cheerful  manners 
they  brighten  the  lives  of  those  around  them. 
Few  persons  are  more  popular  wherever 
known. 

JOHN  McDONOUGH  is  a  retired  farmer 
residing  in  Hampshire,  Illinois,  and  who 
for  many  years  was  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  by  a  life  of  toil  succeeded  in 
accumulating  enough  of  this  world's  goods 
to  enable  him  to  live  in  ease  and  retirement. 
He  was  born  at  Machelfield,  near  Belfast, 
County  Antrim,  Ireland,  June  i,  1826. 
When  quite  young  he  accompanied  his  par- 
ents to  America,  sailing  from  Belfast,  and 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


landing  at  Montreal,  Canada,  being  thirteen 
weeks  on  the  water.  The  family  remained 
at  Montreal  one  winter,  and  then  moved 
some  thirty  or  forty  miles  southeast  of  the 
city,  on  the  line  dividing  Canada  from  the 
state  of  Vermont.  He  there  lived  until  the 
age  of  seventeen,  when  he  went  to  the  town 
of  Bridgeport,  Addison  county,  Vermont, 
where  he  worked  on  farms  for  three  years. 
Hearing  of  the  advantages  that  were  open 
to  the  aspiring  ones  in  the  west,  he  deter- 
mined to  emigrate  where  land  was  cheap, 
and  the  opportunities  were  much  greater  for 
the  industrious  one  than  in  the  east.  Ac- 
cordingly, in  the  fall  of  1848,  by  ox  team, 
he  went  to  Ogdensburg,  New  York,  thence 
by  boat  to  the  mouth  of  the  Niagara  river, 
and  by  team  to  Buffalo,  and  thence  to  Chi- 
cago by  boat.  While  on  the  lakes  they  en- 
countered some  severe  storms,  at  one  time 
being  storm-bound  at  Manitou,  and  again  at 
Milwaukee,  Wisconsin.  From  Chicago  he 
came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  located 
in  Burlington  township,  where  he  purchased 
forty  acres  of  land  on  section  35,  to  which 
he  added  from  time  to  time,  until  he  had  a 
fine  farm  of  two  hundred  acres.  When  he 
purchased  the  place  there  was  on  it  a  large 
log  cabin,  and  thirty  acres  of  land  had  been 
broken.  It  is  now  a  well-improved  farm, 
with  a  good  house,  barns  and  other  out- 
buildings, and  all  improvements  were  made 
by  our  subject.  For  some  years  the  farm 
has  been  used  for  dairy  purposes,  and  on  the 
place  are  usually  kept  about  forty  head  of 
milch  cows.  John  McDonough,  Sr. ,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  was  also  born  in 
County  Antrim,  Ireland,  and  was  the  son  of 
James  McDonough,  a  native  of  Scotland, 
who  emigrated  to  Ireland,  and  there  died. 
John  McDonough,  Sr.,  married  Rachel  Hoi- 
den,  who  was  born  in  Ireland,  but  of  Scot- 


tish descent,  and  who  died  in  Kentucky,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  They  were  the 
parents  of  seven  sons  and  two  daughters, 
five  of  whom  came  west,  settling  in  Illinois 
and  Iowa.  The  father  also  came  west  in 
1851,  and  lived  with  our  subject  for  many 
years,  but  died  at  the  home  of  a  daughter, 
who  was  married  and  living  in  Kentucky. 
The  survivors  of  the  family  are:  Mrs.  Mary 
Steers,  living  in  Kentucky;  Richard,  residing 
in  Ogle  county,  Illinois;  William,  in  Canada; 
Henry,  in  Missouri;  John,  in  Hampshire, 
Kane  county;  Robert  lived  in  Iowa,  and  is 
now  deceased;  and  Mrs.  Eliza  Gould,  in 
Chicago. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  first  mar- 
ried in  Burlington  township,  Kane  county, 
November  20,  1852,  to  Miss  Louisa  Hamil- 
ton, born  in  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Sarah  Hamilton.  She  died  March  7, 
1856,  leaving  one  son,  William,  who  mar- 
ried Ella  Secord,  and  lives  in  Sycamore, 
De  Kalb  county,  where  he  is  operating  a 
creamery.  They  have  one  son,  Charles. 
On  the  I5th  of  October,  1859,  Mr.  Mc- 
Donough was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Harriet  Barber,  born 
in  Canada,  and  a  daughter  of  Lahira  and 
Anna  (Nichols)  Barber.  By  this  second 
marriage  there  are  three  children  as  follows: 
Luella,  who  married  Ed.  Cripps,  by  whom 
she  has  one  child,  Belle,  and  they  reside  in 
Burlington  township;  Herman,  who  married 
Dora  Kraft,  and  lives  in  Chicago;  and  Es- 
telle,  who  married  Eugene  Young,  by  whom 
she  has  one  daughter,  Vera,  and  they  re- 
side in  the  village  of  Hampshire. 

Mrs.  Harriet  McDonough,  died  Feb- 
ruary 14,  1897.  She  was  a  woman  of  love- 
ly character,  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  her  death  was  sin- 
cerely mourned  not  alone  by  the  bereaved 


84 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


husband  and  children  but  by  many  friends 
throughout  Kane  and  adjoining  counties. 
Mr.  McDonough  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in  which  he 
takes  a  lively  interest.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican  and  for  many  years  served  as 
school  director  and  also  as  road  commis- 
sioner. A  residence  of  fifty  years  in  Kane 
county  has  made  him  many  friends  who  es- 
teem him  for  his  many  estimable  traits  of 
character. 


EORGE  E.  HAWTHORNE.—  History 
for  the  most  part  records  only  the 
lives  of  those  who  have  attained  distinction 
in  military  or  political  life,  but  in  this  prac- 
tical era  it  is  the  business  man  who  fur- 
nishes to  his  neighbors  and  to  future  gen- 
erations the  lessons  that  may  be  followed 
with  profit.  Those  who  become  potential 
forces  in  a  community  are  the  men  who  in 
the  face  of  opposition  and  competition  work 
their  way  steadily  upward,  conquering  all 
obstacles  and  overcoming  all  difficulties  in 
their  path,  and  their  own  successes  lend 
added  force  to  the  welfare  and  progress  of 
the  communities  with  which  they  are  con- 
nected. 

Mr.  Hawthorne  is  a  representative  of 
this  type.  He  has  long  been  connected 
with  the  commercial  interests  of  Elgin  and 
is  still  regarded  as  her  leading  hardware 
merchant.  He  was  born  in  Falls  Vil- 
lage, Connecticut,  December  7,  1844,  his 
parents  being  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Haw- 
thorne. His  father  was  a  native  of  Eng- 
land and  came  to  the  United  States  in 
early  life,  taking  up  his  residence  in  the 
Nutmeg  state.  His  wife  came  from  the  lit- 
tle rock-ribbed  country  of  Wales.  His 
death  occurred  in  Elgin  several  years  ago 
and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1864.  The 


family  came  west  in  the  '8os,  locating  in 
this  city.  In  his  political  views  the  father 
was  a  Republican.  His  family  numbered 
six  children,  namely:  Richard  J. ;  Lotta, 
wife  of  Joseph  Britton,  of  Falls  Village, 
Connecticut;  George  E. ;  Frederick  K.,  who 
started  for  Michigan  fifteen  years  ago  and 
has  never  been  heard  from;  Sarah,  wife  of 
Frank  Conant,  a  resident  of  Denver,  Colo- 
rado; and  Ella,  who  is  living  in  Elgin. 

George  E.  Hawthorne  was  reared  on  a 
farm  and  assisted  his  father  in  its  cultiva- 
tion until  seventeen  years  of  age.  His  in- 
itial studies  were  pursued  in  the  common 
schools  and  supplemented  by  an  academical 
course.  When  seventeen  years  of  age  he 
went  to  Winsted,  Connecticut,  where  he 
learned  the  tinsmith's  and  plumber's  trades, 
serving  a  three  years'  apprenticeship,  after 
which  he  located  in  Armenia,  New  York, 
where  he  served  in  the  capacity  of  foreman 
of  two  shops  for  a  year. 

Mr.  Hawthorne  then  came  to  the  west  in 
1866,  arriving  in  Elgin  on  the  I4th  of  No- 
vember. Here  he  accepted  a  position  as 
foreman  for  Edson  A.  Kimball,  with  whom 
he  continued  for  two  and  a  half  years,  and 
also  spent  a  similar  period  in  the  service  of 
Rodgers  Brothers.  He  then  purchased  the 
store  of  his  employers,  at  the  corner  of  State 
and  Chicago  streets,  carrying  on  business 
there  for  about  two  years,  when  in  company 
with  F.  S.  Bosworth,  they  purchased  the 
hardware  stock  of  J.  A.  Carlisle  on  Chicago 
street,  on  the  east  side,  conducting  both 
stores  through  the  succeeding  two  years, 
when  he  consolidated  the  two,  carrying  on 
operations  on  the  east  side.  About  two 
years  later  he  sold  out  to  Mr.  Bosworth, 
and  after  six  months  when  his  brother  R.  J. 
Hawthorne  arrived  from  Iowa  he  entered 
into  partnership  with  him  and  embarked  in 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


business  on  Grove  avenue  under  the  firm 
name  of  Hawthorne  Brothers.  This  was  in 
1876.  In  1879  they  erected  a  business  block 
on  Douglass  avenue  above  the  Home  Bank 
building,  occupying  the  same  for  eleven 
years,  when  they  erected  the  splendid  busi- 
ness block  on  DuPage  street,  which  has  now 
been  occupied  by  the  firm  for  about  five 
years.  This  is  a  double  building,  three 
stories  in  height,  and  is  occupied  with  an 
extensive  stock  of  shelf  and  heavy  hardware, 
stoves,  furnaces  and  plumbers'  supplies. 
They  employ  on  an  average  about  twelve 
hands  and  have  a  very  large  and  profitable 
business,  having  secured  an  excellent  trade 
by  reason  of  the  honorable  dealing  and  the 
fine  goods  which  they  handle. 

Mr.  Hawthorne,  of  this  sketch,  is  also 
interested  in  a  creamery  in  Richmond,  Illi- 
nois. At  one  time  the  firm  had  in  opera- 
tion seven  creameries  in  Illinois  and  Wis- 
consin, but  have  now  disposed  of  all  save  the 
one  in  Richmond.  A  few  years  ago  they 
purchased  the  Spurling  Block,  the  finest 
business  building  in  the  county,  the  lower 
floor  being  used  for  stores,  the  upper  floors 
being  converted  into  fine  offices,  supplied 
with  all  modern  equipments  and  conven- 
iences. Mr.  Hawthorne,  our  subject,  was 
also  director  of  the  Home  National  Bank 
for  three  years.  He  is  a  man  of  wide  re- 
source and  excellent  ability  in  matters  of 
business,  is  quick  to  recognize  and  take  ad- 
vantage of  opportunities  and  whatever  he 
plans  he  carried  forward  to  successful  com- 
pletion along  honorable  lines  that  have  won 
a  most  enviable  reputation  in  commercial 
circles. 

Mr.  Hawthorne  was  married  in  June, 
1869,  to  Miss  Emma  Gregory,  a  native  of 
Elgin  and  a  daughter  of  S.  Gregory.  She 
is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church 


and  a  lady  of  culture  and  refinement,  who 
presides  with  gracious  hospitality  over  their 
pleasant  home.  In  his  political  views  Mr. 
Hawthorne  is  a  Republican,  and  though 
often  solicited  to  become  a  candidate  for 
official  honors  has  steadily  declined.  He 
is  a  valued  member  of  Monitor  lodge,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  Loyal  L.  Munn  chapter,  R.  A. 
M.,  and  Bethel  commandery,  K.  T.  He 
also  belongs  to  the  Century  club  and  to  the 
Black  Hawk  club,  which  has  fitted  up  a 
splendid  summer  resort  on  the  banks  of  the 
beautiful  Lake  Kosh-Konong,  Wisconsin. 
They  have  there  a  commodious  club  house, 
hunting  lodge  and  other  buildings,  and  the 
neighborhood  affords  ample  opportunities 
to  the  followers  of  both  Isaak  Walton  and 
Nimrod  to  indulge  their  tastes.  The  mem- 
bers of  this  club  are  from  all  parts  of  the 
United  States,  and  meet  in  this  lovely  spot 
to  enjoy  the  pleasures  and  charms  of  out- 
door life. 

Mr.  Hawthorne  is  pre-eminently  a  man 
of  affairs,  yet  has  never  pursued  his  business 
interests  to  the  sacrifice  of  the  development 
of  a  well-rounded  character  such  as  results 
from  the  cultivation  of  other  interests. 
During  the  hot  summer  months  he  puts 
aside  all  cares  and  enjoys  a  season  of  rest 
and  recreation  in  travel  or  in  visiting  the 
club  resort  before  described,  or  other  places 
of  interest  and  beauty.  He  is  a  genial, 
whole-souled  gentleman,  of  kindly  manner, 
generous  disposition  and  honorable  purpose, 
and  his  well-spent  life  has  gained  to  him 
many  friends. 

JOHN  MANLY  ADAMS,  a  leading  pho- 
tographer of  Elgin,  was  born  September 
'9.  '833,  at  Aimer,  Canada,  and  is   a  son 
of   Edward  and  Abigail  (Padelford)  Adams, 
natives  of  Oxford,  England,  and  Massachu- 


86 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


setts,  respectively.  During  his  boyhood  the 
father  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  took  up  his 
residence  in  Canada,  where  he  married  and 
continued  to  live  until  his  removal  to  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  in  1843,  locating  in  Elgin. 
Throughout  life  he  followed  the  occupation 
of  shoemaking.  He  died  in  1877,  his  wife 
April  27,  1857;  both  consistent  and  worthy 
members  of  the  Baptist  church. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Canada  John  M. 
Adams  began  his  education,  being  ten  years 
of  age  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  to  Elgin,  where  he  attended 
the  high  school  until  sixteen  years  old. 
Three  years  later  he  started  out  to  earn  his 
livelihood  by  manufacturing  mattresses,  at 
which  occupation  he  was  engaged  for  three 
or  four  years  with  fair  success.  For  about 
five  years  following  he  worked  at  the  plas- 
terer's trade,  and  then  very  successfully  en- 
gaged in  the  butchering  business  for  the  four 
years  preceding  the  Civil  war.  In  1861  he 
began  learning  photography,  to  which  art 
he  has  since  devoted  his  time  and  attention, 
and  is  now  one  of  its  most  able  representa- 
tives in  Kane  county.  Being  one  of  the  best 
photographers  in  Elgin,  he  receives  a  liberal 
patronage,  and  as  an  upright,  honorable 
business  man,  he  commands  the  respect  and 
esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  con- 
tact. 

In  October,  1851,  Mr.  Adams  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Caroline  Johnson,  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  came  to  Elgin 
with  her  parents,  Samuel  J.  Johnson  and 
wife,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  now  deceased. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams  were  born  two  chil- 
dren, namely:  Spencer  M. ,  a  photographer; 
and  Mattie  A.,  now  the  widow  of  Alfred 
Kingsley,  of  Barrington,  Cook  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  a  resident  of  Elgin.  The  mother 
of  these  children,  who  was  a  consistent 


member  of  the  Baptist  church,  dying  in  Oc- 
tober, 1879,  Mr.  Adams  was  again  married, 
his  second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Barbara 
(Duston)  Saunders,  a  native  of  Canada,  and 
widow  of  CharJes  Saunders.  She  holds 
membership  in  the  Presbyterian  church. 
Politically,  Mr.  Adams  has  always  been  a 
Democrat,  but  has  never  taken  an  active 
part  in  politics,  always  refusing  to  accept 
office.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Photographers' 
Association  of  the  United  States,  and  often 
attends  their  conventions. 

SPENCER  M.  ADAMS,  the  son,  was  born 
in  1852,  and  was  reared  and  educated  in 
Elgin.  With  his  father  he  learned  pho- 
tography, and  has  since  successfully  engaged 
in  that  business.  He  was  married  in  1875 
to  Miss  Lizzie  Hobrough,  a  native  of  Can- 
ada, who  came  to  Elgin  in  1869  with  her 
parents,  Charles  and  Mary  Ann  (Barnes) 
Hobrough,  natives  of  England.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Adams  have  been  born  two  chil- 
dren, Mabel,  and  Charley  M.,  who  died  at 
thirteen  years  of  age.  The  mother  and 
daughter  are  both  members  of  the  Episco- 
pal church.  Politically  Mr.  Adams  is  an  in- 
dependent Democrat,  while  fraternally  he 
is  a  member  of  Silver  Leaf  camp.  No.  60, 
A.  O.  U.  W.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
National  Photographers'  Association,  usu- 
ally attends  all  its  conventions,  and  has 
taken  a  number  of  premiums.  Many  of  the 
portraits  in  this  work  are  copies  of  photo- 
graphs taken  by  him. 


HENRY  WARFORD,  residing  on  sec- 
tions 3  and  4,  Geneva  township,  is 
practically  living  a  retired  life.  He  has 
been  a  resident  of  Kane  county  since  1844, 
and  is  therefore  numbered  among  its  early 
s'ettlers,  men  who  by  their  industry  and  self- 


MR.  AND   MRS.   HENRY  WARFORD. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


89 


denial  have  made  the  county  to  rank  among 
the  best  in  the  state  of  Illinois.  He  is  a 
native  of  the  town  of  Butcome,  Somerset- 
shire, England,  born  December  u,  1818, 
and  is  the  son  of  William  and  Ann  (Weeks) 
Warford,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the 
same  shire.  His  father  dying  when  he  was 
but  four  years  of  age,  eight  years  afterward 
he  went  to  live  with  an  uncle,  and  with  him 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1832.  They 
first  located  in  Onondaga  county,  New  York, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood  and  received  his 
education  in  the  common  schools. 

A  young  man  of  twenty-six  years,  Mr. 
Warford  came  to  Illinois  and  located  in 
Geneva  township,  Kane  county,  and  soon 
afterward  purchased  a  tract  of  eighty  acres 
of  unimproved  prairie  land,  two  miles  west 
of  Geneva.  He  at  once  began  its  improve- 
ment, erecting  upon  the  place  a  small  frame 
house,  to  which  he  later  added  a  wing,  and 
in  due  course  of  time  had  a  good,  productive 
farm.  He  remained  on  that  place  about 
twelve  years,  but  in  the  meantime  had  pur- 
chased thirty-five  acres,  where  he  now  re- 
sides, and  to  which  he  removed  after  leav- 
ing his  original  farm.  He  has  now  one  hun- 
dred and  fourteen  acres  adjoining  the  cor- 
porate limits  of  Geneva,  which  is  a  well- 
improved  and  substantial  farm. 

Mr.  Warford  was  united  in  marriage  in 
Wayne  count}',  New  York,  September  29, 
1846,  to  Miss  Hulda  A.  Hoag,  a  native  of 
Wayne  county,  New  York,  and  a  daughter 
of  Benjamin  and  Anna  (Smith)  Hoag,  pio- 
neers of  that  county,  where  they  reared 
their  family  and  spent  the  remainder  of  their 
lives.  Previous  to  their  marriage  Mrs.  War- 
ford  was  a  successful  teacher  in  her  native 
county.  By  this  union  six  children  were 
born,  three  of  whom  are  now  living:  Alice 
M.,  wife  of  Jonathan  Farrar,  of  Marshall 


county,  Kansas;  Eunice  H.,  wife  of  W.  B. 
Guild,  of  Wheaton,  Illinois;  and  Kate  N., 
wife  of  H.  W.  Hawkins,  of  Geneva.  They 
lost  two  infant  sons.  One  daughter,  Anna 
D.,  married  Charles  A.  Barber,  and  they 
removed  to  Marysville,  Kansas,  where  she 
died  in  March,  1890. 

The  first  presidential  vote  of  Mr.  War- 
ford  was  cast  for  Martin  Van  Buren  in  1840. 
At  that  time  he  was  really  a  believer  in  Whig 
principles,  but  the  action  of  the  Whigs,  with 
their  coonskins,  hard  cider  and  log  cabins, 
so  disgusted  him  that  he  cast  his  ballot  for 
Van  Buren.  A  believer  in  the  equality  of 
all  men,  he  united  with  the  Republican 
party  on  its  organization  in  1856,  and  voted 
for  John  C.  Fremont.  Being  a  strong  tem- 
perance man,  and  in  favor  of  the  prohibi- 
tion of  the  liquor  traffic,  since  1884  he  has 
been  identified  with  the  Prohibition  party. 
Since  locating  in  Kane  county  he  has  held 
several  local  positions  of  honor  and  trust, 
including  that  of  assessor,  which  position  he 
held  for  six  years.  A  friend  of  education  in 
the  public  schools,  he  served  some  years  as 
a  member  of  the  school  board.  While 
serving  as  a  delegate  to  various  county  po- 
litical conventions,  he  has  never  been,  a 
politician  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  term. 
For  many  years  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  church,  and  has  served 
upon  its  official  board.  His  wife  is  also  a 
member  of  that  church,  and  both  take  an 
active  and  commendable  interest  in  all  de- 
partments of  church  work. 

For  fifty-four  long  years  Mr.  Warford 
has  been  a  resident  of  Kane  county,  and 
while  he  came  here  a  poor  man,  without 
means,  by  his  industry  and  thrift,  assisted 
by  his  estimable  wife,  he  has  accumulated  a 
fair  amount  of  this  world's  goods,  and  is  now 
enjoying  a  well-earned  rest,  surrounded  by 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


many  friends,  who  esteem  him  for  his  many 
noble  traits  of  character  and  Christian  in- 
tegrity. 

RUSSELL.WELD  has  demonstrated  the 
true  meaning  of  the  word  success  as 
the  full  accomplishment  of  an  honorable 
purpose.  Energy,  close  application,  perse- 
verance and  good  management — these  are 
the  elements  which  have  entered  into  his 
business  career  and  crowned  his  efforts 
with  prosperity.  He  is  now  the  senior 
member  of  the  well-known  firm  of  Weld  & 
Hall,  who  conduct  a  large  and  popular  drug 
store  on  Fountain  Square,  Elgin,  while  his 
residence  is  at  No.  1 1 5  College  street. 

Like  many  of  the  most  prominent  citi- 
zens of  Kane  county,  he  is  from  the  New 
England  states,  his  birth  having  occurred 
June  1 8,  1824,  in  Orford,  Graf  ton  county, 
New  Hampshire.  His  parents,  Albigence 
and  Betsy  (Town)  Weld,  were  both  natives 
of  Massachusetts,  the  former  born  in  Charl- 
ton.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and 
died  in  Spencer,  Massachusetts,  in  1852, 
aged  fifty-two  years.  He  had  served  his 
country  as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  and 
had  held  various  local  offices  of  honor  and 
trust.  After  his  death  the  mother  married 
Jonas  Sibley,  of  Spencer,  who  is  now  de- 
deceased.  She  died  in  1893,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-five  years.  In  relig- 
ious belief  she  was  a  Methodist,  and  the  fa- 
ther of  our  subject  also  belonged  to  that 
church.  Their  family  consisted  of  seven 
children,  of  whom  four  are  now  living — 
Russell;  Phylena,  widow  of  Thomas  Dwel- 
ley,  of  Oakham,  Massachusetts;  Daniel  L. , 
of  the  same  place;  and  Adaline,  wife  of 
Clinton  Bradway,  of  Medina,  Ohio. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 
was  Josiah  Weld,  who  was  born  in  the  old 


Bay  state,  but  his  parents  were  natives  of 
England,  and  landed  in  Boston  some  time 
during  the  eighteenth  century.  He  was  a 
farmer,  and  died  in  1810,  at  the  age  of  for- 
ty-two years.  In  his  family  were  four  sons 
and  one  daughter.  The  maternal  grandfa- 
ther of  our  subject  was  also  a  native  of  Mas- 
sachusetts and  of  English  descent.  His 
wife,  Azubah  Town,  lived  to  the  extreme 
old  age  of  one  hundred  and  one. 

The  first  eighteen  years  of  his  life  Rus- 
sell-Weld spent  in  his  native  state,  acquiring 
his  literary  education  in  the  Lester  Academy 
and  learning  the  shoemaker's  trade,  which 
he  successfully  followed .  for  about  fifteen 
years.  In  1842  he  removed  with  his  par- 
ents to  East  Brookfield,  Massachusetts, 
where  he  made  his  home  for  four  years.  He 
was  married  September  29,  1846,  to  Miss 
Content  H.  Porter,  a  daughter  of  George 
and  Esther  (Adams)  Porter.  She  became 
an  active  and  prominent  member  of  the 
First  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Elgin, 
and  her  death,  which  occurred  December 
12,  1884,  was  widely  and  deeply  mourned. 

It  was  in  April,  1869,  that  Mr.  Weld  re- 
moved to  Elgin,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  In  company  with  his  cousin, 
Salem  E.,  a  native  of  this  city,  he  opened 
a  drug  store,  which  they  carried  on  until 
1891,  when  the  cousin  sold  his  interest  to 
Edwin  Hall,  and  the  firm  became  Weld  & 
Hall.  They  do  a  large  and  profitable 
business,  handling  all  kinds  of  drugs,  wall- 
paper, glass,  paints,  oils,  etc.  Although 
not  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  Mr. 
Weld  attends  its  services,  and  is  now  serv- 
ing as  trustee  of  the  church.  Politically  he 
is  a  strong  Republican.  Always  courteous, 
kindly  and  affable,  those  who  know  him 
personally  have  for  him  warm  regard,  and 
he  is  now  one  of  the  most  popular  and  in- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


iluential  business  men  of  Elgin.  He  gives 
his  support  to  all  measures  which  he  be- 
lieves calculated  to  advance  the  general 
welfare,  and  is  therefore  justly  numbered 
among  the  most  public-spirited  and  pro- 
gressive citizens  of  the  place. 


JOSEPH  RICHARD  HOLMES,  chief  of 
the  Elgin  water  works,  who  for  many 
years  has  filled  this  position  to  the  entire 
satisfaction  of  the  public,  was  born  in 
Lincolnshire,  England,  at  the  town  of  Slea- 
ford,  November  12,  1851,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Elizabeth  (Lynton)  Holmes,  also 
natives  of  Lincolnshire.  The  father  was  a 
saddler  by  trade  and  followed  that  business 
as  a  life-work.  He  died  when  our  subject 
was  about  five  years  of  age,  after  which  his 
widow  married  Charles  Harris,  who  is  also 
now  deceased.  By  her  first  marriage  the 
mother  of  our  subject  had  two  sons,  Joseph 
and  John,  the  latter  now  living  in  Lincoln- 
shire, England,  and  by  her  second  marriage 
had  five  children:  Robert,  Charles  and 
Mary,  wife  of  Thomas  Best;  Martha  and 
Elizabeth. 

When  about  six  years  old  Mr.  Holmes 
came  to  America  with  his  widowed  mother, 
the  family  living  in  Chicago  until  1864, 
when  they  removed  to  Aurora  and  thence  to 
Elgin.  Our  subject  attended  the  common 
schools  of  Chicago  and  Aurora,  and  when  a 
youth  of  fifteen  began  to  learn  the  machin- 
ist's trade  in  the  shops  of  Carter  &  Pinney, 
of  the  latter  city.  He  applied  himself  dil- 
igently to  the  mastery  of  this  business  and 
became  an  expert  in  this  line.  Locating  in 
Elgin  in  1870,  he  entered  the  employ  of 
Grownberg,  Bearman  &  Company,  in  whose 
service  he  remained  for  five  years,  when  he 
began  work  as  an  engineer.  After  a  time 


he  went  from  Elgin  to  Chicago,  where  he 
was  engaged  on  the  construction  of  a  fac- 
tory, and  in  1888  he  returned  to  Elgin, 
where  he  has  since  occupied  the  responsible 
position  of  engineer  of  the  city  water  works. 
The  plant  was  constructed  that  year  at  a 
cost  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  thousand 
dollars,  the  stand  pipe  has  a  capacity  of 
over  five  hundred  thousand  gallons  while 
the  Holly  engines  have  a  capacity  of  six  mil- 
lion gallons  and  two  Worthington  engines 
have  a  capacity  of  a  million  and  a  half  gal- 
lons. The  plant  is  located  at  the  foot  of 
Grant  avenue  and  is  one  of  the  most  com- 
plete in  the  state.  It  is  supplied  with  a 
splendid  filtering  system  and  the  water  fur- 
nished to  Elgin's  people  is  therefore  clear 
and  pure  as  crystal.  From  the  beginning 
Mr.  Holmes  has  served  as  engineer  and  no 
more  capable  or  trustworthy  man  could  be 
secured  for  the  position.  His  thorough  un- 
derstanding of  the  workings  of  the  most  in- 
tricate machinery,  his  unquestioned  reliabil- 
ity and  his  conscientious  fidelity  to  duty 
make  him  one  of  the  most  valued  represent- 
atives of  the  public  service  of  Elgin. 

Mr.  Holmes  was  married  in  Dubuque, 
Iowa,  in  July,  1873,  to  Johanna  Pabst, 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Hannah  Pabst,  the 
former  living  in  Elgin,  while  the  latter  is 
deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holmes  are  the 
parents  of  six  children:  Hannah,  Gertrude, 
Edward,  Jessie,  Katie  and  Joseph.  Ger- 
trude and  Edward  are  now  deceased,  but 
the  others  are  still  at  home.  The  family  is 
an  interesting  one,  in  which  the  parents  take 
a  natural  pride,  and  to  their  children  they 
are  giving  good  educational  advantages  so 
that  they  may  become  useful  men  and  wo- 
men. Mrs.  Holmes  is  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  church  and  Mr.  Holmes  belongs  to 
the  Baptist  church.  His  last  presidential 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


vote  was  cast  for  Major  McKinley,  but  in 
politics  he  is  independent.  He  belongs  to 
the  N.  A.  S.  E.,  No.  49,  is  now  serving  as 
one  of  its  trustees  and  has  filled  other  offices. 
He  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth,  a  loyal  son  of 
his  adopted  land,  and  in  the  friendship  of 
many  of  Elgin's  best  citizens  he  shares. 


W INFIELD  S.  GAMBLE,  a  well-known 
civil  engineer  residing  in  Elgin,  was 
born  in  Evanston,  Illinois,  July  25,  1861, 
and  is  a  worthy  representative  of  an  hon- 
ored and  distinguished  family,  his  parents 
being  General  William  and  Sophia  Fredreka 
(Steingrandt)  Gamble.  The  father  was 
born  January  i,  1818,  in  county  Farma- 
nagh,  Ireland,  and  was  the  oldest  of  four 
brothers,  the  others  being  James,  David  and 
Osborne,  who  all  died  in  Chicago,  where 
they  made  their  home.  The  paternal  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  who  also  bore  the 
name  of  William,  was  a  native  of  Ireland, 
and  at  an  early  day  came  with  his  family 
to  the  United  States. 

In  his  native  land  General  Gamble  was 
educated  as  a  civil  engineer,  and  was  in  the 
queen's  service  before  his  emigration  to  the 
new  world.  In  1839,  when  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic,  and 
for  five  years  after  his  arrival  served  in  the 
regular  army  as  a  member  of  the  First  New 
York  Dragoons,  stationed  at  Jefferson  Bar- 
racks, Missouri.  On  leaving  the  army  he 
located  in  Chicago,  being  in  the  government 
service  at  old  Fort  Dearborn  until  his  re- 
moval to  Evanston  in  1859.  When  .the 
Civil  war  broke  out  he  enlisted  in  the  Union 
service  and  was  commissioned  lieutenant- 
colonel  of  the  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry,  under 
Colonel  Farnsworth.  The  regiment  came 
into  existence  in  this  way:  In  August,  1861, 


General  Farnsworth  proceeded  to  Washing- 
ton, District  of  Columbia,  visited  President 
Lincoln  and  Secretary  Cameron,  and  from 
the  latter  obtained  an  order  to  organize  the 
Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry.  The  service  at 
that  time  was  greatly  in  need  of  more  cav- 
alry, and  General  Farnsworth  was,  by  his 
extensive  acquaintance,  great  ability  and 
popularity  well  qualified  for  this  work.  He 
returned  to  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  which  he 
made  his  temporary  headquarters,  issued  a 
call  for  twelve  hundred  men,  and  in  two 
weeks  the  regiment  was  ready  for  duty.  On 
the  i8th  of  September,  1861,  it  was  mus- 
tered into  service  and  on  October  14  started 
for  Washington,  arriving  there  two  days 
later.  With  its  twelve  hundred  stalwart 
men  stepping  to  the  tap  of  the  drum  and 
marching  through  the  streets  of  Washington 
it  created  a  great  sensation. 

When  Colonel  Farnsworth  was  promoted, 
Mr.  Gamble  became  its  colonel.  With  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  he  participated  in 
many  important  engagements,  and  at  the 
battle  of  Malvern  Hill  was  wounded  in  the 
side  by  a  minie  ball.  After  two  months 
spent  at  home  he  was  able  to  rejoin  his 
command  though  the  wound  was  a  very  se- 
rious one,  breaking  two  ribs  and  the  ball 
lodging  in  his  shoulder  blade.  He  was  com- 
missioned brigadier-general  September  25, 
1865,  his  command  being  composed  of  the 
Eighth  and  Twelfth  Illinois,  the  Twelfth 
New  York,  and  also  a  part  of  an  Indiana 
regiment  and  a  part  of  a  Pennsylvania  regi- 
ment. With  his  command  he  took  part  in 
all  of  the  important  campaigns  of  the  army 
of  the  Potomac  until  the  surrender  at  Appo- 
mattox,  serving  with  distinguished  honor 
and  bravery.  He  was  one  of  the  generals 
on  duty  at  President  Lincoln's  funeral. 
After  the  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry  was  mus- 


Of 


WINFIELD  S.    GAMBLE. 


GEN.  WILLIAM   GAMBLE. 


.'•^ 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


97 


tered  out,  he  was  on  duty  at  Jefferson  Bar- 
racks for  about  a  year,  being  mustered  out 
March  13,  1866,  and  July  28,  1866,  he  was 
mustered  into  the  regular  army  as  colonel 
of  the  Eighth  United  States  Cavalry,  which 
was  ordered  to  California  by  way  of  the 
Isthmus.  While  waiting  for  transportation 
on  the  Isthmus  the  cholera  broke  out,  and 
Colonel  Gamble,  with  many  of  his  troops, 
died  from  that  dread  disease  December  20, 
1866,  being  buried  at  Virgin's  Hill,  Nicar- 
auga.  He  was  a  stanch  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  was  a  warm  friend 
of  President  Lincoln.  With  the  First  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  of  Evanston  he  held 
membership,  and  was  a  true  Christian  gen- 
tleman, as  well  as  a  loyal,  patriotic  and  de- 
voted citizen  of  his  adopted  country. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in 
Hanover,  Germany,  January  31,  1821,  a 
daughter  of  George  H.  Steingrandt,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  army  of  that  country. 
In  1838  the  family  emigrated  to  America 
and  located  in  Alton,  Illinois,  where  they 
continued  to  live  until  the  death  of  Mrs. 
Steingrandt  in  1867.  After  that  her  hus- 
band made  a  number  of  trips  to  Germany, 
and  finally  died  in  Hanover  about  1872.  In 
their  family  were  five  children,  three  of 
whom  are  still  living,  namely:  Louis,  a 
resident  of  California;  Henry,  of  Springfield, 
Missouri;  and  Mrs.  Louise  Steinberg,  of  St. 
Louis.  Mrs.  Gamble  was  a  Lutheran  in  re- 
ligious faith.  She  died  June  11,  1895,  m 
St.  Louis. 

To  General  Gamble  and  wife  were  born 
the  following  children:  Louise  died  in  in- 
fancy; Louise  D.  is  now  the  wife  of  George 
W.  Huntoon,  of  Evanston.  George  H., 
now  a  resident  of  California,  was  a  member 
of  the  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry  during  the 
Civil  war,  and  was  confined  for  eighteen 


months  in  Libby  prison.  After  the  war  he 
was  commissioned  captain  in  the  regular 
army,  and  was  stationed  at  Fort  Concho, 
Texas,  later  building  Fort  Stockton,  where 
he  was  stationed  for  some  time.  William 
M.,  now  in  the  grocery  business  in  Pueblo, 
Colorado,  was  also  one  of  the  boys  in  blue, 
enlisting  at  the  age  of  fifteen  in  the  One 
Hundred  Thirty-fourth  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry.  MaryE.  is  a  resident  of  St.  Louis. 
Henry  E.  is  now  in  Berlin,  Germany. 
Emma  is  the  wife  cf  George  H.  Stein- 
berg, of  St.  Louis.  Victor  H.  L. ,  city  en- 
gineer of  Rensselaer,  Indiana.  Winfield  S. 
is  the  youngest  now  living.  Besides  Louise, 
those  deceased  are  Elizabeth,  Osborne,  an 
infant  and  Josephine. 

Reared  in  Evanston,  Illinois,  W-infield 
S.  Gamble  attended  the  common  schools, 
and  later  was  a  student  in  the  Northwestern 
University  at  that  place.  In  the  summer  of 
1879  he  began  life  as  a  civil  engineer  in  Da- 
kota, in  the  employ  of  the  Chicago  &  North- 
western railroad,  and  was  subsequently  in 
Iowa  with  the  same  road  until  December, 
1880.  The  following  January  he  went  to 
Indiana  where  he  built  what  was  then  called 
the  Chicago  &  Indianapolis  Air  Line,  now 
the  Chicago,  Louisville  &  Indianapolis  rail- 
road, being  division  engineer  there.  On  the 
ist  of  May,  1882,  he  entered  the  service  of 
the  Chicago  &  Great  Southern  railroad,  re- 
maining with  them  one  year,  and  the  follow- 
ing year  was  with  the  Northern  Pacific 
railroad.  He  was  next  with  the  Grand 
Trunk,  and  in  1885  again  went  to  Dakota 
in  the  employ  of  the  Northwestern.  For 
two  years  he  was  with  the  Lake  Erie  & 
Western  railroad,  having  his  headquarters 
at  Bloomington,  and  was  then  in  the  gov- 
ernment service  on  the  drainage  canal  in 
1887-8. 


98 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


In  June,  1889,  Mr.  Gamble  came  to  El- 
gin, where  for  six  years  he  served  as  city 
engineer,  during  which  time  he  built  the  en- 
tire system  of  city  railroads  extending  to 
Geneva,  and  also  built  the  south  annex  to 
the  Insane  Asylum,  which  is  regarded  as  the 
cheapest  and  best  constructed  building  in 
the  state,  having  enough  money  left  out  of 
the  appropriation  to  furnish  it.  He  ranks 
among  the  most  able  representatives  of  his 
profession  in  the  state,  and  does  an  exten- 
sive and  profitable  business. 

Politically  Mr.  Gamble  is  identified  with 
the  Republican  party,  and  socially  he  affil- 
iates with  Gen.  William  F.  Lynch  camp, 
S.  V.  He  is  a  man  of  fine  address,  of 
genial  nature  and  winning  manners  and  is 
popular  with  all  who  know  him. 


EORGE  P.  HAGEN,  the  leading  florist 
VJ  of  Elgin,  was  born  on  the  north  side  in 
Chicago,  February  i ,  1 860,  a  son  of  George 
and  Elizabeth  (Shupp)  Hagen.  His  ma- 
ternal grandfather,  Lewis  Shupp,  located  in 
Chicago  during  the  '505,  and  throughout 
the  remainder  of  his  life  engaged  in  garden- 
ing there.  Our  subject's  father  was  a  na- 
tive of  Germany,  and  on  coming  to  the 
United  States,  in  1854,  took  up  his  residence 
in  Chicago,  where  he  and  his  wife  still  con- 
tinue to  live.  By  trade  he  is  a  carpenter, 
in  politics  is  a  Republican,  and  in  religious 
belief  is  a  Catholic.  In  the  family  were 
eight  children,  namely:  Maggie,  now  the 
wife  of  Frederick  Klingel,  of  Chicago;  George 
P.,  of  this  sketch;  August;  John;  Lizzie, 
wife  of  George  Shall,  of  Chicago;  Bertha, 
wife  of  Amiel  Nelson,  a  florist  of  Chicago; 
Otto;  and  Franklin.  With  the  exception  of 
our  subject,  all  live  in  Chicago. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Chicago  George 


P.  Hagen  acquired  his  education,  and  began 
his  business  career  with  W.  D.  Allen,  a  flo- 
rist of  that  city,  with  whom  he  remained  for 
about  eight  years.  Subsequently  he  was 
with  a  Mr.  Hanson  at  Rose  Hill  for  two 
years  and  a  half,  after  which  he  was  in  the 
employ  of  R.  J.  Donoven,  of  Rose  Hill,  for 
nine  years.  The  following  three  years  he 
engaged  in  market  gardening  on  his  own  ac- 
count, but  during  the  World's  Fair  garden 
products  were  very  low,  and  the  business 
did  not  prove  profitable.  Selling  out  in  the 
fall  of  1893,  he  came  to  Elgin,  where  for 
three  years  and  eight  months  he  was  em- 
ployed as  gardener  and  florist  by  the  North- 
ern Illinois  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  and  on 
resigning  that  position,  he  leased  property 
at  No.  3 1 1  North  Spring  street,  where  he 
established  his  present  floral  gardens.  His 
greenhouses  are  filled  with  a  large  variety  of 
flowers  both  summer  and  winter,  but  he 
makes  a  specialty  of  the  culture  of  roses  and 
carnations,  of  which  he  has  a  very  choice 
collection.  His  early  training  ably  fitted 
him  for  the  business,  and  he  has  succeeded 
in  building  up  a  large  and  profitable  trade 
in  Elgin  and  other  places.  The  bright  and 
sweet  things  of  life  have  a  great  attraction 
for  him,  and  he  has  that  love  for  his  busi- 
ness without  which  there  is  no  success. 

In  Chicago  Mr.  Hagen  was  married  Feb- 
ruary 17,  1884,  to  Miss  Bertha  Ebert, 
daughter  of  Frederick  and  Christine  (Strauss) 
Ebert,  who  are  still  residents  of  that  city. 
Mrs.  Hagen  was  born  in  Strausburg,  Ger- 
many, and  was  brought  by  her  parents  to 
this  country.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  have 
four  interesting  children:  Minnie,  Ella, 
George  P.  and  Myrtle. 

The  Democratic  party  finds  in  Mr.  Hagen 
a  stanch  supporter,  and  in  the  Lutheran 
church  he  holds  membership.  Socially  he 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


99 


is  a  member  of  the  Royal  League  of  Elgin, 
and  has  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  all 
who  know  him. 


JOHN  D.  VOLTZ,  one  of  the  most  effi- 
cient telegraph  operators  on  the  line 
of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  railroad, 
having  charge  of  the  station  at  South  Elgin, 
is  a  native  of  Baltimore  county,  Maryland, 
his  birth  occurring  at  the  family  homestead 
on  the  Reistertown  road,  a  few  miles  from 
Baltimore  City,  November  13,  1837.  His 
father,  Philip  Voltz,  was  a  native  of  Alsace- 
Loraine,  born  in  1791,  and  was  a  soldier 
under  the  great  Napoleon,  being  one  of  the 
few  survivors  of  the  disastrous  campaign 
against  Moscow.  On  the  return  of  the 
Emperor  from  Elba  he  again  took  up  arms 
and  remained  with  him  until  the  fatal  bat- 
tle of  Waterloo.  In  1818  Mr.  Voltz  came 
to  America,  locating  in  Baltimore,  where 
he  soon  engaged  in  business  as  a  market 
gardener,  although  he  was  a  baker  by  trade, 
but  which  he  never  followed  after  his  arrival 
in  the  United  States.  He  married  Miss 
Eliza  Hurley,  of  Baltimore  county,  and 
died  in  1 854,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years. 
John  D.  Voltz,  of  this  review,  pursued 
his  education  in  the  school  at  the  corner  of 
Green  and  Fayette  streets,  Baltimore,  until 
the  age  of  ten  years,  when  he  laid  aside  his 
text  books  to  learn  the  more  difficult  lessons 
of  practical  business  life.  The  first  task 
assigned  him  consisted  of  the  duties  of  mes- 
senger boy  in  the  office  of  J.  D.  Pratt,  who 
conducted  a  commercial  agency.  After  six 
months  he  secured  a  position  with  the  Na- 
tional Telegraph  Company,  working  for  a 
short  time  as  messenger  boy  and  then  learn- 
ing telegraphy.  Since  that  time  he  has 


made  the  business  his  life  work,  and  has 
continually  advanced  in  harmony  with  the 
improvements  which  have  attended  the 
art.  When  he  entered  upon  this  work  the 
telegraph  lines  of  the  country  were  owned 
by  four  or  five  hundred  small  companies,  but 
gradually  they  have  been  absorbed  by  two 
or  three  large  companies,  making  a  more 
perfect  system. 

When  Mr.  Voltz  had  attained  considera- 
ble proficiency,  he  was  given  a  place  in  the 
government  offices  in  Washington,  District  of 
Columbia,  and  thence  went  to  Frederick  City, 
Maryland,  after  which  he  was  transferred 
to  Station  No.  4  on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio 
railroad,  followed  service  at  the  following 
places,  successively:  Alimont  Station,  Roles- 
burg,  Cheat  River  Valley,  Smithton,  Par- 
kersburg,  West  Virginia,  Sandoval  and  East 
St.  Louis,  Illinois.  Severing  his  connec- 
tion with  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad 
Company  about  1859  he  went  to  the  south, 
accepting  a  position  at  Lynchburg,  after 
which  he  was  stationed  at  Knoxville,  Ten- 
nessee ;  Atlanta,  Georgia  ;  Montgomery, 
Alabama;  Augusta,  Georgia,  and  •Columbia, 
South  Carolina,  where  he  was  located  at 
the  outbreak  ot  the  Civil  war.  At  that 
time  he  became  attached  to  the  Army  of 
the  Cumberland  and  served  until  the  close 
of  hostilities  under  Colonel  J.  C.  Van  Duser. 

When  the  war  was  over  Mr.  Voltz  se- 
cured a  position  in  Nashville  as  agent  for 
the  Nashville  &  Northwestern  Railroad  Com- 
pany, thence  went  to  Huntington,  Tennes- 
see, and  later  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Louisville  &  Nashville  road,  at  Bowling 
Green,  Kentucky.  Later,  at  Clarksville, 
Tennessee,  he  was  employed  as  bill  clerk 
and  afterward  as  agent  until  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  Nashville,  Tennessee,  where  he  re- 
mained as  agent  until  1880,  when  he  went 


100 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


to  St.  Louis.  In  1883  he  went  to  Chicago 
and  entering  the  employ  of  the  Chicago  & 
Northwestern  Railroad  Company,  was  sta- 
tioned as  their  agent  at  Clintonville,  Elgin 
township.  He  has  since  been  in  the  employ 
of  that  road,  and  is  one  of  the  most  trusted 
and  faithful  representatives.  His  fidelity 
to  duty  and  uniform  courtesy  to  the  patrons 
of  the  road  has  made  him  very  popular,  and 
he  has  gained  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

Mr.  Voltz  was  united  in  marriage  in 
South  Elgin  to  Miss  Viola  F.  Gulick,  a  na- 
tive of  Kane  county,  who  died  December 
14,  1897.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Abraham 
and  Matilda  (Vastine)  Gulick.  Her  father, 
born  in  Rush  township,  Northumberland 
county,  Pennsylvania,  February  22,  1820, 
died  November  26,  1894.  He  followed 
blacksmithing at  Liberty  Pole,  Pennsylvania, 
and  after  his  removal  to  Kane  county,  Illi- 
nois, purchased  a  large  farm  in  Elgin  town- 
ship, which  he  successfully  conducted.  He 
was  an  enterprising,  progressive  business 
man  and  accumulated  valuable  farming 
land  and  other  property.  His  parents  were 
Charles  and  Catharine  (Boone)  Gulick.  His 
wife,  Mrs.  Matilda  Gulick,  was  also  a  native 
of  Rush  township,  Northumberland  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  a  daughter  of  Louis  and 
Martha  (Boone)  Vastine,  the  latter  a  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  Boone,  a  son  of  the  noted 
Kentucky  pioneer,  Daniel  Boone.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Voltz  were  born  three  children: 
Jay  DeWitt,  Florence  E.  and  Aletia  M., 
who  are  yet  with  their  father.  Mr.  Voltz 
is  a  valued  member  of  several  societies,  is 
clerk  of  Rustic  camp,  No.  548,  M.  W.  A., 
and  belongs  to  Elgin  lodge,  No.  117,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.  and  the  Telegraphers  Mutual  Asso- 
ciation. He  attends  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church,  and  is  one  of  the  valued  and  es- 
teemed residents  of  his  adopted  county, 


whose  well  spent  life  commends  him  to  the 
confidence  and  good  will  of  all  with  whom 
he  comes  in  contact. 


ROBERT  STRINGER,  who  resides  on 
section  20,  Elgin  township,  is  a  pioneer 
of  1844.  He  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  Eng- 
land, near  the  city  of  York,  December  15, 
1816,  and  is  the  son  of  Richard  and  Han- 
nah (Garbutt)  Stringer.  In  the  spring  of 
1819  the  family  came  to  America,  sailing 
from  Hull  in  May  of  that  year,  and  landing 
in  Quebec,  Canada,  in  the  July  following, 
being  ten  weeks  and  three  days  en  route. 
From  Quebec  they  went  to  Sharrington, 
near  .Montreal.  The  father  was  a  native  of 
Yorkshire,  Engla'nd,  born  in  1766,  and  died 
in  Canada  in  1822.  He  was  a  small  farmer 
in  his  native  country,  but  on  locating  in 
Canada  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  eighty  acres.  His  death  was  probably 
hastened  from  the  fact  of  losing  money  in 
saving  his  eldest  son  from  the  press  gang, 
that  tried  to  press  him  again  into  the  serv- 
ice after  having  once  served  on  a  man-of- 
war. 

After  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs. 
Hannah  Stringer  took  charge  of  the  whole 
farm.  She  was  a  woman  of  strong  mind 
and  force  of  character  and  of  great  execu- 
tive ability.  She  reared  a  large  family  and 
gave  each  of  her  children  as  good  educational 
advantages  as  the  country  afforded,  incul- 
cating principles  that  made  all  of  them 
good  citizens.  She  died  at  the  home  of  our 
subject  when  ninety-five  years  of  age,  being 
strong  in  mind  and  body  until  the  end.  To 
Richard  and  Hannah  Stringer  were  born 
eight  children,  as  follows:  William,  who 
moved  to  Otsego  county,  New  York,  and 
located  in  Cherry  Valley;  Richard,  who  lost 


1 '  '*»»& 


ROBERT  STRINGER, 


MRS.  ROBERT  STRINGER. 


«»*•'"' 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


his  sight  by  premature  explosion,  while 
working  for  the  government  on  Rideau 
canal,  for  which  he  received  a  pension  dur- 
ing life;  Jane,  who  married  John  Burton  and 
died  in  Kane  county;  Ellice,  who  married 
Arthur  Allison,  who  settled  in  Kane  county; 
George,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in 
the  work;  William,  who  died  in  Cherry  Val- 
ley, New  York;  Mark,  who  settled  in  Plato 
township;  Robert,  our  subject;  and  John, 
who  died  in  Elgin  township. 

Robert  Stringer  was  but  three  years  old 
when  he  came  "with  his  parents  to  Canada, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood  and  when  old 
enough  assisted  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
home  farm.  He  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Sharrington  for  a  time,  but  obtained  the 
greater  part  of  his  education  at  home, 
studying  with  the  aid  of  his  blind  brother. 
The  products  of  the  farm  were  marketed 
at  Montreal.  Our  subject  would  usually 
start  at  night  with  his  loaded  wagon,  reach- 
ing La  Prairie  in  the  morning,  and  there 
taking  the  ferry  nine  miles  to  Montreal. 
The  return  trip  was  made  at  night,  and 
after  all  it  was  found  there  was  little  pay  for 
hard  work.  One  by  one  his  brothers  came 
to  the  states,  the  last  one  with  the  excep- 
tion of  his  blind  brother,  coming  in  1844. 
Our  subject  remained  with  his  mother  work- 
ing the  farm,  which,  in  1837,  sne  divided, 
giving  him  ninety  acres,  on  which  he  erect- 
ed a  dwelling  house  near  that  of  his  mother. 

In  1843  his  mother  came  to  Illinois  to 
visit  her  sons,  and  liking  the  country,  she 
wrote  to  her  son  Mark  to  sell  out  and  come 
to  Illinois.  This  he  did  in  the  spring  of 
1844,  and  on  his  arrival  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres.  The  deed  for  the 
latter,  signed  by  President  James  K.  Polk, 
was  not  received  by  him  until  1850,  and  the 

old  parchment  deed  is  yet  in  his  possession. 
& 


Part  of  this  land  he  has  sold,  and  he  now 
owns  two  hundred  and  thirty  acres,  all  but 
a  very  few  acres  lying  in  section  20,  Elgin 
township.  Twenty-five  acres  of  unusually 
fine  timber  lies  in  Plato  township.  In  the 
early  days  he  raised  winter  wheat,  until  the 
climate  became  unfavorable.  Later  he 
raised  stock,  and  finally  it  was  made  a  dairy 
farm.  In  1878,  he  retired  from  active 
farming,  renting  the  farm  to  his  son,  reserv- 
ing a  part  of  the  house  to  which  he  has 
built  an  addition. 

On  the  Qth  of  November,  1841,  while 
yet  residing  in  Canada,  Mr.  Stringer  was 
united  in  marriage  .with  Miss  Martha  Dibb, 
a  native  of  Yorkshire,  England,  born  June 
23,  1823.  Her  father,  William  Dibb,  who 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  located  in  Can- 
ada, in  1821.  He  married  Mary  Mitchell, 
a  daughter  of  Richard  and  Mary  (Johnson) 
Mitchell.  He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
five  years,  while  his  wife  survived  him  many 
years,  dying  when  ninety-five  years  old.  To 
our  subject  and  wife  six  children  were  born, 
as  follows:  Margaret,  widow  of  Leman  A. 
Wood,  now  resides  at  Lake  Crystal,  Minne- 
sota; Mary,  wife  of  Thomas  D.  Cookman, 
of  Mason  City,  Iowa;  Alfred  H.,  married 
Alice  Baker,  in  Boise  City,  Idaho,  where 
he  died;  Clara  Emily  died  at  the  age  of  two 
years;  Edwin,  who  leased  his  father's  farm 
July  4,  1878,  married  Annie  Dadswell,  a 
daughter  of  Henry  Dadswell,  by  whom  he 
has  three  children,  Alvin  H.,  Ellice,  and 
Marion;  and  Clara  Alice,  wife  of  Albert 
Smith,  of  Elgin.  All  of  these  children  are 
well  provided  in  life. 

While  residing  in  Canada,  Mr.  Stringer 
served  in  the  Royalist  troops  during  the 
Canadian  rebellion,  in  1837-8,  incited  by 
Papineau,  and  sometimes  called  by  his 
name.  The  only  battle  in  which  he  was 


IO4 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


engaged  was  that  of  Odeltown.  Since  com- 
ing to  Kane  county,  he  has  seen  wonderful 
changes  in  the  country.  Indians  were  oc- 
casionally seen  for  some  years  after  his  ar- 
rival, the  prairies  were  all  open  and  cattle 
ranged  at  will.  He  is  one  of  the  last  left 
of  the  early  settlers,  a  grand  old  man,  uni- 
versally honored,  his  long,  upright  life  be- 
ing a  splendid  example  to  the  rising  genera- 
tion. In  national  and  state  elections,  he 
votes  the  Democratic  ticket  but  in  local 
elections  votes  for  the  man,  regardless  of 
politics.  During  his  early  years  he  was  a 
member  of  the  Episcopal  church,  but  of  late 
attends  the  Methodist  church. 


/GEORGE  W.  COOK,  who  conducts  a 
V_J  bakery  and  restaurant  in  the  village  of 
Hampshire,  is  a  well-known  citizen  of 
northern  Kane  county.  He  was  born  on 
section  31,  Hampshire  township,  January 
20,  1848,  and  was  reared  on  the  farm  and 
attended  the  district  school  until  the  age  of 
nineteen.  When  twenty  years  of  age  he 
received  wages  for  his  time  and  worked  two 
years  for  his  father.  He  then  married  and 
rented  his  father's  farm  for  three  years, 
after  which  he  moved  to  the  village  of 
Hampshire  and  went  into  the  business  of 
well-digging  and  boring,  and  also  in  the 
sale  of  windmills.  His  dealings  were  quite 
extensive  over  three  or  four  counties.  He 
continued  in  that  business  for  some  years 
with  gratifying  success.  In  1894  he  bought 
a  bakery  and  restaurant  in  the  village  of 
Hampshire,  built  a  large  brick  store,  25  x64~ 
feet,  two  stories  in  height,  and  has  an  ex- 
tensive trade  in  bakery  goods,  fancy  gro- 
ceries and  confectionery,  with  fresh  fruits 
in  season. 

Burnham  Cook,  the  father  of  our  sub- 


ject, was  born  in  Norwich,  Connecticut,  in 
1809,  and  died  in  Hampshire  township, 
Kane  county,  in  1871.  By  trade  he  was  a 
molder,  although  he  followed  farming  dur- 
ing the  greater  part  of  his  life.  Early  in 
the  '403  he  left  his  eastern  home  and  moved 
to  Chicago,  where  he  worked  for  some 
years,  and  then  came  to  Hampshire  town- 
ship, where  he  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  section  31.  He  married  Lucy 
Ann  Lamphere,  who  was  also  born  in  Nor- 
wich, Connecticut,  and  who  lived  to  be 
fifty-five  years  old.  They  were  the  parents 
of  six  children,  of  whom  four  are  living,  as 
follows:  Timothy  P.,  residing  in  California; 
Lucy  Ann  married  William  H.  Pease,  and 
they  reside  in  Geneva,  Illinois;  William  L., 
living  in  the  village  of  Hampshire;  and 
George  W.,  our  subject. 

George  W.  Cook  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Julia  A.  Gage,  who  was  born  in  Hamp- 
shire township,  and  a  daughter  of  Cyril  and  » 
Julia  A.  (Fields)  Gage,  the  latter  born  in 
Saybrook  township,  Ashtabula  county,  Ohio, 
and  a  daughter  of  Havilah  and  Hannah 
(Hay wood)  Fields.  Cyril  Gage  was  the  son 
of  Solomon  Gage,  a  native  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, who  married  Miriam  Gurnsey,  a 
daughter  of  Cyril  Gurnsey.  Of  the  eight 
children  of  Cyril  and  Julia  A.  Gage,  Mrs. 
Cook  is  the  first  born.  To  George  W. 
Cook  and  wife  eight  children  have  been 
born,  six  of  whom  are  living,  as  follows: 
Burton  C. ,  who  married  Clara  Amic;  Min- 
nie, deceased;  Alverta,  Lucy,  George  W., 
Jr.,  Earl,  Edward  and  Marie. 

In  politics  Mr.  Cook  is  a  Republican. 
For  some  years  he  served  as  school  director 
and  as  a  member  of  the  village  board  of 
trustees  two  terms.  Fraternally  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica, Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  the  Home 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


105 


Forum.  In  the  latter  body  his  wife  is  also 
a  member.  As  a  business  man,  Mr.  Cook 
is  honest  and  upright,  and  his  genial  dis- 
position makes  him  deservedly  popular. 


ROBERT  S.  EGAN,  junior  member  of 
the  law  firm  of  Irwin  &  Egan,  whose 
office  is  in  the  Cook  Block,  Elgin,  was  born 
in  Sycamore,  De  Kalb  county,  Illinois,  May 
10,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Brid- 
get (Sanders)  Egan,  who  were  natives  of 
County  Kilkenny,  Ireland,  and  were  the  par- 
ents of  seven  children,  as  follows:  Margaret, 
wife  of  William  Tobin,  of  Rutland,  Illinois; 
Alice,  of  Elgin;  Mary,  wife  of  Joseph  King, 
of  Elgin;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Patrick  Keefe, 
of  Sycamore,  Illinois;  Robert  S.,  our  sub- 
ject; Julia,  -wife  of  C.  F.  Irwin,  of  Elgin; 
and  Anna,  also  of  Elgin.  The  father,  who 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  came  to  Amer- 
ica about  1848,  locating  at  St.  Charles,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  remained  one  year.  He  then 
removed  to  Sycamore,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming  for  a  few  years,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  Kane  county,  dying  here  in  1879, 
at  the  age  of  about  sixty-eight  years.  His 
wife  survived  him  until  1893,  departing  this 
life  at  the  age  of  seventy-one.  Both  were 
devout  members  of  the  Catholic  church. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 
was  Patrick  Egan,  a  substantial  farmer  in 
Ireland,  where  he  died  at  an  advanced  age. 
His  father  also  died  in  Ireland,  at  the  ex- 
treme old  age  of  one  hundred  five  years. 
The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
Robert  Sanders,  was  also  born  in  Ireland 
and  was  by  occupation  a  farmer.  He  lived 
to  the  age  of  four  score  years. 

Robert  S.  Egan,  our  subject,  was  four 
years  of  age  when  his  parents  returned  to 
Kane  county,  where  he  has  since  continued 


to  reside.  Until  seventeen  years  of  age  he 
attended  the  country  schools,  and  then  took 
a  two  years'  course  at  the  Elgin  Academy. 
For  five  years  he  taught  schools,  while  at 
the  same  time  he  engaged  in  reading  law. 
He  began  the  study  of  law  with  Judge  Henry 
B.  Willis,  who  was  formerly  his  school 
teacher.  In  March,  1882,  he  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  and  at  once  opened  an  office  in 
Elgin,  where  he  engaged  in  practice  alone 
for  one  year.  He  then  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  C.  F.  Irwin,  which  has  continued 
since,  the  firm  enjoying  a  large  practice 
which  extends  into  adjoiuing  counties. 

On  the  22nd  of  September,  1886,  Mr. 
Egan  married  Miss  Laura  A.  Russell,  daugh- 
ter of  Ira  N.  and  Charlotte  (Sherbourne) 
Russell,  of  Plato  township,  Kane  county. 
They  reside  in  a  beautiful  home  at  the  cor- 
ner of  South  and  Jackson  streets,  Elgin. 

Politically,  Mr.  Egan  is  a  Democrat, 
with  which  party  he  has  acted  since  attain- 
ing his  majority,  and  he  is  now  president  of 
the  Elgin  Democratic  Club.  Possessed  of 
good  executive  ability  and  being  a  fiuent 
speaker,  he  has  been  enabled  to  do  much 
for  his  party's  cause  in  Elgin  and  Kane  coun- 
ty. He  has  always  been  numbered  among 
its  most  active  workers,  and  in  addition  to 
his  effective  work  on  the  platform,  he  has 
served  as  a  delegate  to  the  different  state, 
district  and  county  conventions.  In  1883 
he  was  elected  city  attorney  of  Elgin  and 
served  two  years.  Success  has  attended 
him  in  financial  as  well  as  legal  affairs,  and 
in  addition  to  considerable  real  estate  in  El- 
gin, he  is  the  owner  of  an  excellent  farm  of 
one  hundred  sixty  acres  in  Rutland  town- 
ship. He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Elgin 
National  Bank,  and  serves  as  its  attorney. 
Although  comparatively  young  in  the  prac- 
tice of  law,  Mr.  Egan  has  already  won  an  en- 


io6 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


viable  reputation  at  the  bar,  having  met  with 
a  very  flattering  success  in  the  trial  of  cases. 
As  a  citizen  he  stands  equally  well,  holding 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  people. 


DR.  SALEM  E.  WELD,  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Weld  &  Phillips, 
real  estate  dealers  and  insurance  agents,  lo- 
cated in  the  Home  Bank  building,  Elgin,  is 
a  well  known  citizen,  and  a  native  of  Kane 
county,  born  in  Elgin  township,  just  west  of 
the  city  of  that  name,  August  3,  1841.  His 
parents,  Francis  and  Harriet  (Mann)  Weld, 
were  numbered  among  the  pioneers  of  1838, 
arriving  here  two  years  before  the  govern- 
ment survey  was  made,  taking  up  a  claim 
which  was  the  farm  on  which  our  subject 
was  born.  (For  further  account  of  Francis 
Weld  see  sketch  of  Owen  B.  Weld,  on  an- 
other page  of  this  work.) 

Salem  E.  Weld  was  reared  on  his  father's 
farm  and  attended  the  public  and  district 
schools  of  the  neighborhood,  receiving  a 
good  practical  education.  He  remained  un- 
der the  parental  roof  until  twenty-one  years 
of  age,  and  from  the  time  when  he  was  old 
enough  to  drop  corn  or  follow  a  plow  did 
his  share  in  the  farm  work.  About  1860 
he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  in  the 
office  of  Drs.  A.  L.  Clark  &  A.  Turner,  and 
continued  to  read  under  their  instruction 
until  1862. 

The  war  for  the  union  had  now  been  in 
progress  about  one  year.  Young  men  were 
daily  enlisting  and  the  call  was  issued  for 
more  volunteers.  Having  been  in  prepara- 
tion for  some  years,  the  south  was  in  better 
shape  for  service  than  the  north,  and  up  to 
that  time  had  been  successful  in  the  greater 
number  of  engagements.  Every  defeat 
made  the  northern  men  more  determined, 


and  the  response  to  the  calls  of  the  present 
were  quickly  made.  Our  subject  could  not 
longer  remain  at  home  while  his  associates, 
the  young  men  with  whom  he  was  reared, 
were  daily  going  to  the  front.  Accordingly, 
August  12,  1862,  he  enlisted  as  a  member 
of  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
seventh  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  under 
command  of  Col.  John  Van  Arman.  This 
regiment  has  a  record  for  bravery  and  active 
service  second  to  none.  In  the  three  years 
in  which  it  was  engaged  it  was  in  over  one 
hundred  battles  and  skirmishes.  It  was  in 
the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  the  battles  of  Chat- 
tanooga, Arkansas  Post,  the  Atlanta  cam- 
paign, and  the  march  to  the  sea,  also  the 
march  through  the  Carolinas,  with  the  bat- 
tles of  Goldsboro,  Columbia  and  others. 

During  the  last  two  years  of  his  service 
Dr.  Weld  had  charge  of  the  field  hospital  of 
the  Second  Division  of  the  Fifteenth  Army 
Corps  as  hospital  steward,  and  had  the 
credit  of  having  the  best  hospital  in  the 
corps.  He  was  offered  the  captaincy  of  his 
company,  but  on  account  of  his  profession 
preferred  to  stay  with  the  hospital.  The 
experience  there  gained  has  been  of  ines- 
timable service  to  him  since  that  time. 

After  the  war  Dr.  Weld  returned  to 
Elgin,  completed  his  medical  studies  and 
graduated  from  the  Eclectic  Medical  Col- 
lege, Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  began  practice 
at  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  where  he  remained 
two  years.  He  then  returned  to  Elgin  and 
opened  a  drug  store  in  partnership  with  his 
cousin  Russell,  and  for  twenty-three  years 
successfully  engaged  in  that  business.  Sell- 
ing his  interest  to  Edwin  Hall,  he  engaged 
in  the  real  estate  and  insurance  business. 
In  1896  he  took  into  partnership  H.  W. 
Phillips,  since  which  time  the  business  has 
been  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


107 


Weld  &  Phillips.  Its  success  has  been  all 
that  could  have  been  anticipated. 

On  the  i4th  of  May,  1885,  Dr.  Weld 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  M. 
Elizabeth  Hoag,  daughter  of  James  and 
Mary  A.  (Branford)  Hoag.  Mrs.  Weld  is  a 
native  of  St.  Charles,  Illinois.  While 
having  no  children  of  their  own,  they  have 
one  adopted  daughter,  Mildred.  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Weld  are  Christian  Scientists,  and  in 
the  teachings  of  that  people  have  the  ut- 
most faith,  believing  them  to  conform  not 
only  to  the  scriptures  but  to  common  sense 
and  the  science  of  life. 

Fraternally  Dr.  Weld  is  a  Mason,  a 
member  of  Elgin  lodge,  No.  117,  F.  &  A. 
M. ;  L.  L.  Munn  chapter,  No.  96,  R.  A.  M. ; 
Bethel  commandery,  No.  36,  K.  T.  Polit- 
ically, he  is  a  Republican,  with  which  party 
he  has  been  identified  since  becoming  a 
voter.  His  first  presidential  vote  was  cast 
for  U.  S.  Grant.  Office  holding  has  for 
him  no  special  charm,  but  he  served  as  cor- 
oner one  term,  from  1868.  In  1872  he  was 
elected  alderman  from  the  Fourth  ward 
and  served  one  term,  and  was  library  direct- 
or twelve  years. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Weld  reside  in  a  beauti- 
ful home,  at  No.  10  Hamilton  avenue,  El- 
gin, and  there  take  pleasure  in  receiving 
their  many  friends.  The  Doctor  represents 
one  of  the  oldest  families  in  Elgin,  and, 
with  the  exception  of  the  two  years  spent 
at  St.  Charles,  has  here  made  his  home  for 
fifty-six  years.  In  the  progress  and  devel- 
opment of  the  place  he  has  borne  no  incon- 
siderable part,  and  is  yet  actively  identified 
with  its  business  interests.  He  has  a  large 
acquaintance  throughout  the  county,  and 
by  all  he  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem.  His 
ancestry  is  of  the  best  and  most  progressive 
people,  those  who  have  left  their  impress 


upon  the  history  of  the  country.  Samuel 
Morey,  a  granduncle,  was  the  first  man 
who  ever  ran  a  steamboat  in  the  United 
States. 

EUGENIC  W.  K.  CORNELL,  manager 
of  the  Elgin  Packing  Company,  Elgin, 
Illinois,  has  been  a  resident  of  Kane  county 
for  more  than  half  a  century.  He  is  a  na- 
tive of  New  York,  born  in  Galway,  Sara- 
toga county,  May  to,  1823,  and  is  the  son 
of  Asa  and  Clarinda  (Smith)  Cornell,  the 
former  a  native  of  Cheshire,  Massachusetts, 
and  the  latter  of  New  York.  By  occupa- 
tion the  father  was  a  farmer,  following  that 
vocation  during  his  entire  life.  A  man  of 
deep  religious  conviction,  he  united  with 
the  Baptist  church  at  an  early  age,  and  for 
some  years  served  as  deacon  in  his  church. 
His  death  occurred  at  Albion,  New  York, 
in  1854,  while  his  good  wife  survived  him 
fifteen  years,  departing  this  life  in  1869,  at 
Ionia,  Michigan,  at  the  residence  of  her 
daughter.  She  was  also  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  church,  an  exemplary  Christian 
woman,  one  whose  delight  was  in  doing 
good  and  making  others  happy. 

The  Cornells  are  of  Welsh  ancestry,  the 
first  of  the  name  coming  to  America  at  an 
early  period  in  the  country's  history.  Jo- 
seph Cornell,  the  paternal  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Rhode  Island, 
a  minister  of  the  gospel  in  the  Baptist 
church.  His  godly  example  seems  to  have 
had  a  remarkable  effect  upon  the  family, 
nearly  all  of  whom  early  in  life  entered  the 
service  of  the  Master  as  members  of  that 
church.  Ebenezer  Smith,  the  maternal 
grandfather,  was  a  farmer,  and  was  born  in 
New  York. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared 
upon  his  farther's  farm  in  Saratoga  county, 


io8 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


New  York,  and  after  attending  school  for 
a  time  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  home,  en- 
tered Galway  Academy,  where  he  pursued 
the  prescribed  course  and  was  graduated 
when  but  fifteen  years  old.  He  then  com- 
menced teaching  and  for  five  years  followed 
that  profession  at  Saratoga  Springs,  New 
York.  At  Schenectady,  New  York,  he 
studied  dentistry  and  there  commenced 
practice.  However,  he  did  not  long  remain 
at  that  place  as  he  thought  he  could  find  a 
more  favorable  locality  in  the  rapidly  grow- 
ing west. 

Before  leaving  his  native  state,  Mr.  Cor- 
nell resolved  upon  marriage,  and  according- 
ly on  the  24th  of  January,  1843,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Matilda  C.  Padelford,  a  native  of 
New  York,  and  daughter  of  Sedate  and  Mar- 
garet (Barney)  Padelford,  both  of  whom 
were  also  natives  of  that  state.  By  this 
union  seven  children  were  born:  Anna 
Mary,  who  married  B.  C.  Wilkins  and  died 
in  1864;  Eudora  Bell,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Clara  C. ,  wife  of  S.  J.  Gifford,  of  Elgin; 
Luella  W.,  wife  of  William  T.  Wait,  of  El- 
gin; Fred  A.,  who  married  Jennie  Rice  and 
now  resides  in  San  Francisco,  California; 
Charles  Walter,  who  first  married  Kittie 
Brown,  and  after  her  decease  married  Hat- 
tie  B.  Kneeland,  now  residing  at  Elgin;  and 
Frank  B.,  who  married  Emma  Butler,  of 
Elgin. 

One  year  after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Cor- 
nell removed  to  Ionia,  Michigan,  where  he 
followed  his  profession  two  years,  and  then 
came  to  Elgin,  being  the  first  dentist  to  lo- 
cate in  the  city.  For  four  years  he  en- 
gaged in  active  practive,  visiting  at  more 
or  less  regular  intervals  the  towns  of  Aurora, 
St.  Charles,  Woodstock  and  other  places. 
He  then  sold  out  his  practice  and  in  com- 
pany with  S.  D.  Wilder  and  Finla  L.  Mc- 


Clure,  engaged  in  tlie  dry  goods  trade  under 
the  firm  name  of  Cornell,  McClure  &  Com- 
pany. This  relation  was  continued  until 
1862,  when  he  disposed  of  his  interest  in 
the  business  and  went  onto  a  farm,  which 
he  operated  two  seasons.  In  1865  he  re- 
turned to  the  city  and  formed  a  partnership 
with  W.  T.  Wait  and  F.  A.  Cornell  in  the 
furniture  business.  In  this  line  he  continued 
with  good  success  for  fourteen  years. 

In  1879  Mr.  Cornell  was  offered  the  po- 
sition of  assistant  manager  of  the  Elgin 
Packing  Company,  which  was  established 
and  incorporated  some  ten  years  prior  to 
this  time,  and  which  to-day  has  a  national 
reputation,  its  canned  goods,  consisting  of 
sweet  corn,  pumpkins,  baked  beans  and  lima 
beans,  finding  a  ready  sale  in  many  of  the 
leading  cities  of  the  country.  The  standard 
of  the  goods  is  always  kept  at  No.  i.  For 
ten  years  Mr.  Cornell  served  as  an  assistant 
manager,  since  which  time  he  has  been  gen- 
eral manager,  and  under  his  supervision 
much  of  the  credit  for  the  success  of  the 
company  is  due.  The  vegetables  and  other 
products  used  by  this  concern  are  raised  in 
the  vicinity  of  Elgin,  and  during  the  year 
several  hundred  people  find  employment  in 
connection  with  the  business.  They  have 
facilities  for  making  all  the  cans  used  in 
packing  their  various  brands  and  the  factory 
continues  work  throughout  the  year.  An 
average  of  over  one  million  cases  of  goods 
are  put  up  annually. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Cornell  voted  with  the 
Democratic  party,  but  cast  his  last  presi- 
dential vote  for  its  candidate  in  1852,  when 
he  voted  for  Franklin  Pierce.  By  nature 
and  training  he  espoused  the  cause  of  lib- 
erty, believing  in  the  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence where  it  proclaims  that  all  men 
are  created  equal.  He  therefore  naturally 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


109 


attached  himself  to  the  Republican  party  on 
its  formation  in  1854,  and  voted  for  its  pres- 
idential candidate  in  1856,  the  great  path- 
finder, John  C.  Fremont.  From  that  time 
to  the  present  he  has  advocated  the  princi- 
ples of  that  party.  While  residing  in  Ionia, 
Michigan,  he  was  appointed  and  served  as 
postmaster,  and  soon  after  coming  to  Kane 
county  was  elected  school  inspector.  This 
was  before  the  office  of  county  superintend- 
ent of  schools  was  created,  and  the  inspect- 
or served  as  examiner  of  teachers  for  his 
district.  He  has  held  other  local  offices, 
and  it  goes  without  saying  that  every  duty 
undertaken  was  faithfully  discharged. 

When  eighteen  years  of  age  Mr.  Cornell 
gave  himself  to  the  Lord  and  united  with 
the  Baptist  church,  that  church  with  which 
the  family  have  been  connected  as  far  back 
as  its  history  can  be  traced.  The  First 
Baptist  church  of  Elgin  was  organized  some 
eight  years  prior  to  his  arrival  here,  but  on 
making  this  his  home  he  placed  his  mem- 
bership therein,  and  for  fifty-two  years  has 
been  one  of  its  leading  and  most  influential 
members.  Of  those  composing  the  body  at 
the  time  of  his  coming,  only  two  now  re- 
main. Some  have  moved  to  other  points, 
but  the  greater  number  have  passed  to  their 
reward.  For  many  years  he  has  been  one 
of  its  trustees,  and  for  a  long  time  served 
as  superintendent  of  its  Sunday-school.  The 
church  to  him  has  indeed  been  a  means  of 
grace.  His  love  for  it  has  been  strength- 
ened as  the  years  have  passed  by.  It  is  to 
him  meat  and  drink.  For  it  he  has  ever 
been  willing  to  make  sacrifices  of  time  and 
means,  and  seldom  is  his  place  vacant  at  its 
regular  services.  No  other  organization  has 
ever  been  able  to  draw  him  away,  and  in 
none  other  has  he  ever  had  a  place,  save 
for  a  time  with  the  Good  Templars,  where 


he  hoped  his  influence  might  be  useful  in 
behalf  of  the  temperance  cause.  Mrs.  Cor- 
nell is  also  a  member  of  the  same  church, 
and  for  it  has  the  same  love  that  character- 
izes her  husband. 

For  more  than  fifty-five  years  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Cornell  have  traveled  life's  journey  to- 
gether, happy  in  each  other's  love.  While 
their  hair  has  whitened,  while  they  may  not 
have  that  lightness  of  step  which  was  theirs 
when  they  stood  at  the  altar  and  took  the 
vows  of  husband  and  wife,  their  hearts  are 
light,  and  they  have  the  assurance  that  they 
have  the  love  and  respect  of  their  family 
and  many  friends,  not  alone  in  Elgin,  but 
throughout  Kane  county. 


CHARLES  STERNBERG  is  a  repre- 
V->  sentative  of  that  race  who  have  done 
much  to  advance  the  interests  of  their 
adopted  country,  but  who  always  have  in 
their  hearts  a  strong  love  for  the  fatherland. 
He  was  born  in  Mecklenburg-Schwerin,  Ger- 
many, October  5,  1830,  and  there  grew  to 
manhood,  spending  the  greater  part  of  his 
youth  on  a  farm.  His  educational  advantages 
were  limited,  and  he  therefore  is  almost 
wholly  self-educated,  especially  in  the  Eng- 
lish language,  which  he  acquired  after  com- 
ing to  this  country.  After  reaching  the  age 
of  eighteen  years  he  engaged  at  farm  work 
at  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  dollars  per 
year,  until  his  emigration  to  the  United 
States.  In  1858,  he  bade  farewell  to  home 
and  friends  and  set  sail  for  the  United 
States,  landing  in  this  country  on  the 
eighteenth  of  July.  Coming  direct  to  Dun- 
dee, Kane  county,  he  worked  here  by  the 
day  at  anything  he  could  find  to  do.  In  the 
fall  of  that  year  he  rented  a  farm  in  Mc- 
Henry  county,  and  there  resided  for  five 


I  IO 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


years.  In  1864  he  made  his  first  purchase 
of  land,  securing  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  at 
three  thousand  dollars,  securing  time  on  the 
greater  part  of  its  purchase  price.  There 
was  a  fair  house  and  some  improvements 
on  the  place,  but  Mr.  Sternberg  went  to 
work  and  in  due  time  had  one  of  the  finest 
farms  in  the  township.  He  subsequently 
purchased  fifty-five  acres,  which  made  him 
a  valuable  farm  of  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
five  acres. 

John  Sternberg,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  also  a  native  of  Germany  and 
there  married  Mary  Kracht,  a  Genoa  lady. 
He  came  to  this  country  with  his  son 
Charles,  located  in  Dundee  township,  Kane 
county,  and  there  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  life,  dying  at  the  age  of  seventy-four 
years.  His  wife  survived  him  some  years 
and  died  when  eighty-six  years  old.  They 
were  the  parents  of  seven  children  as  fol- 
lows: Sophia,  who  married  John  Schroeder 
and  moved  with  her  husband  to  Michigan 
and  there  died;  Fred,  a  substantial  farmer 
of  Kane  county,  now  living  a  retired  life  in 
Dundee;  Charles,  of  this  review;  Christo- 
pher, who  was  a  farmer  of  Cook  county, 
but  is  now  deceased;  Christine,  wife  of 
William  Lempke,  a  retired  farmer  of  Dun- 
dee; Henry,  who  died  in  Dundee;  and  John, 
who  died  in  Germany  a  lad  of  fourteen 
years. 

Charles  Sternberg,  our  subject,  was  uni- 
ted in  marriage,  at  Dundee,  January  27, 
1861,  with  Miss  Frederika  Schroeder  also  a 
native  of  Germany  and  born  in  the  same 
state.  Her  father,  Franz  Schroeder,  who 
located  in  Kane  county,  spent  the  last  years 
of  his  life  with  his  children,  dying  here  in 
in  1863.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sternberg  have 
six  living  children — Augusta,  wife  of  John 
Fierke,  residing  in  Dundee;  Fred,  who  is 


married  and  residing  on  the  old  homestead; 
John,  a  business  man  of  Elgin,  also  mar- 
ried; Mary,  residing  at  home;  Henry,  mar- 
ried and  engaged  in  business  in  Dundee; 
and  Emma,  at  home.  Three  of  the  chil- 
dren died  in  early  childhood. 

In  the  fall  of  1886,  Mr.  Sternberg  pur- 
chased a  lot  on  the  corner  of  First  and 
South  streets,  where  he  erected  a  large  and 
substantial  dwelling,  and  where  he  has 
since  lived  a  retired  life.  Politically  he  is 
a  good  Republican,  with  which  party  he  has 
affiliated  since  becoming  a  naturalized  citi- 
zen. He  has  been  a  resident  of  Kane  county 
for  forty  years  and  is  a  well-known  citizen, 
one  who  is  esteemed  for  his  many  excellent 
traits  of  character.  Commencing  life  here 
but  with  little  means,  he  has  accumulated 
sufficient  to  enable  him  to  live  practically  a 
retired  life. 


SIDNEY  HEATH,  who  for  some  years 
lived  retired  in  his  pleasant  home  at 
No.  233  Dundee  avenue,  Elgin,  was  num- 
bered among  the  honored  pioneers  of  Kane 
county,  who  located  here  when  this  locality 
was  a  wild  and  unimproved  region.  In  the 
work  of  development  he  took  an  active  part 
in  the  early  days  and  aided  in  opening  up 
the  country  to  civilization.  As  the  years 
passed  he  faithfully  performed  his  duties  of 
citizenship,  and  his  interest  in  the  welfare 
and  progress  of  the  community  never  abated. 
Mr.  Heath  was  born  in  West  Hartford, 
Connecticut,  January  22,  1812,  and  was  a 
son  of  Richard  Adams  and  Lydia  (Steele) 
Heath.  In  their  family  were  seven  sons 
and  one  daughter,  and  our  subject  was  the 
last  of  the  number  to  enter  into  rest.  The 
birth  of  the  father  occurred  in  Geneseo, 
New  York,  on  Tuesday,  June  7,  1785,  and 


LIBRARY 
Of  THE 


SIDNEY  HEATH. 


MRS.  CHARLOTTE  HEATH. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  early  life  he  learned  the  shoemaker's 
trade.  In  1836  he  emigrated  to  Illinois, 
and  after  stopping  a  short  time  in  Lockport, 
he  came  to  Kane  county  in  the  fall  of  that 
year.  His  son  Joseph  had  purchased  of  Ira 
Minard  a  tract  of  three  hundred  and  forty 
acres,  on  which  the  Northern  Illinois  Hos- 
pital for  the  Insane  is  now  located,  and  this 
he  divided  between  his  father  and  brothers, 
Horace  and  Sidney.  The  father  improved 
and  cultivated  his  portion  until  called  from 
this  life,  dying  on  his  farm  July  10,  1870. 
His  wife,  who  was  born  Tuesday,  December 
23,  1788,  had  passed  away  March  30,  1866. 
Both  were  faithful  members  of  the  Congre- 
gational church,  and  highly  respected  by  all 
who  knew  them. 

Joseph  Heath,  our  subject's  paternal 
grandfather,  was  born  in  New  York,  of  Hol- 
land ancestry,  was  a  fanner  by  occupation 
and  aided  the  colonies  in  their  successful 
struggle  for  independence  during  the  Revo- 
lutionary war.  His  wife  was  of  English  ex- 
traction. The  maternal  grandfather,  Joel 
Steele,  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and 
was  also  an  agriculturist.  He  died  at  the 
age  of  fifty-nine  years. 

Reared  in  Connecticut,  our  subject  was 
educated  in  the  old-fashioned  district  schools, 
and  during  his  youth  learned  the  shoemaker's 
trade,  while  upon  the  home  farm  he  became 
familiar  with  agricultural  pursuits.  At  the 
age  of  fifteen  he  went  to  the  city  of  Hart- 
ford, where  he  worked  under  the  instruction 
of  his  brother  Horace  until  coming  to  Illi- 
nois with  his  family  in  1836.  He  owned 
and  operated  the  farm,  where  the  hospital 
for  the  insane  is  now  located,  until  1870, 
when  he  sold  his  one  hundred  and  forty 
acres  for  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre, 
though  he  had  only  paid  about  five  dollars 
per  acre  for  the  same.  Since  that  time  he 


lived  in  Elgin,  making  his  home  at  his  fam- 
ily residence  for  over  twenty-six  years. 

On  the  28th  of  April,  1833,  Mr.  Heath 
led  to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Charlotte 
Sophia  London,  who  was  born  in  Burling- 
ton, Connecticut,  November  22,  1806,  and 
was  a  daughter  of  Giles  and  Susanna  (Daily) 
London.  Five  children  blessed  this  union 
as  follows:  Charlotte  Sophia,  born  Octo- 
ber 24,  1837,  married  Samuel  H.  Norton; 
George  S.,  born  March  22,  1841,  wedded 
Mary  Cox,  by  whom  he  has  three  children: 
Harry  E. ,  John  S.  and  Howard — and  later 
he  married  again,  and  now  lives  in  Boston; 
Susan  Maria,  born  February  16,  1843,  died 
at  the  age  of  three  years;  Warren  H.,  born 
August  2,  1845,  married  Elvira  Shepard, 
who  died  a  year  later,  in  1870,  and  he  -aft- 
erward married  Sarah  A.  Munger,  of  Wood- 
stock, Illinois,  by  whom  he  has  four  sons — 
Milo  S. ,  Sidney  J.,  George  R.  and  Warren 
H.  One  son  of  our  subject  died  in  infancy. 
For  fifty-eight  and  a  half  years  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Heath  traveled  life's  journey  together, 
and  their's  was  indeed  a  happy  married  life. 
They  celebrated  their  golden  wedding,  but 
our  subject  was  later  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  estimable  wife,  who  died  No- 
vember 9,  1891.  She  was  always  active  up 
to  the  time  of  her  last  illness,  possessed  a 
bright  intellect,  and  was  beloved  by  all  who 
knew  her.  Both  she  and  her  husband  were 
among  the  original  members  who  organized 
the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  El- 
gin, in  1837,  and  he  was  the  last  of  that 
little  band  to  survive.  He  belonged  to  the 
first  class  formed  here,  and  for  many  years 
served  as  class  leader  and  steward.  Al- 
though his  father  and  brothers  were  all 
Democrats,  Mr.  Heath  joined  the  Repub- 
lican party  on  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
war,  and  voted  for  President  Lincoln.  When 


114 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


eighty-four  years  of  age  he  was  still  quite 
active  and  strong,  and  had  a  good  memory. 
He  was  never  seriously  ill  until  eighty  years 
of  age,  owing  probably  to  his  temperate 
habits.  He  was  always  a  quiet,  unosten- 
tatious man,  but  his  fellow  citizens  recog 
nized  his  true  worth,  and  elected  him  to  a 
number  of  township  offices.  Very  consci- 
entious and  strictly  honorable  in  all  his  deal- 
ings, he  became  widely  and  favorably  known, 
and  had  many  warm  friends.  His  death  oc- 
curred November  14,  1897,  and  his  remains 
were  laid  to  rest  beside  those  of  his  loved 
companion,  who  preceded  him  to  their 
heavenly  home.  In  his  death  one  more  of 
that  number  of  heroic  men  who  located  in 
Kane  county  in  pioneer  days  was  called  to 
his  reward.  His  familiar  figure  will  no 
more  go  in  and  out  among  us,  but  of  him  it 
can  be  truthfully  said,  "Blessed  are  the 
dead  who  die  in  the  Lord,  for  they  shall 
rest  from  their  labor  and  their  works  do  fol- 
low them.  " 


B.  PERKINS,  secretary  of  the 
1  school  board  of  the  city  of  Elgin,  is  a 
native  of  Illinois,  born  in  Barrington,  Cook 
county,  July  8,  1841,  and  is  a  representa- 
tive of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  families 
of  the  state,  his  parents,  Thomas  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Proctor)  Perkins,  both  of  sturdy 
Puritan  ancestry,  having  left  their  home  in 
Essex,  Massachusetts,  and  locating  in  Bar- 
rington in  1838,  then  an  almost  unbroken 
wilderness.  They  at  once  identified  them- 
selves with  the  religious  and  educational  in- 
terests of  the  community,  and  helped  to 
shape  the  early  influences  in  the  right  di- 
rection. In  their  pioneer  log  house  was 
taught  one  of  the  first  schools  of  the  town- 
ship, and  often  religious  meetings  were  held 
in  the  same  place.  The  colporteur  and 


itinerant  preacher  of  whatever  creed  always 
found  a  welcotne,  and  in  consequence  of 
their  open  door  for  such  guests  it  gained 
the  name  of  Deacon's  Tavern.  Their  first 
church  home  was  with  the  Congregational 
church  at  Elgin,  six  miles  away,  whence 
they  made  their  way  on  the  Sabbath  over 
prairie  and  through  woodland  on  foot 
or  by  the  slow-going  ox  wagon.  Later 
they  were  charter  members  of  the  Dun- 
dee Congregational  church,  and  still  later 
of  the  church  at  Barrington,  near  their  own 
farm  home.  They  were  pronounced  in 
their  views  on  temperance  and  slavery  and 
gave  all  possible  aid  to  all  reforms.  Their 
home  was  often  the  haven  of  rest  to  the 
black  man  on  his  way  to  Canada  and  free- 
dom, and  it  was  one  of  the  many  where  was 
fostered  that  spirit  of  loyalty  to  the  govern- 
ment and  right  that  a  generation  later  bore 
fruitage  in  an  army  of  -a  million  men  who 
sprang  to  arms  to  maintain  our  free  institu- 
tions. The  father  died  in  1857  aged  fifty- 
six  years,  his  life  no  doubt  shortened  by  the 
hardships  incident  to  making  a  home  under 
the  adverse  circumstances  of  a  new  county. 
He  held  honorably  the  office  of  deacon  of 
the  church  for  many  years  and  though  never 
prominent  in  politics  was  ever  ready  to  bear 
his  share  of  the  responsibilities  of  citizen- 
ship. He  had  acquired  a  comfortable  com- 
petence when  he  was  called  to  lay  down  his 
life  work,  but  the  most  precious  legacy  left 
his  family  was  an  unsullied  name.  His  wife 
Elizabeth  survived  him  some  years,  during 
which  time  she  lived  in  Elgin,  passing  away 
in  1 88 1  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years. 
She  was  a  woman  of  heroic  mold  and  the 
privation  incident  to  the  rough  life  of  a 
new  country  served  to  bring  into  action  the 
best  and  bravest  of  her  nature.  As  in  most 
homes  transplanted  from  the  refinements  of 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  east,  the  mother  felt  most  keenly  the 
limited  advantages  for  schooling  that  the 
future  seemed  to  promise,  and  no  toil  or 
effort  was  too  great  so  that  educational  ad- 
vantages might  be  provided  for  the  family 
growing  up  about  her.  A  like  spirit  was  in 
other  homes  of  this  region  and  no  wonder 
that  our  present  splendid  school  system 
came  into  existence.- 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  one  of  a 
family  of  seven  children  of  whom  four 
reached  adult  age.  Three  brothers  died  in 
early  life.  Elizabeth  married  Rev.  John 
V.  Downs,  a  pioneer  Presbyterian  minister 
of  Illinois,  and  died  at  the  age  of  sixty. 
John  Proctor  was  for  many  years  a  con- 
ductor on  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern 
railroad,  now  retired  from  active  business, 
resides  at  Rockford,  Illinois.  Lydia  Choatc 
married  Dr.  Edgar  Winchester,  who  was 
for  a  number  of  years  a  physician  of  large 
practice  in  Elgin,  and,  later,  of  San  Ber- 
nardino, California,  where  he  died  and 
where  she  now  resides. 

The  first  sixteen  years  of  his  life  Francis 
B.  Perkins  spent  upon  the  farm  home, 
thence  after  his  father's  death  coming  to 
Elgin  to  live  with  his  mother,  when  for 
three  years  he  attended  the  Elgin  Academy, 
preparatory  to  entering  Beloit  College  of 
Wisconsin,  where  he  was  pursuing  his  stud- 
ies at  the  outbreak  of  the  war.  In  August, 
i86i,at  the  first  call  for  three-years  men  Mr. 
Perkins  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Thirty-sixth 
Illinois  Infantry  Volunteers,  and  at  once 
took  the  field  with  his  regiment.  In  the 
campaign  early  in  1862, under  the  command 
of  General  Curtis,  ending  in  the  decisive  bat- 
tle of  Pea  Ridge  and  the  expulsion  of  armed 
Confederates  from  the  state  of  Missouri,  he 
bore  his  share  in  the  vicissitudes  of  camp 
march  and  battle  field.  About  June  i,  1862, 


a  part  of  General  Curtis'  command,  in  which 
was  the  Thirty-sixth  Illinois,  was  hurried  to 
strengthen  the  lines  in  front  of  Corinth, 
Mississippi,  where  it  arrived  just  before  its 
evacuation.  About  this  time  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  Company  K,  Fifty-second  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  remaining  a  member  of 
that  regiment  till  the  close  of  his  service, 
though  on  detached  duty  the  last  part  in 
the  Topographical  Engineer  Corps.  In  this 
branch  of  the  service  he  took  part  in  the 
Atlanta  campaign  under  General  Sherman, 
during  the  summer  of  1864.  After  the  fall 
of  Atlanta,  his  term  of  enlistment  having  ex- 
pired, he  was  honorably  discharged  from  the 
army  and  came  home.  After  a  few  months 
of  study  in  Bryant's  Commercial  College  in 
Chicago,  he  again  entered  the  service  of  the 
government  in  the  quartermaster's  depart- 
ment, as  draughtsman  and  clerk,  and  was 
located  at  Columbus,  Kentucky,  Alexandria, 
Virginia,  and  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  remain- 
ing until  the  winding  up  of  affairs  by  reason 
of  the  close  of  the  war.  During  the  season 
of  1866  he  engaged  in  cotton  planting  on 
the  Arkansas  river  bottoms,  and  was  for- 
tunately one  of  the  few  who  found  it  a  pay- 
ing venture.  In  the  fall  of  1868  he  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Elgin  National  Watch 
Co.,  and  worked  for  them  twenty  years. 
Seventeen  years  he  was  a  foreman  of  a  de- 
partment and  many  valuable  improvements 
in  the  manufacture  of  watches  were  made 
and  introduced  by  him  during  this  time. 

In  1869  he  married  Mary  E.  Raymond, 
a  daughter  of  an  early  settler,  Augustine 
Raymond.  She  was  educated  at  the  Elgin 
Academy  and  at  eastern  schools  and  was 
assistant  principal  of  the  Elgin  High  School 
at  the  time  of  their  marriage. 

She  was  an  active  worker  in  the  Con- 
gregational church  of  which  she  was  a  mem- 


n6 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


her  and  an  efficient  and  faithful  Sunday- 
school  teacher.  She  died  in  1873,  leaving 
one  son,  Thomas  E. ,  now  twenty-five  years 
old,  a  musician  by  profession.  His  musical 
education  was  obtained  under  teachers  at 
home  and  in  Chicago  and  completing  and 
graduating  from  the  Metropolitan  College  of 
Music  in  New  York  City  in  1897.  He  is 
now  organist  at  the  church  of  the  Pilgrims, 
Brooklyn,  New  York. 

Mr.  Perkins  has  been  a  member  of  the  First 
Congregational  church  since  his  sixteenth 
year,  serving  the  church  at  different  times 
in  the  offices  of  clerk,  trustee  and  deacon, 
which  office  he  now  holds. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic  and  is  actively  interested  in  all 
that  the  organization  stands  for.  He  is  also 
secretary  of  the  $2d  Illinois  Veteran  Volun- 
teer Association  and  is  ever  ready  to  help 
and  encourage  his  former  comrades  in  arms. 

The  influence  of  the  forty  years  spent  in 
the  community  where  he  now  lives  has  al- 
ways been  found  on  the  side  of  right  and 
order  and  he  has  taken  an  active  part  in 
promoting  those  measures  which  he  believes 
calculated  to  advance  the  educational, 
moral,  and  material  welfare  of  his  city. 


EZRA  HANSON,  deceased,  was  for  many 
years  one  of  the  honored  and  highly- 
respected  citizens  of  Elgin.  He  was  born 
in  Lebanon,  Maine,  April  22,  1806,  a  son 
of  John  B.  and  Dorcas  (Libby)  Hanson,  also 
natives  of  the  Pine  Tree  state,  in  whose 
family  were  fifteen  children,  six  of  whom 
reached  years  of  maturity,  the  others  dying 
either  inr  infancy  or  early  childhood.  The 
father,  who  was  a  saddler  and  harnessmaker 
by  trade,  died  in  the  east  at  about  the  age 
of  fifty  years,  and  his  wife  when  forty-eight 


years  of  age.  The  paternal  grandfather, 
who  was  of  English  extraction,  was  a  ship- 
builder of  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire, 
and  was  killed  while  launching  one  of  his 
vessels. 

In  his  native  state  Ezra  Hanson  grew  to 
manhood,  and  on  the  5th  of  September, 
1833,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Catherine  Kimball  Upton,  who  traced  her 
ancestry  back  to  one  of  the  earliest  families 
in  America,  its  founder  being  John  Upton, 
who  was  born  in  1620,  and  came  to  New 
England  in  1639  or  a  short  time  previous. 
He  became  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of 
Salem,  Massachusetts,  served  as  constable, 
was  otherwise  prominently  identified  with 
the  growth  and  development  of  Salem,  and 
died  July  11,  1699.  His  son  William  was 
born  in  Salem,  June  10,  1663,  and  died  in 
'739  or  !74°-  He  and  his  brother  received 
the  Woodhill  and  other  land  in  Salem  from 
their  father.  Paul  Upton,  the  son  of  Will- 
iam, was  born  in  1709,  and  was  the  father 
of  Ezra  and  grandfather  of  David  Upton, 
who  was  Mrs.  Hanson's  father.  The  last 
named  was  born  in  Danvers,  Massachusetts, 
in  1772,  and  died  in  August,  1836;  his  wife 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Hepzibah  Flint. 

In  1837  Mr.  Hanson  came  west,  and 
first  located  on  a  farm  near  Sycamore,  De- 
Kalb  county,  Illinois.  In  1843  he  removed 
to  Burlington,  Kane  county,  and  in  1854 
came  to  Elgin,  and  made  this  place  his 
home  until  called  to  the  world  beyond,  June 
15,  1890.  Although  he  was  a  member  of 
no  religious  denomination,  he  regularly  at- 
tended the  services  of  the  Baptist  church, 
and  called  himself  an  "outside  deacon." 
A  man  of  sterling  integrity  and  strictly  hon- 
est, he  helped  many  to  a  better,  nobler  and 
higher  life,  and  he  was  both  widely  and  fa- 
vorably known  throughout  Kane  county. 


EZRA  HANSON. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


He  was  of   a  genial  and   jovial  disposition, 
and  was  a  great  hand  to  tell  jokes. 

Mrs.  Hanson,  who  was  born  in  North 
Reading,  Massachusetts,  August  20,  1812, 
died  in  Elgin  March  28,  1876.  She  was  a 
devout  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  led 
a  blameless  and  noble  life,  devoting  most  of 
her  time  to  the  interests  of  her  family.  The 
children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hanson  were 
as  follows:  Joseph  H.,  born  October  16, 
1835,  was  an  attorney,  who  died  in  Elgin 
August  14,  1892;  Mary  Upton,  born  Janu- 
ary 10,  1839,  in  Sycamore,  Illinois,  is  one 
of  the  highly-respected  citizens  of  Elgin; 
Edward,  born  in  Sycamore  November  15, 
1840,  died  September  9,  1841;  Daniel  King, 
born  in  Campton,  Illinois.  October  5,  1844, 
died  in  Burlington,  Kane  county,  July  29, 
.845. 


H.  KNOTT,  who  is  now 
successfully  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business  at  No.  482  Park  street,  Elgin,  be- 
gan-his  earthly  career  in  Leicester,  England, 
February  8,  1838,  and  in  that  place  his 
parents,  John  P.  and  Eliza  (Knott)  Knott, 
were  also  born.  The  paternal  grandfather 
spent  his  '  entire  life  in  England,  but  the 
maternal  grandfather,  Thomas  Knott,  came 
to  America  in  1844,  and  located  in  Camp- 
ton  township,  Kane  county,  Illinois.  Later 
he  removed  to  Chicago,  where  his  wife 
died,  and  he  subsequently  made  his  home- 
for  a  number  of  years  in  Mishwaukee,  Indi- 
ana. He  was  a  turner  by  trade,  and  con- 
tinued to  work  at  the  turning  lathe  until 
eighty-three  years  of  age.  He  died  two 
years  later  in  Turner  Junction,  Illinois.  In 
his  family  were  six  children. 

John  P.  Knott,  our  subject's  father,  was 
a  shoemaker  by  trade.  In  early  life  he 
came  to  the  new  world,  but  after  spending 


eight  years  in  St.  Johns,  New  Brunswick, 
he  returned  to  England.  However,  he 
again  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1842,  and  after 
living  for  a  short  time  in  Campton,  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  he  located  in  Chicago,  and 
for  ten  or  twelve  years  conducted  a  shoe 
store  at  No.  9  Dearborn  street.  Later  he 
spent  three  or  four  years  at  No.  67  Ran- 
dolph street,  and  from  there  removed  to 
West  Madison  street,  but  in  1859  he  sold 
out  and  came  to  Elgin,  where  he  continued 
to  make  his  home  until  his  death.  Here  he 
was  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  until 
his  store  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1865, 
after  which  he  lived  retired.  He  died  in 
1876,  aged  sixty-seven  years,  and  his  wife 
passed  away  in  June,  1895,  a^  the  age  of 
eighty-three.  Both  were  earnest  and  con- 
sistent members  of  the  Baptist  church,  and 
were  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  them. 
Their  family  numbered  six  sons  and  one 
daughter,  but  only  two  are  now  living — 
George  H.  and  Wallace  H.,  both  of  Elgin. 

Reared  in  Chicago,  George  H.  Knott 
attended  the  old  Fort  Dearborn  school,  later 
pursued  his  studies  in  a  private  school  con- 
ducted in  the  Methodist  church,  on  Jeffer- 
son street,  in  that  city,  and  after  coming  to 
Elgin,  completed  his  education  in  the  Elgin 
high  school,  under  the  direction  of  Professor 
Francis  F.  Haywood.  He  had  clerked  in  a 
number  of  stores  in  Chicago  before  coming 
to  Elgin  in  1859,  and  with  the  exception  of 
the  time  spent  in  the  army  and  one  year 
passed  in  Philadelphia,  he  has  since  been 
identified  with  the  mercantile  interests  of 
this  city. 

In  August,  1862,  Mr.  Knott  enlisted  in 
Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
seventh  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
after  serving  for  two  years  with  that  regi- 
ment he  was  detached  and  was  with  the  con- 


120 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


solidated  A  and  B  Battery  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  He  took  part  in  the  battles  of 
Chickasaw  Bayou,  Arkansas  Post  and  Nash- 
ville, the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  the  Atlanta 
campaign,  and  many  minor  engagements, 
and  on  the  22d  of  July,  1864,  when  Gen- 
eral McPherson  fell,  he  was  taken  prisoner, 
being  confined  in  Andersonville  for  sixty-one 
days. 

Mr.  Knott  went  to  Philadelphia  in  1865, 
but  the  following  year  returned  to  Elgin, 
where  he  clerked  in  a  grocery  store  until 
1870,  when  he  embarked  in  the  same  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account  in  partnership  with 
John  Cox,  under  the  firm  style  of  Cox  & 
Knott.  At  the  jend  of  five  years  Mr.  Cox 
withdrew  and  our  subject  continued  the 
business  alone  for  the  same  length  of  time, 
but  at  the  end  of  that  period  sold  out.  Two 
years  later  he  began  dealing  in  coal  oil, 
which  business  he  carried  on  for  seven  years, 
but  for  the  past  thirteen  years  has  again 
been  interested  in  the  grocery  trade,  con- 
ducting a  store  for  some  time  on  Chicago 
street,  but  now  carries  on  operations  at  his 
home  place,  No.  482  Park  street,  where  he 
has  a  neat  store  stocked  with  a  fine  grade 
of  goods. 

On  the  8th  of  July,  1860,  Mr,  Knott  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  E.  An- 
drews, an  adopted  daughter  of  David  E. 
Ambrose,  and  to  them  were  born  two  chil- 
dren— Lillie  M.,  now  the  wife  of  Walter 
Middleton,  by  whom  she  has  one  son, 
Walter;  and  Emma  E.,  wife  of  Charles  J. 
Reynolds,  of  Beloit,  Wisconsin,  by  whom 
she  has  seven  children.  Mrs.  Knott,  who 
was  a  faithful  member  of  the  Baptist  church, 
died  in  1871,  and  for  his  second  wife  our 
subject  chose  Josephine  Tourtellotte,  who 
died  fifteen  months  after  her  marriage.  She, 
too,  was  a  Baptist  in  religious  belief.  Mr. 


Knott  was  again  married  October  19,  1875, 
his  third  union  being  with  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Sears,  and  two  sons  have  been  born  to  them 
— George  R.  and  Leon  S. 

Politically,  Mr.  Knott  is  identified  with 
the  Republican  party;  socially  belongs  to 
Veteran  post,  No.  49,  G.  A.  R. ;  and  relig- 
iously is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church, 
while  his  present  wife  is  connected  with  the 
Methodist  church.  They  have  many  warm 
friends  throughout  the  community,  and  they 
justly  deserve  the  high  regard  in  which  they 
are  held  by  all  who  know  them. 


ELISHA  DUNBAR  WALDRON  has  for 
many  years  been  one  of  the  conspicu- 
ous business  men  of  Elgin,  in  which  city  he 
was  born  January  27,  1848.  His  father, 
Andrew  J.  Waldron,  came  west  in  1842,  and 
after  a  brief  residence  in  Batavia  made  El- 
gin his  permanent  home  (1845),  living  for 
many  years  on  the  present  site  of  "The 
Spurling,"  where  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day. 

The  father  was  a  native  of  Vermont  and 
his  wife,  Calista  S.  (Smith)  Waldron,  was 
born  in  New  York.  They  were  the  parents 
of  three  children:  Martha,  now  the  wife  of 
Joseph  Vollor;  E.  Dunbar;  and  Bertha,  wife 
of  Dr.  W.  G.  Stone,  all  living  in  Elgin. 
The  Waldron  family  traces  its  ancestry  to 
Coventry,  England,  and  the  first  of  the 
name  to  come  to  America  was  George  Wal- 
dron, who  landed  at  Boston  in  1670.  The 
name  of  Andrew  J.  Waldron  is  indelibly 
stamped  upon  the  pioneer  history  of  Elgin, 
where,  as  an  attorney,  justice  of  the  peace, 
banker  or  business  man,  his  integrity  was 
never  questioned  and  his  business  judgment 
was  implicitly  relied  upon.  He  was  twice 
elected  mayor  and  successfully  administered 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


121 


the  affairs  of  the  city.  He  with  five  others 
was  the  original  mover  in  securing  the  loca- 
tion of  the  National  Watch  Factory. 

It  is  but  natural,  therefore,  that  E.  Dun- 
bar  Waldron,  who  has  inherited  the  public 
spirit  of  his  father,  should  occupy  to  day  a 
prominent  place  in  his  native  city  as  a  man 
whose  energy  and  enterprise  have  been 
largely  instrumental  in  encouraging  and  fos- 
tering the  city's  commercial  and  industrial 
interests,  as  well  as  in  promoting  in  many 
ways  the  ethical,  educational  and  religious: 
well-being  of  the  community. 

After  a  practical  education  in  the  public 
schools  and  the  Elgin  Academy,  Mr.  Wal- 
dron left,  on  account  of  poor  health,  to  work 
in  a  lumber  yard,  hoping  to  be  benefited  by 
the  outdoor  exercise,  and  the  result  was 
highly  satisfactory.  For  eighteen  months 
he  was  a  clerk  in  the  Elgin  postoffice.  His 
commercial  instincts  prompted  him  to  en- 
gage in  business  for  himself,  and  he  devoted 
the  next  two  years  to  a  book  store,  of  which 
he  had  become  proprietor. 

At  this  time  Chicago,  the  great  commer- 
cial heart  of  the  greater  northwest,  at- 
tracted him  and  he  invested  in  the  whole- 
sale wood  and  willowware  business,  giving 
it  his  personal  attention  until  1871,  when 
the  great  fire  destroyed  the  city,  and  swept 
his  interests  there  out  of  existence.  He 
then  returned  to  Elgin  and  assisted  in  or- 
ganizing the  Home  National  Bank,  of  which 
he  soon  became  assistant  cashier,  and  then 
cashier,  filling  the  latter  important  position 
of  trust  for  eighteen  years.  He  still  retains 
his  interest  in  the  bank,  and  since  1890  has 
been  its  first  vice-president.  He  is  also 
president  of  the  Home  Saving  Bank. 

Conservatively  progressive,  Mr.  Waldron 
has  always  been  ready  to  help  anything  cal- 
culated to  help  Elgin,  and  many  of  his  best 


investments  have  been  partially  prompted 
by  his  loyalty  to  the  city  of  his  birth.  He 
is  at  present,  in  addition  to  the  above, 
treasurer  of  the  Elgin  Loan  and  Homestead 
Association,  having  held  that  position  since 
the  organization  of  the  society;  treasurer 
of  the  Elgin  Packing  Company;  treasurer 
of  the  Elgin  City,  Carpentersville  &  Aurora 
Railway;  President  of  the  Elgin  Lumber 
Company;  and  a  stockholder  in  the  National 
Watch  Company,  the  South  Elgin  Stone 
Company,  and  other  prosperous  enter- 
prises. He  has  also  held  the  office  of  city 
treasurer  a  number  of  times.  A  Republican 
in  politics,  but  believing  in  the  purity,  of 
municipal  government  regardless  of  party 
lines,  Mr.  Waldron  has  always  exerted  a 
quiet  influence  upon  local  politics. 

He  is  a  member;  of  the  board  of  trus- 
tees of  the  Elgin  Academy,  a  member  of 
the  Chicago  Chapter  of  the  Sons  of  the 
American  Revolution,  the  Union  League 
Club,  of  Chicago,  and  an  honorary  mem- 
ber of  the  Chicago  Bankers'  Club.  A  Uni- 
versalist  in  religion,  he  has  done  much  to 
aid  that  body,  and  the  beautiful  pipe  organ 
in  the  Universalist  church  of  Elgin  is  the 
gift  of  Mr.  Waldron  and  his  sisters,  in 
memory  of  their  mother,  Mrs.  Calista  Wal- 
dron Slade. 

On  December  2,  1873,  Mr.  Waldron 
was  married  to  Miss  Louise  Town,  a 
daughter  of  J.  J.  and  Esther  (Graves) 
Town,  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa.  Their  home 
is  at  No.  181  South  Gifford  street,  occupy- 
ing a  commanding  elevation,  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  three  acres  of  sloping  lawn, 
shaded  by  venerable  trees.  It  is  one  of  El- 
gin's most  substantial  and  beautiful  homes. 
In  Elgin  and  wherever  known,  the  name  of 
E.  Dunbar  Waldron  is  synonym  for  those 
qualities  that  go  to  make  life  worth  living. 


J22 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


JOHN  NEWMAN.  —  In  proportion  to  its 
population  the  city  of  Elgin  numbers 
among  its  men  of  wealth,  standing,  charac- 
ter and  business  enterprise  as  many  as  any 
city  in  the  land.  Among  those  recognized 
as  being  in  the  front,  and  whose  skill  and 
ability  is  unquestioned,  is  the  man  whose 
name  heads  this  sketch,  one  who  came  to 
this  country  from  across  the  water  some 
forty  years  ago,  an  unknown  lad,  without 
influential  friends  to  aid  him  in  life's  work. 
However,  he  brought  with  him  a  stout 
heart,  willing  hands  and  a  determination  to 
succeed,  and  success  has  crowned  his  efforts 
in  a  remarkable  degree. 

A  native  of  England,  Mr.  Newman  was 
born  at  Bishop  Stortford,  Herefordshire, 
March  u,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  William 
and  Emma  (Thurgood)  Newman,  also  na- 
tives of  England,  who  lived  and  died  in 
that  country.  Leaving  school  at  the  age 
of  fourteen  years,  he  was  apprenticed  to  a 
a  draper  and  grocer,  with  whom  he  contin- 
ued three  years,  and  then  resolved  to  come 
to  the  United  States,  where  the  opportuni- 
ties were  much  greater  than  in  his  own 
country  for  the  enterprising  person.  He 
was  in  his  eighteenth  year  when  he  left  his 
English  home,  and  on  the  29th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1859,  he  landed  at  New  York,  and  one 
month  later  he  located  in  Chicago,  where 
he  found  employment  with  Potter  Palmer  as 
clerk  in  his  dry-goods  store.  After  remain- 
ing with  Mr.  Palmer  for  about  a  year,  he 
engaged  with  Ross  &  Foster,  with  whom  he 
continued  until  1864.  Instead  of  spending 
all  his  salary  on  good  clothes  and  for  per- 
sonal pleasure,  as  is  so  often  done  by  mer- 
cantile clerks,  from  the  amount  received 
each  payday  he  laid  aside  a  portion,  until 
his  accumulations  were  sufficient  to  justify 
embarking  in  business  on  his  own  account. 


Even  at  that  time  Elgin  was  quite  a  trading 
point,  with  a  good  reputation,  and  on  leav- 
ing the  employ  of  Ross  &  Foster  he  came 
direct  to  this  place  and  bought  out  the  dry- 
goods  store  of  M.  &  J.  McNeil,  which  busi- 
ness he  still  continues.  From  that  time  to 
the  present,  more  than  a  third  of  a  cen- 
tury, he  has  been  identified  with  the  busi- 
ness interests  of  the  city.  The  store  pur- 
chased of  the  McNeils  has  grown  with  the 
city's  growth  until  to-day  it  is  one  of  the 
largest  in  Kane  county.  To  its  supervision 
he  has  always  given  his  personal  attention, 
and  his  stock  is  at  all  times  varied  and 
suited  to  the  times. 

As  his  means  increased  Mr.  Newman  has 
branched  out  and  invested  in  other  enter- 
prises that  have  not  alone  added  to  his  in- 
dividual wealth,  but  to  the  wealth  and  gen- 
eral prosperity  of  the  city.  About  1876  he 
established  the  Spring  Brook  creamery  at 
Elgin.  The  business  was  commenced  in  a 
modest  way,  but  with  the  determination  to 
make  it  noted  for  the  excellent  quality  of 
butter  and  cheese  manufactured.  It  was 
but  a  short  time  before  it  became  known 
that  the  mark  upon  the  boxes  and  cases 
"From  the  Spring  Brook  Creamery,"  was 
a  guarantee  of  excellent  quality.  Year  by 
year  the  business  increased  and  creamery 
after  creamery  was  added  until  to-day  the 
Spring  Brook  creameries  have  over  forty 
plants  in  active  operation.  The  same  good 
quality  has  ever  been  maintained  and  the 
reputation  of  its  manufactured  product  is  a 
No.  i.  The  business  is  now  conducted  by 
the  John  Newman  Company,  of  which  he 
is  the  principal  proprietor,  being  ably  as- 
sisted by  his  brother,  Joseph  Newman,  in 
the  general  management. 

For  some  years  Mr.  Newman  has  been 
a  stockholder  in  the  First  National  Bank  of 


JOHN   NEWMAN. 


IHE 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


125 


Elgin,  a  stockholder  and  president  of  the 
Elgin  City  Banking  Company,  one  of  the 
strongest  and  safest  savings  banks  in  the 
state  outside  of  Chicago.  His  conservative 
nature,  combined  with  a  progressive  spirit, 
makes  him  a  model  officer  of  such  a  finan- 
cial institution.'  For  many  years  he  acted 
as  treasurer  and  vice-president  of  the  Elgin 
Board  of  Trade,  and  since  1894  has  been  its 
president,  a  position  which  he  ably  fills,  and 
which  enables  him  to  do  much  for  his 
adopted  city.  He  never  hesitates  to  do  that 
which  will  advance  the  general  interests  of 
the  city  and  cause  it  to  occupy  a  front  rank 
among  its  sister  cities  in  the  great  common- 
wealth of  Illinois. 

Mr.  Newman  has  been  twice  married, 
his  first  union  being  with  Miss  Haddie  Vir- 
ginia Beaty,  daughter  of  Colonel  John  Farr 
Beaty,  who  was  for  many  years  secretary 
of  the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade.  Their 
marriage  was  celebrated  September  5,  1867, 
at  the  home  of  the  bride's  parents  in  Elgin. 
By  this  union  were  four  children:  Paul  B. , 
who  is  associated  with  his  father  in  the  mer- 
cantile trade;  John  B.,  who  is  employed  in 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Elgin;  Hattie,  a 
young  lady  admired  and  esteemed  by  all 
who  knew  her,  who  was  called  from  this  life 
May  5,  1895;  and  William,  who  is  in  the  of- 
fice of  the  John  Newman  Company.  The 
mother  of  these  children  died  April  27, 
1876.  She  was  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  church,  one  whose  life 
was  in  strict  conformity  to  the  teachings  of 
the  lowly  Nazarene. 

The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Newman 
was  on  the  27th  of  October,  1887,  when 
he  wedded  Mrs.  Laura  J.  Borden,  of  Fort 
Bend  county,  Texas,  a  daughter  of  Ezekiel 
and  Martha  M.  (Winfrey)  George,  natives 
of  Wharton  county,  Texas.  She  is  a  lady 

6 


of  high  culture  and  rare  social  qualities, 
a  member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church,  and  enjoys  the  love  and  esteem  of 
all  who  know  her. 

Politically,  Mr.  Newman  is  a  Democrat, 
with  which  party  he  has  acted  since  becom- 
ing a  citizen  of  the  United  States.  In  1896, 
on  the  division  of  the  party  on  the  silver 
question,  he  took  the  gold  side,  believing 
the  honor  and  integrity  of  the  country 
should  be  maintained,  and  not  degraded  as 
it  would  be  by  a  debased  currency  as  advo- 
cated by  those  favoring  the  unlimited  coin- 
age of  silver  at  the  ratio  of  16  to  i.  He  is 
known  as  a  Cleveland  Democrat.  While  a 
politician  in  the  true  sense  of  the  term,  he 
has  never  been  an  office  seeker.  Time  and 
again  he  has  been  solicited  to  give  the  use 
of  his  name  as  a  candidate  for  mayor  of  El- 
gin, but  has  inyariably  refused  the  proffered 
honor.  The  only  political  office  he  ever 
held  was  that  of  trustee  of  the  Northern 
Illinois  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  receiving 
his  appointment  from  Governor  Altgeld. 
While  he  held  the  office  he  discharged  his 
duties  faithfully  and  well,  to  the  entire  sat- 
isfaction of  all  concerned.  Because  of  the 
fact  that  he  could  not  agree  with  the  gov- 
ernor in  his  peculiar  views  on  the  silver 
question,  or  become  a  tool  in  his  hand,  he 
was  removed  by  that  gentleman,  an  act  that 
did  the  governor  no  good,  but  which  made 
Mr.  Newman  many  warm  friends. 

A  friend  of  education,  Mr.  Newman 
served  for  many  years  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  education  of  Elgin,  and  for  six 
years  was  its  president.  During  that  time 
four  new  school  buildings  were  erected. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  has  been  treas- 
urer of  the  Elgin  Opera  House  Company. 
He  has  always  held  a  prominent  place  in 
musical  circles,  and  for  years  was  president 


126 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  the  Elgin  Choral  Union.  The  only 
society  with  which  he  is  connected  is  the 
St.  George  Benevolent  Society,  of  which  he 
was  presiding  officer  for  a  long  time.  Re- 
ligiously he  is  a  member  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church,  and  for  that  Church  in 
Elgin  he  has  done  much  in  various  ways, 
contributing  of  his  time  and  means  to  its 
upbuilding.  He  is  also  one  of  the  leading 
members  of  the  Century  Club  of  Elgin. 

While  Mr.  Newman  is  known  as  one  of 
the  most  prosperous  business  men  of  Elgin, 
it  must  not  be  supposed  that  it  has  always 
been  smooth  sailing  with  him,  and  that  no 
losses  have  been  experienced.  Twice  he 
was  burned  out,  entailing  upon  him  heavy 
losses,  but  like  the  famed  Phoenix,  there 
arose  from  the  ashes  larger  and  better  build- 
ings and  more  extensive  stocks  than  before. 
On  one  occasion  when  burned  out,  and 
while  the  smoke  was  still  going  up,  he 
rented  a  vacant  storeroom,  went  to  Chicago, 
purchased  a  new  stock,  and  was  ready  for 
business  within  two  days. 

Such  in  brief  is  the  life  record  of  John 
Newman.  For  more  than  a  third  of  a  cen- 
tury he  has  gone  in  and  out  among  the 
people  of  Elgin,  leaving  his  impress  upon 
almost  every  public  enterprise,  giving  of 
his  time  and  means  to  advance  the  city's 
interest.  Broad  and  liberal  minded,  he  is 
honored  and  respected  by  all.  While  at 
all  times  having  a  large  number  of  men  in 
his  employ,  he  treats  them  kindly  and  in  a 
considerate  manner,  showing  himself  to  be 
their  friend  as  they  are  his  friends,  and  will 
do  for  him  everything  in  their  power. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newman  reside  in  a  beauti- 
ful home  at  No.  321  Division  street,  Elgin, 
which  is  the  abode  of  genuine  hospitality, 
and  where  many  friends  are  received  and 
handsomely  entertained.  They  have  like- 


wise a  fine  summer  residence  on  Lake 
Geneva,  Wisconsin,  where  they  spend  a 
portion  of  the  year.  They  believe  in  enjoy- 
ing this  life,  as  well  they  may. 


I SAAC  V.  DOTY  is  a  retired  farmer  resid- 
1  ing  on  section  28.  Hampshire  township, 
and  who  has  spent  more  than  fifty-three 
years  of  his  life  in  Kane  county,  Illinois.  He 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Granville,  near  Lake 
Champlain,  Washington  county,  New  York, 
January  17,  1819,  and  is  second  in  a  family 
of  five  children  born  to  Levi  and  Sallie 
(Bredenburgh)  Doty.  The  father  was  a 
farmer  and  owned  a  large  tract  of  land  in 
Washington  county,  New  York. 

When  our  subject  was  but  nine  years 
old  his  mother  died,  and  until  the  age  of 
sixteen  or  seventeen  years  he  attended  a 
common  school  of  his  native  state,  after 
which  he  did  farm  work  for  neighbors. 
Later  he  rented  a  part  of  his  father's  farm, 
and,  being  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ce- 
leste Thorington,  began  life  for  himself.  She 
died  leaving  one  child,  Margaret,  now  the 
wife  of  Porter  Baldwin,  by  whom  she  has 
six  children. 

In  May,  1845,  Mr.  Doty  left  his  native 
state  for  the  west,  taking  a  canal  boat  at 
Whitehall  to  Buffalo,  New  York,  the  fare 
being  two  dollars.  They  carried  their  own 
provisions  with  them  for  use  upon  the  boat. 
From  Buffalo  they  went  to  Chicago  by  lake, 
the  fare  for  which  was  three  dollars.  From 
Chicago  they  came  to  what  is  now  Starks 
Station,  in  Rutland  township,  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  where  a  brother-in-law  was  then 
living.  He  began  farming  on  Starks'  farm, 
where  he  remained  three  years,  and  then 
moved  to  Hampshire  township,  to  the  farm 
of  his  wife's  father,  eighty  acres  of  which 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


127 


had  been  deeded  to  her.  This  our  subject 
commenced  at  once  to  improve,  erected 
every  building,  made  every  rod  of  fence,  set 
out  many  of  the  shade  trees,  and  for  many 
years  was  there  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits. 

On  the  3d  of  October,  1855,  the  second 
marriage  of  our  subject  occurred  in  Hamp- 
shire township,  when  he  wedded  Mrs.  Au- 
rilla  Ingersol,  widow  of  Orrin  L.  Ingersol, 
and  to  them  four  children  were  born,  as 
follows:  Mary,  who  married  Julius  H.  Nor- 
ton, who  served  in  the  war  for  the  Union, 
and  their  four  living  children  are  Julius, 
William,  Emma  and  Aurilla.  Lucy  mar- 
ried C.  V.  Jacobs,  who  was  also  in  the  war, 
and  by  whom  she  had  one  child,  Mary,  who 
is  living;  she  is  now  deceased.  William, 
who  married  Flora  King,  by  whom  he  has 
two  children,  Ruth  and  Donald.  Sidney, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years.  Mrs. 
Doty  is  a  daughter  of  Philip  Terwilliger,  a 
native  of  New  York  state,  and  of  an  old 
Dutch  family.  He  married  Mary  Low,  of 
Orange  county.  New  York,  and  a  daughter 
of  Daniel  Low,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
eighty  years.  He  married  a  Miss  Crany, 
who  attained  the  age  of  eighty-six  years. 
Daniel  Low,  Jr.,  is  now  living  at  Chenango 
Forks,  New  York,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years. 
Philip  Terwilliger  served  in  the  war  of  1812. 
He  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  built 
the  first  frame  house  in  Hampshire  town- 
ship, where  he  owned  a  large  tract  of  land. 
He  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  His 
father,  James  Terwilliger,  married  Eliza 
Terwilliger,  and  their  respective  ages  at 
death  were  seventy-seven  and  seventy-three. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Doty  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order,  and  religiously  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  of  which  body  his 
wife  is  also  a  member.  In  politics  he  is  a 


Republican,  and  has  held  the  offices  of  school 
director  and  road  commissioner.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Doty  are  numbered  among  the  old 
settlers  of  Kane  county.  They  remember 
when  houses  were  few  and  far  between,  and 
they  have  seen  wolves,  deer  and  other  game 
in  large  numbers  in  the  vicinity.  Mr.  Doty 
was  always  a  good  marksman,  and  even 
now,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years,  can 
kill  chickens  with  a  rifle. 


WILLIAM  HENNEL  BLACK.— For- 
tunate is  he  who  has  back  of  him  an 
ancestry  honorable  and  distinguished,  and 
happy  is  he  if  his  lines  of  life  are  cast  in 
harmony  therewith.  Our  subject  is  blessed 
in  this  respect,  for  he  springs  from  promi- 
nent families  of  New  England,  and  he  has 
become  one  of  the  leading  and  representa- 
tive citizens  of  Elgin. 

Mr.  Black  was  born  in  Ellsworth,  Maine, 
January  i,  1845,  a  son  of  William  Hennel 
and  Abigail  Eliza  (Little)  Black.  His  father 
was  born  in  the  same  place  October  18, 
i8it,  a  son  of  Colonel  John  and  Mary 
(Cobb)  Black.  The  birth  of  the  grand- 
father occurred  July  3,  1781,  in  London, 
England,  where  he  obtained  a  good  educa- 
tion, and  when  quite  young  entered  the 
great  banking  house  of  Hope  &  Company,  of 
that  city,  as  clerk.  While  visiting  London, 
in  1799,  William  Bingham,  of  Philadelphia, 
the  principal  proprietor  of  the  great  Bing- 
ham estate  in  Maine,  employed  Mr.  Black 
to  come  to  this  country  as  clerk  for  General 
David  Cobb,  of  Gouldsboro,  Maine,  agent 
for  the  estate.  Mr.  Black  arrived  the  same 
year  and  soon  mastered  the  details  relating 
to  the  landed  interests  of  the  proprietors. 
From  1803  until  1808  he  served  as  town 
clerk  of  Gouldsboro,  was  justice  of  the 


128 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


peace    in    1804-5.      He    soon    secured    the 
confidence  of  his  employers,  agents  and  all 
persons  doing  business  with  him,  and  when 
Donald  Ross,  local  agent  at  Ellsworth,  was 
compelled  to  resign  on  account  of  ill  health, 
Mr.  Black   was  appointed  to  succeed  him, 
removing    to    that    place.     When    General 
Cobb  and  his  associate  agent,  Mr.  Richards, 
resigned,  he  was  appointed  general  agent  of 
the  estate,  which  position  he  continued  to 
fill  until    1850,  when   he  was  succeeded  by 
his  son,  George  N.  Black.     For  many  years 
he  was  largely  interested  in  the  manufacture 
of  lumber    and    ship-building,    and    in    his 
business  acquired  a  comfortable  competence. 
He  took  an  active  and  prominent  part  in 
military  affairs,  was  commissioned  captain 
July  2,  1805,  of  a  company  in  the  Second 
Regiment,   Second  Brigade,  Tenth  Division 
of  Massachusetts  Militia,   Eastern  Division, 
of  which  his   father-in-law,  General  Cobb, 
was  major-general;  later  was  elected  major 
of  the  same  regiment,  was  breveted  lieuten- 
ant-colonel June  12,  1812,  and  commanded 
the  regiment  when  it   was  called  to  Mount 
Desert    to    repel    a    threatened   British  in- 
vasion, 1812-13.     Although  he  was  British 
born  and  at  that  time  an  agent  for  foreign 
principals,    he    did    not  hesitate.      He  was 
commissioned   colonel  June   20,    1816,   but 
February    n,  1817,  resigned   and  was  dis- 
charged.     Subsequently  he   was    for  many 
years  captain  of  the  Cobb  Light  Infantry, 
an  independent  company  organized  near  his 
home.      He  died  at  Ellsworth  October  20, 
1856.      He  was  one  of  the  most  prominent 
men  in  his  community,  his  honor  and  hon- 
esty were  never  questioned,  and  he  possessed 
all  of  those  qualities  which  go  to  make  up  a 
good  citizen,  neighbor  and  friend. 

In    1802    Colonel    John    Black  married 
Miss  Mary  Cobb,  daughter  of  General  David 


and  Eleanor  (Bradish)  Cobb.  She  was 
born  at  Taunton,  Massachusetts,  July  26, 
1776,  and  died  in  Ellsworth,  Maine,  Octo- 
ber 17,  1851.  The  children  born  to  them 
are  Mary  Ann,  John,  Henry,  Elizabeth, 
William  Hennel,  George  Nixon,  Alexander 
Baring  and  Charles  Richards. 

General  David  Cobb,  a  son  of  Colonel 
Thomas  and  Lydia  (Leonard)  Cobb,  was 
born  in  Attleboro,  Massachusetts,  Septem- 
ber 14,  1748,  and  was  graduated  at  Har- 
vard College,  in  1766,  after  which  he  stud- 
ied medicine  and  engaged  in  practice  at 
Taunton,  Massachusetts,  for  some  time. 
He  was  a  representative  to  the  general 
court  from  that  place  in  1774,  and  the 
same  year  was  elected  to  the  provincial 
congress  which  met  in  Cambridge.  In  1777, 
during  the  Revolutionary  war,  he  was  elect- 
ed lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Sixteenth  Mass- 
achusetts Regiment,  was  later  elected 
colonel,  and  was  afterward  appointed  by 
General  Washington  as  one  of  his  staff, 
where,  out  of  five,  he  was  second  in  rank. 
He  always  took  a  prominent  part  in  public 
affairs,  served  as  chief  justice  of  the  court 
of  common  pleas  for  eight  years,  was  rep- 
resentative and  speaker  of  the  general  court 
from  1789  to  1793,  resigning  when  elected 
a  member  of  the  third  congress  of  the  Uni- 
ted States,  and  held  other  prominent  posi- 
tions. He  died  April  17,  1830,  honored 
and  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him. 
In  1766  he  married  Eleanor,  daughter  of 
Ebenezer  and  Eunice  (Cook)  Bradish,  of 
Cambridge,  Massachusetts.  She  was  born 
January  30,  1749,  and  died  in  Taunton, 
January  7,  1808.  Their  children  were 
Eleanor  Bradish,  Betsy,  Thomas,  William 
Gray,  Eunice,  Mary  (the  paternal  grand- 
mother of  our  subject),  David,  Sally,  Eben- 
ezer, Henry  Jackson,  and  David  George 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


129 


Washington.  General  Cobb  was  an  inti- 
mate friend  and  associate  of  General  Wash- 
ington, Nathaniel  Greene,  Benjamin  Lin- 
coln, Henry  Knox,  Henry  Jackson,  General 
La  Fayette  and  Alexander  Hamilton. 

Colonel  Thomas  Cobb,  the  father  of  the 
General,  married  Lydia,  eldest  daughter  of 
James  Leonard,  of  Taunton,  Massachusetts, 
and  the  only  son  born  to  them  was  David. 
Morgan  Cobb,  father  of  Thomas,  was  born 
December  29,  1673,  and  died  September 
30,  1755.  On  the  22nd  of  May,  1735,  he 
was  married  to  Esther  Hodges,  a  daughter 
of  Henry  Hodges  and  his  wife  Esther, 
daughter  of  Captain  John  Galloy,  probably 
a  direct  descendant  of  Emperor  Charle- 
magne. Mrs.  Esther  Cobb  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 17,  1678,  and  was  the  mother  of 
Thomas.  Morgan  Cobb  was  a  son  of  Au- 
gustine Cobb,  a  native  of  Norfolk,  England, 
who  came  to  Taunton,  Massachusetts,  in 
1670. 

William  H.  Black,  ST.,  our  subject's  fa- 
ther, spent  his  entire  life  in  Ellsworth, 
Maine,  and  throughout  his  business  career 
engaged  quite  extensively  in  farming,  lum- 
bering and  ship  building.  He  met  with 
good  success  until  later  in  life,  when  he  suf- 
fered some  heavy  losses,  from  which  he  was 
never  fully  able  to  recover.  His  death  oc- 
curred October  17,  1883.  On  the  4th  of 
June,  1834,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Abigail 
Eliza  Little,  who  was  born  in  Castine,  Maine, 
September  16,  t8io,  a  daughter  of  Doty 
and  Mercy  (Tilden)  Little.  Her  father  was 
born  at  Marshfield,  Massachusetts,  October 
3,  1766,  a  son  of  Thomas  Little,  who  was 
born  in  1719,  and  was  a  son  of  John  Little, 
who  married  Anna,  daughter  of  Richard 
Warren,  who  came  to  this  country  in  the 
Mayflower  in  1620.  Thomas  Little,  born 
1719,  married  in  1750,  Sarah  Baker,  a 


daughter  of  Kenelm  and  Patience  (Winslow) 
Baker,  and  they  had  ten  children,  all  born 
in  Marshfield,  Massachusetts. 

The  children  born  to  William  H.  and 
Abigail  E.  (Little)  Black  were  as  follows: 
Maria  S.,  wife  of  Charles  J.  Perry,  of  Ells- 
worth, Maine;  Harriet  S. ,  who  first  married 
Edward  S.  Tisdale,  and  after  his  death  An- 
dresv  B.  Spurling,  of  Elgin,  Illinois,  and 
died  May  26,  1896;  Charles  S.,  who  died  as 
a  paroled  prisoner  in  the  hospital  at  Annap- 
olis, Maryland,  September  16,  1864,  from 
wounds  received  at  Gaine's  Mills,  while  in 
the  service;  Celia  C. ,  the  wife  of  George  A. 
Dickey,  now  of  Wollaston,  Massachusetts; 
Hollis  C.  married  Mary  E.  Deming.  His 
business  was  in  Boston,  residing  in  Wollas- 
ton; his  death  occurred  at  Allisworth,  Maine, 
Jnly  14,  1893;  Oscar  T.,  twin  of  Hollis  C., 
died  in  infancy;  William  H.,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch;  Lucie  L. ,  wife  of  Harvard  Gree- 
ly,  of  Ellsworth,  and  Mary  H.,  also  of  Ells- 
worth. 

Reared  at  the  old  home  in  Ellsworth, 
Mr.  Black,  of  this  review,  began  his  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools  of  that  locality, 
and  later  attended  an  academy.  In  Ells- 
worth he  also  learned  the  watch-maker's 
trade,  and  on  the  6th  of  September,  1865, 
went  to  Waltham,  Massachusetts,  where  he 
obtained  a  position  in  the  finishing  depart- 
ment of  the  watch  factory,  remaining  there 
until  December,  1867,  when  he  first  came 
to  Elgin.  He  was  employed  in  the  finishing 
department  of  the  watch  factory  at  this 
place  until  1870,  when  he  returned  to  Wal- 
tham, but  in  June,  1873,  again  came  to  El- 
gin, where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 
During  all  this  time  he  has  been  connected 
with  the  Elgin  Watch  Factory,  and  since 
the  ist  of  January,  1877,  has  been  foreman 
of  the  finishing  department,  having  about 


130 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


one  hundred  men  working  under  him.  This 
long  term  of  service  in  this  capacity  is  an 
evidence  that  his  services  are  duly  appre- 
ciated by  his  employers. 

In  Elgin,  on  the  23d  of  May,  1868,  Mr. 
Black  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Fan- 
nie S.  Kilbourne,  a  native  of  Fitchburg, 
Massachusetts,  and  a  daughter  of  Joshua  F. 
and  Rebecca  (Arnold)  Smith,  who  were  also 
born  in  Fitchburg,  where  one  son  is  still 
living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Black  have  a  pleas- 
ant home  on  Chicago  street,  Elgin,  which 
was  erected  from  plans  made  by  himself. 
Politically  he  is  identified  with  the  Repub- 
lican party,  and  socially  affiliates  with  the 
Masonic  fraternity.  He  is  a  pleasant,  genial 
gentleman,  who  commands  the  respect  and 
esteem  of  all  who  know  him.  Mrs.  Black 
holds  membership  in  the  Universalist  church, 
and  like  her  husband  has  many  warm  friends 
in  her  adopted  city. 


LOUIS  H.  YARWOOD,  proprietor  of  the 
Yarwood  art  studio,  is  one  of  the  best 
artists  in  this  part  of  the  state,  and  is  also  a 
teacher  in  landscape  and  scenic  painting. 
For  almost  half  a  century  he  has  made  his 
home  in  Elgin,  but  he  was  born  in  the  east, 
his  birth  occurring  in  Oriskany,  New  York, 
November  25,  1827,  and  his  parents,  Henry 
and  Katie  A.  (Wiggins)  Yarwood,  were  also 
natives  of  that  state.  Our  subject  is  the 
oldest  of  their  four  children,  the  others  be- 
ing Marcus  S. ,  a  resident  of  Chicago; 
Phoebe,  wife  of  G.  R.  Raymond,  of  Du- 
buque,  Iowa;  and  Arthur  J.,  who  was  a 
Union  soldier  during  the  Civil  war,  and  is 
now  living  in  Wyoming.  While  living  in 
the  east  the  father  was  employed  as  a  woolen 
manufacturer  and  dyer  and  held  various 
offices.  His  wife,  who  was  an  Episcopalian 


in  religious  belief,  died  there  at  the  age  of 
forty-five  years.  In  1853  he  came  to  Elgin, 
where  he  passed  away  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
nine  years  and  eleven  months.  His  father, 
Samuel  Yarwood,  was  a  native  of  England 
and  died  in  New  York,  while  the  maternal 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  Benjamin 
Wiggins,  was  born  in  that  state  and  died  in 
Chicago,  when  about  ninety-six  years  of 
age.  His  wife  was  only  two  or  three  years 
younger  at  the  time  of  her  death. 

Mr.  Yarwood,  whose  name  introduces 
this  sketch,  began  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  his  native  state  and  later 
attended  the  Whitestown  Academy.  He 
also  began  the  study  of  painting  when  a 
child,  and  becoming  very  proficient  in  that 
art,  he  now  devotes  his  entire  attention  to 
it.  On  his  removal  from  New  York  to 
Elgin  in  1851,  he  accepted  the  position  of 
bookkeeper  in  S.  N.  Dexter's  woolen  fac- 
tory, and  later  conducted  a  drug  store  for 
about  fifteen  years.  The  following  eight 
years  were  spent  as  librarian  of  the  Elgin 
public  library,  but  since  then  he  has  devoted 
his  energies  to  painting.  He  has  gained  a 
wide  reputation  as  an  artist  of  superior  abil- 
ity, to  which  he  is  justly  entitled,  his  paint- 
ing being  among  the  finest  produced  in  this 
section  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Yarwood  married  Miss  Caroline  J. 
Drummond,  and  they  have  become  the  par- 
ents of  three  children — Willard  H.,  who 
wedded  Mary  Hunter  and  had  three  chil- 
dren, Bertram  and  Marguerite,  still  living, 
and  Willard  H.,  deceased;  Marc  D.,  who 
is  a  successful  piano  teacher  in  Elgin;  and 
Katie  D. ,  at  home.  The  family. have  a 
pleasant  home  at  No.  373  Park  street,  where 
they  delight  to  entertain  their  many  friends. 
A  stanch  Republican  in  politics,  Mr.  Yar- 
wood was  elected  on  that  ticket  to  the  posi- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


tion  of  alderman  for  one  term,  but  has 
never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense  of  office 
seeking.  Socially  he  is  identified  with  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen. 


ANSON  C.  BUCKLIN,  now  living  a  re- 
tired life  in  Dundee,  Kane  county,  Illi- 
nois, was  for  many  years  a  successful  farmer 
and  dairyman  of  Fox  river  valley.  He 
dates  his  residence  in  Illinois  since  June, 
1837,  coming  here  when  Northern  Illinois 
was  a  wilderness.  He  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Adams,  Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts, 
October  15,  1823.  His  father,  Isaac  Buck- 
lin,  was  born  in  the  same  town,  county  and 
state,  and  on  the  same  farm.  His  grand- 
father, Jeremiah  Bucklin,  was  born  in  Rhode 
Island,  in  1745,  and  removed  to  Adams, 
Massachusetts,  in  1767,  and  took  up  a  large 
tract  of  wild  land.  He  served  in  the  war 
for  American  independence,  and  was  in  the 
battle  of  Bennington.  John  Bucklin,  the 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  also 
born  in  Rhode  Island,  in  which  state  he  was 
quite  prominent.  His  ancestors  moved  to 
Rhode  Island  with  Roger  Williams.  He 
also  moved  to  Adams,  Massachusetts,  and 
there  the  last  years  of  his  life  were  spent. 
Jeremiah  Bucklin  was  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers of  Adams,  Massachusetts,  and  was  a 
millwright  by  trade.  He  built  the  first 
flouring  mill  in  North  Adams,  for  Oliver 
Parker,  and  at  South  Adams  built  one  for 
himself  on  the  present  site  of  the  Brown 
paper  mill.  At  that  that  place  he  reared 
his  family,  and  for  many  years  was  recog- 
nized as  one  of  its  prominent  citizens. 

Isaac  Bucklin  grew  to  manhood  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  there  married  Miss  Achsa 
Wilmarth,  a  native  of  that  state,  born  in 
Berkshire  county.  His  birth  occurred  in 


1790.  They  were  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren— Anson  C.,  our  subject;  Olive,  who 
grew  to  mature  years,  but  is  now  deceased; 
and  Jane,  who  married  George  Browning, 
also  deceased.  Isaac  Bucklin  was  a  fanner 
and  died  in  his  native  state,  in  1826.  In 
1837  Mrs.  Bucklin  sold  the  old  home  farm, 
and,  with  her  family,  accompanied  by  some 
relatives,  came  to  Illinois,  by  way  of  the 
Erie  canal  and  the  lakes  to  Chicago,  and, 
moving  farther  west,  located  in  the  Fox 
river  valley.  She  took  up  a  claim  of 
nearly  three  hundred  acres  of  land,  in  what 
is  now  the  township  of  Barrington,  and  also 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  on  Fox  river, 
which  is  now  East  Dundee.  Making  her  home 
on  the  Barrington  land,  she  built  a  house, 
improved  the  farm  and  there  spent  the  last 
years  of  her  life,  dying  about  1871. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  Illi- 
nois with  his  mother  and  family,  and,  a  boy 
of  thirteen,  held,  the  plow  which  turned  the 
first  furrow  on  the  place  and  helped  develop 
the  farm.  He  remained  with  his  mother 
until  her  death,  she  having  conveyed  to  him 
the  old  homestead.  He  built  there  a  good, 
large  residence,  barns  and  other  buildings, 
and  made  of  it  one  of  the  best  dairy  farms 
in  Fox  river  valley.  He  commenced  ship- 
ping milk  to  Chicago  in  1856,  and  has  con- 
tinued in  the  dairy  business  since  that  time, 
usually  having  upon  his  place  about  seven- 
ty-five milch  cows.  In  October,  1884,  he 
left  his  son  Henry  on  the  farm  and  moved 
to  Dundee,  where  he  built  a  house  and  has 
since  lived  practically  a  retired  life. 

Mr.  Bucklin  was  first  married,  in  Cook 
county,  in  1844,  to  Miss  Julia  Jinks,  a  na- 
tive of  Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts, 
and  a  daughter  of  Henry  Jinks,  a  pioneer  of 
Barrington  township.  She  died  October  1 5 , 
1873,  leaving  two  children — Frances,  wife 


'32 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


of  Daniel  Burks,  a  business  man  of  Minne- 
apolis, Minnesota;  and  Henry  I.,  a  farmer 
residing  on  the  old  homestead,  who  was 
born  December  24,  1853,  and  was  married 
March  6,  1883,  to  Miss  Mary  Welsby,  by 
whom  he  has  three  children,  as  follows: 
John  A.,  born  December  24,  1883;  Julia  I., 
born  October  13,  1885;  and  Olive  E. ,  born 
December  3,  1887. 

In  October,  1877,  our  subject  married 
Miss  Emma  Merritt,  a  native  of  New  York, 
but  then  living  in  Bloomington,  Illinois. 
She  died  about  two  years  later,  and  in  De- 
cember, 1880,  Mr.  Bucklin  married  Mrs. 
Emma  Miner,  who  was  born  and  reared 
near  Lake  Geneva,  Wisconsin,  and  daugh- 
ter of  Russell  Mallory. 

Politically  Mr.  Bucklin  was  first  identi- 
fied with  the  Abolition  party,  and  on  the 
organization  of  the  Republican  party  be- 
came one  of  its  stanch  supporters,  and  in 
1856  voted  for  its  first  presidential  candi- 
date, General  John  C.  Fremont.  Being 
ever  a  believer  in  temperance  and  the  prin- 
ciple of  prohibition,  he  has  of  late  years 
supported  the  Prohibition  party.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  church,  of  which 
body  his  wife  is  also  a  member.  For  sixty- 
one  years  he  has  been  a  resident  of  the  Fox 
River  Valley,  and  the  changes  which  have 
been  made  in  that  time  can  hardly  be  con- 
ceived, even  by  those  most  active  in  the 
transformation.  Few  men  are  better  known 
and  none  more  highly  esteemed. 


HALSEY  ROSENCRANS,  M.  D.,  de- 
ceased, was  for  a  many  years  a  promi- 
nent and  successful  physician  and  surgeon 
of  Elgin.  He  was  born  September  14, 
1818,  in  New  Jersey,  of  which  state  his 
parents,  Asa  and  Jane  (Cole)  Rosencrans 


were  also  natives.  The  father,  who  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  removed  from  New 
Jersey  to  New  York,  and  in  1834  came  to 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  where  his  sons,  Hor- 
ace and  Frazier,  had  located  one  year  before, 
being  numbered  among  the  earliest  settlers 
of  this  section  of  the  state.  The  family 
endured  all  the  hardships  and  privations 
incident  to  pioneer  life,  and  from  the  wild 
land  the  father  developed  a  good  farm. 

Dr.  Rosencrans  was  the  fourth  in  order 
of  birth  in  a  family  of  nine  children,  and 
during  his  boyhood  and  youth  he  assisted 
his  father  in  the  work  of  the  farm,  acquir- 
ing his  literary  education  in  the  public 
schools.  He  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  emigration  to  Illinois,  studied  medicine, 
and  in  the  latter  part  of  the  '403  graduated 
from  Rush  Medical  College.  He  began  the 
practice  of  his  chosen  profession  in  Crystal 
Lake,  Illinois,  and  later  opened  an  office 
in  Elgin. 

The  Doctor  was  one  of  the  '49ers,  hav- 
ing crossed  the  plains  to  California  during 
the  great  gold  excitement  of  that  year,  on  a 
prospecting  tour.  Later  his  brother  Garrett 
also  went  to  the  Pacific  coast,  and  after 
about  a  year  spent  there,  they  returned  to- 
gether. Dr.  Rosencrans  did  not  engage  in 
mining  on  account  of  the  rough  crowd  with 
which  he  would  have  to  associate.  Locat- 
ing in  Calhoun  county,  southwestern  Texas, 
he  there  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine until  1863,  when  he  was  forced  to 
leave,  his  life  being  in  great  danger.  He 
was  a  man  of  deep  convictions  and  dared 
even  in  Texas  to  make  known  his  sentiment. 
He  was  warned  by  his  friends  that  he  must 
go,  as  an  attack  upon  him  was  being  planned. 
The  Doctor  was  a  physician  in  whom  the 
best  people  of  his  acquaintance  put  im- 
plicit confidence  and  he  was  the  only 


HALSEY   ROSENCRANS,   M  .D. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


135 


one  in  his  community  that  could  han- 
dle yellow  fever.  Many  of  his  south- 
ern friends  told  him:  "  If  ever  I  have  yel- 
low fever,  I  want  you  to  attend  me,  without 
reference  to  what  it  will  cost  or  how  we 
may  differ  in  politics."  His  professional 
skill  they  admired,  and  they  wanted  his  at- 
tention in  case  of  sickness,  hence  he  was 
permitted  to  remain  in  Texas  long  after 
others  of  his  political  faith  were  driven 
away,  but  finally  he  was  forced  to  leave. 
Before  the  war  he  passed  through  two  epi- 
demics of  yellow  fever,  and  at  one  time  he 
and  a  priest  were  the  only  ones  left  to  care 
for  many  of  the  poor  sick  and  dying  who 
could  not  get  away.  From  Texas  he  went 
to  New  Orleans,  which  was  then  in  the 
hands  of  the  Union  forces,  and  was  soon 
afterward  appointed  assistant  surgeon  in  a 
hospital.  Later  he  was  transferred  to  an- 
other hospital  on  the  Brazos,  and  continued 
to  serve  as  surgeon  in  the  Union  army  until 
the  war  ended.  Subsequently  he  returned 
to  Texas  and  resumed  practice  in  the  com- 
munity where  he  had  previously  lived.  In 
1873  he  came  to  Elgin,  but  two  years  later, 
during  the  terrible  yellow  fever  epidemic, 
he  went  to  Indianola,  Texas,  feeling  it  his 
duty  to  assist  in  caring  for  those  suffering 
with  that  dread  disease.  Returning  to  El- 
gin, he  successfully  engaged  in  practice  here 
for  several  years. 

Dr.  Rosencrans  was  twice  married,  his 
first  union  being  with  Miss  Eliza  Hale,  by 
whom  he  had  three  children:  Fannie  is  the 
wife  of  Captain  Theodore  Hayes,  of  Texas, 
and  has  four  children — Charles,  Wiltsie, 
Minnie  and  Fannie.  Captain  Hayes  was  an 
officer  in  the  Union  army.  Lizzie  is  the 
wife  of  H.  H.  Bilter,  a  farmer  of  Eola, 
Illinois,  and  has  four  sons — Raymond,  Carl, 
Eugene  and  Hale.  Cora  is  the  widow  of 


Thomas  O'Neal,  by  whom  she  had  seven 
children. 

Mrs.  Rosencrans  died  in  New  Orleans  in 
1863.  The  Doctor  was  again  married  Sep- 
tember ii,  1873,  his  second  union  being 
with  Miss  Cynthia  E.  Bowen,  and  the  mar- 
riage ceremony  was  performed  by  Professor 
C.  G.  Finney,  president  of  Oberlin  College, 
of  which  Mrs.  Rosencrans  is  a  graduate. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Lucius  E.  and  Marga- 
ret (Dildine)  Bowen,  of  Oberlin,  Ohio,  who 
now  sleep  side  by  side'  in  the  cemetery  at 
that  place.  Mrs.  Rosencrans  is  a  consistent 
and  faithful  member  of  the  Congregational 
church  of  Elgin,  and  both  she  and  her  hus- 
band held  membership  in  the  Scientific  So- 
ciety of  that  place.  In  social  circles  they 
also  occupied  an  enviable  position. 

In  1886  Dr.  Rosencrans  went  to  Indi- 
anola, Texas,  to  visit  his  daughter,  and  at 
that  place  was  killed  on  the  2Oth  of  August 
of  that  year.  During  a  storm  he  was  in 
his  office,  which  was  located  in  the  same 
building  with  the  signal  service  office.  He 
and  Captain  Reed,  who  had  charge  of  the 
signal  service,  were  together.  The  Doctor 
told  him  they  had  better  leave  the  building 
as  it  was  swaying  and  would  likely  be  blown 
over  soon,  but  before  they  could  do  this 
another  blast  came  and  the  building  fell 
burying  the  Doctor  and  his  friend,  who 
were  instantly  killed  by  the  falling  timbers. 
They  were  soon  covered  with  water  and  it 
was  some  hours  before  their  remains  could 
be  removed.  This  was  on  Matagorda  Bay 
in  the  region  of  the  terrible  storms  to  which 
that  place  is  frequently  subjected.  Dr. 
Rosencrans  was  an  eminent  physician,  hav- 
ing the  professional  skill  which  comes  from 
faithful  study  and  long  and  successful  expe- 
rience in  his  chosen  calling.  He  was  also 
an  able  writer,  contributing  many  articles 


136 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


of  merit  to  papers  and  medical  journals. 
Being  genial  and  companionable,  he  was  a 
favorite  in  society  and  wherever  known  was 
held  in  the  highest  regard. 


ALDEN  KENDRICK  WRIGHT,  who 
has  for  many  years  been  at  the  head 
of  one  of  the  departments  of  the  Elgin 
watch  factory,  is  a  native  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, born  November  8,'  1842,  in  Hanover, 
of  which  place  his  parents,  Horace  and 
Mary  Ann  (Foster)  Wright,  were  also  na- 
tives. The  paternal  grandfather,  Asa 
Wright,  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  at 
Hanover,  which  had  been  in  the  family  for 
many  years.  The  Wrights  were  of  Scotch 
origin,  and  came  to  the  new  world  prior  to 
the  Revolutionary  war.  The  grandfather 
of  our  subject  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
but  the  father  engaged  in  the  tanning  busi- 
ness, learning  his  trade  with  his  father-in- 
law,  Caleb  Foster,  and  while  in  his  service 
he  became  acquainted  with  his  future  wife. 
Throughout  the  greater  part  of  his  life 
Horace  Wright  lived  in  Hanover,  New 
Hampshire,  but  spent  his  last  days  in  Leb- 
anon, that  state,  where  he  died  October  13, 
1871.  He  was  a  Universalist  in  religious 
belief,  and  in  politics  was  first  a  Whig  and 
later  a  Republican,  joining  that  party  on  its 
organization,  as  he  had  ever  been  an  anti- 
slavery  man  and  was  connected  with  the 
' '  underground  railroad. "  He  was  of  medium 
size,  of  a  genial,  though  quiet  disposition, 
and  was  very  domestic  in  his  tastes.  Wher- 
ever known  he  was  held  in  high  regard,  and 
was  often  called  upon  to  hold  different  offi- 
cial positions,  including  those  of  selectman 
and  tax  collector.  His  wife,  who  was  a 
faithful  member  of  the  Congregational 


church,  also  died  in  Lebanon,  November  24, 
1872.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Caleb  and 
Mary  (Putnam)  Foster,  and  granddaughter 
of  Richard  and  Sarah  (Greeley)  Foster,  the 
last  named  being  a  relative  of  Horace 
Greeley. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  one  of  a 
family  of  four  sons,  the  others  being  Ros- 
well  F.,  still  a  resident  of  Lebanon,  New 
Hampshire;  Orin  S.,  of  Clinton,  Iowa;  and 
William  H.,  of  Newport,  New  Hampshire. 
In  the  common  schools  of  Lebanon  Alden 
K.  Wright  began  his  education,  later  attend- 
ing the  Kimball  Union  Academy  at  Meridian, 
New  Hampshire.  When  his  school  days 
were  over  he  went  to  Haverhill,  that  state, 
where  he  served  an  apprenticeship  to  the 
watchmaker's  trade,  after  which  he  was  em- 
ployed for  three  years  by  the  firm  of  E. 
Howard  &  Company,  at  Roxbury,  Massa- 
chusetts. While  with  this  distinguished 
company  he  acquired  his  great  skill  in  the 
business  of  watch-making.  For  a  year  and 
a  half  he  was  with  the  United  States  Watch 
Company,  was  with  the  Hampden  Company 
for  about  the  same  length  of  time,  and  for 
the  following  three  years  was  with  the 
American  Watch  Company  at  Waltham, 
Massachusetts. 

It  was  in  1874  that  Mr.  Wright  came  to 
Elgin  and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Elgin 
Watch  Company,  with  which  he  has  ever 
since  been  connected,  serving  at  first  as  in- 
spector of  watches.  Being  appointed  assist- 
ant foreman,  he  served  in  that  capacity  for 
seventeen  years,  and  for  the  past  three 
years  has  been  foreman  in  the  finishing  de- 
partment B,  overseeing  about  two  hundred 
workmen.  Through  his  vast  experience  in 
every  department  of  watch  manufacture, 
he  is  able  to  preside  over  his  department 
with  great  skill,  as  he  is  qualified  to  quickly 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


137 


detect  any  imperfection  in  the  mechanism 
of  the  watches,  which  makes  him  a  valuable 
man  to  the  factory — one  of  superior  useful- 
ness. 

In  Boston,  Massachusetts,  May  21,  1874, 
Mr.  Wright  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Nannie  H.  White,  a  native  of  that 
city,  and  a  daughter  of  Henry  Kirk  and 
Harriet  (Thompson)  White.  Her  mother, 
a  native  of  Gloucester,  Massachusetts,  died 
in  September,  1897,  the  father  dying  in 
February,  1898,  at  Wrentham,  that  state. 
Their  children  were:  Henry  K. ,  William 
N.,  Louis  B. ,  Alice  P.,  wife  of  Adelbert 
Newton,  of  Boston;  Nannie,  wife  of  our  sub- 
ject; and  Caroline,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wright  have  three  children: 
Louis  W.,  Helen,  and  Arthur  K. 

Mrs.  Wright  is  a  member  of  the  Univer- 
salist  church  of  Elgin,  and  Mr.  Wright,  who 
is  a  good  musician,  has  sung  nearly  all  his 
life  in  church  choirs  until  lately.  Politic- 
ally he  is  a  supporter  of  the  men  and  meas- 
ures of  the  Republican  party,  while  frater- 
nally he  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  blue 
lodge,  No.  522,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Loyal  Legion, 
Munn  chapter,  R.  A.  M. ;  and  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen.  For  the  past 
two  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
board  of  education  in  Elgin,  and  taking  a 
deep  and  commendable  interest  in  educa- 
tional matters,  has  made  him  a  very  active 
and  efficient  member.  He  owns  a  pleasant 
and  commodious  home  on  Spring  street, 
where  he  and  his  family  delight  to  entertain 
their  many  friends.  His  chief  source  of 
recreation  is  found  in  hunting  and  fishing, 
of  which  sports  he  is  extremely  fond. 
Though  a  hard  worker,  he  believes  in  de- 
voting a  portion  of  one's  time  to  judicious 
and  healthful  recreation,  and  like  most  men 
who  care  for  these  sports,  he  is  genial,  gen- 


erous and  kind-hearted,  being  very  popular 
with  all  who  have  the  pleasure  of  his 
acquaintance. 

ANSON  W.  ROOT,  who  is  now  practi- 
cally living  retired  from  business  cares 
at  his  pleasant  home,  No.  277  Chicago 
street,  Elgin,  was  born  December  20,  1823, 
in  Genesee  county,  New  York,  a  son  of  Dr. 
Anson  and  Lucinda  (Wilson)  Root.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  Ephraim  Root,  served 
in  the  Colonial  army  during  the  Revolution- 
ary war,  as  a  recruit  from  near  Haverhill, 
New  Hampshire,  and  as  he  carried  a  sword 
it  is  believed  he  was  an  officer.  He  spent 
his  entire  life  in  the  east,  dying  in  Gen- 
esee county,  New  York,  when  past  the 
age  of  eighty  years.  By  occupation  he  was 
a  farmer.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Sally  Skinner,  died  at  the  age  of 
eighty-five  years.  The  maternal  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  Amos  Wilson,  de- 
parted this  life  at  the  advanced  age  of  nine- 
ty-six years.  One  of  his  sons  was  Judge 
Isaac  Wilson,  of  Batavia,  Illinois. 

Dr.  Anson  Root,  our  subject's  father, 
was  also  a  native  of  Genesee  county,  New 
York,  and  was  surgeon  of  a  regiment  in  the 
war  of  1812,  receiving  for  his  services  his 
regular  pay  as  a  surgeon  and  later  a  land 
warrant,  which  he  located  near  Lake  Ge- 
neva, Wisconsin.  He  also  served  as  a  sur- 
geon in  the  Canadian  rebellion.  In  1838 
he  came  west,  and  after  spending  a  year  on 
the  Fox  river  he  took  up  his  residence  in 
Elgin,  where  he  made  his  home  until  called 
to  his  final  rest  in  1866,  at  the  age  of  eighty 
years.  For  fifty  years  he  successfully  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profes- 
sion, was  one  of  the  leading  pioneer  physi- 
cians of  this  section  of  the  state,  but  spent  his 
last  years  in  retirement,  enjoying  a  well- 


•38 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


earned  rest.  He  served  as  alderman  of  Elgin 
for  a  time  and  held  other  public  positions  of 
honor  and  trust.  His  wife,  who  was  for  many 
years  a  consistent  member  of  the  Baptist 
church,  died  in  1847,  at  the  age  of  fifty-four 
years.  In  their  family  were  eight  children, 
two  sons  and  six  daughters,  but  only  three 
are  now  living:  Orpha,  widow  of  Samuel 
Burdick,  and  a  resident  of  Elgin;  Martha, 
wife  of  C.  H.  Loomis,  of  Los  Angeles,  Cal- 
ifornia; and  Anson  W.,  of  this  sketch. 

On  leaving  the  home  farm  at  an  early 
age,  Mr.  Root,  of  this  review,  learned  the 
trade  of  a  clothier,  and  for  about  ten  years 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cloth,  after 
which  he  learned  the  carpenter  and  joiner's 
trade,  following  it  some  years.  For  twenty 
years  he  was  also  interested  in  the  milling 
business,  and  still  owns  a  good  mill  prop- 
erty in  Elgin,  which  he  rents,  besides  a 
number  of  houses  there  and  a  good  farm 
near  Beloit,  Wisconsin,  deriving  from  these 
a  good  income.  He  also  has  money  securi- 
ties. 

In  1846  Mr.  Root  led  to  the  marriage 
altar  Miss  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  William 
Himes,  of  Michigan,  and  to  them  was  born 
a  son — William  A.,  a  resident  of  Elgin,  who 
married  Alda  Gray,  and  has  one  child,  Kate. 
The  wife  of  our  subject,  who  was  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Baptist  church,  died 
in  1856,  aged  thirty-two  years,  and  the 
same  year  Mr.  Root  married  Miss  Harriet 
B.  Parmelee,  a  native  of  Waterloo,  Canada, 
and  a  daughter  of  Rufus  Parmelee.  Two 
daughters  blessed  this  union:  Ida  R. ,  wife 
of  R.  E.  Linkfield,  of  Minneapolis,  Minne- 
sota, by  whom  she  has  two  children,  Alice 
and  Edith;  and  Alice  M.,  wife  of  F.  E. 
Wolcott,  of  Chicago,  by  whom  she  has  one' 
child,  Maud. 

In  1853  Mr.  Root  was  initiated  into  the 


mysteries  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  society,  and 
with  one  exception  is  now  the  oldest  mem- 
ber of  Kane  lodge,  of  Elgin,  in  which  he 
has  filled  all  the  chairs,  and  also  been  rep- 
resentative to  the  grand  lodge.  He  was  for 
about  ten  years  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order.  His  political  support  has  always 
been  given  the  Republican  party,  but  at 
present  he  is  what  is  termed  a  silver  Repub- 
lican, advocating  the  free  coinage  of  silver. 
From  1847  until  1867  he  made  his  home  in 
Beloit,  Wisconsin,  and  while  there  served 
as  assessor  eight  years,  alderman  nine  years, 
and  was  undersheriff  and  acting  as  deputy 
provost  marshal  during  the  Civil  war,  aiding 
in  the  capture  of  deserters,  etc.  For  five 
years  he  also  served  as  county  superintend- 
ent of  the  poor,  for  the  same  length  of  time 
was  county  supervisor;  and  in  Elgin  also 
served  as  county  supervisor  five  years  and 
assessor  three  years.  He  is  one  of  the 
reliable,  enterprising  men  of  the  city,  is 
deservedly  popular  with  all  classes  of  citi- 
zens, and  his  many  estimable  traits  of  char- 
acter have  won  him  a  host  of  friends.  His 
wife  is  a  consistent  and  active  member  of 
the  Baptist  church. 


THOMAS  W.  TEFFT.— If  one  desires 
to  gain  a  vivid  realization  of  the  rapid 
advance  in  civilization  which  the  last  few 
decades  have  brought  about,  he  can  listen 
to  the  stories  that  men  who  are  still  living 
among  us,  and  by  no  means  overburdened 
with  years,  can  tell  of  their  boyhood.  The 
log  cabin  home,  the  still  ruder  school  house 
with  its  rough  seats  made  of  slabs,  its  lim- 
ited range  of  studies  and  its  brief  terms, 
arranged  on  the  subscription  plan,  the  rou- 
tine of  work  at  home,  unrelieved  by  any  of 
the  modern  devices  by  which  machinery  is 


**/l 


Of 


THOMAS   W.  TEFFT. 


MRS.  T.  W.  TEFFT. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


143 


made  to  do  in  a  short  time  what  formerly 
occupied  the  entire  year, — these  and  many 
similar  descriptions  will  bring  up  in  sharp 
contrast  the  advantages  of  to-day.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch,  a  highly-respected 
citizen  of  Elgin,  and  the  present  alderman 
from  the  Sixth  ward,  has  many  interesting 
reminiscences  of  this  sort. 

Mr.  Tefft  was  born  in  the  town  of  Leb- 
anon, Madison  county.  New  York,  October 
30,  1824,  a  son  of  Jonathan  and  Elizabeth 
(Collins)  Tefft,  a  sketch  of  whom  is  given 
in  connection  with  Jonathan  Tefft,  Jr.,  on 
another  page  of  this  work.  In  the  schools 
of  his  native  county  our  subject  began  his 
education,  and  after  the  emigration  of  the 
family  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  in  the  fall 
of  1835,  he  pursued  his  studies  in  the  old  log 
school  house  on  Gravel  Hill,  on  the  Bos- 
worth  farm,  south  of  Elgin,  and  later  in  a 
school  in  the  township  of  St.  Charles  until 
twenty-one  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Teft  remained  with  his  father  until 
he  attained  his  majority,  aiding  in  the  ardu- 
ous task  of  transforming  the  wild  land  into 
highly-cultivated  fields,  and  then  he  and  his 
brother  Eli  operated  the  old  homestead  on 
the  shares  for  one  year.  Coming  to  Elgin 
in  1846  he  worked  at  anything  which  he 
could  find  to  do.  He  purchased  a  team  of 
oxen,  with  which  he  plowed  gardens  for  the 
villagers.  In  the  fall  he  worked  with  a 
threshing  machine,  which  he  and  his  brother 
subsequently  leased  and  operated  through 
the  winter.  As  the  entire  country  was  de- 
voted to  the  raising  of  grain  at  that  time, 
there  was  much  threshing  to  do.  In  the 
spring  Mr.  Tefft  again  broke  prairie,  some- 
times using  twelve  or  thirteen  yoke  of  cat- 
tle to  a  plow.  He  continued  to  follow  these 
occupations  until  March,  1849,  when  he 
started  to  California  in  a  party  of  six  men, 


making  the  journey  in  two  wagons.  In  May 
they  crossed  the  Missouri  river  thirty  miles 
above  St.  Joseph,  and  in  September  reached 
their  destination,  having  avoided  large  par- 
ties in  order  to  have  plenty  of  feed  for  their 
cattle.  Fortunately  they  were  not  troubled 
by  the  Indians.  Mr.  Tefft  went  direct  to 
the  mountains  in  Calaveras  county,  and  in 
the  summer  of  1850  was  joined  by  two 
brothers.  He  stayed  in  California  two 
years,  and  always  regrets  that  he  did  not 
remain  there,  buying  land  near  Sacramento. 
He  met  with  fair  success  in  gold  mining,  and 
during  the  time  when  nothing  else  could  be 
done  he  engaged  in  hunting,  and  sold  the 
game  not  needed  by  himself  and  partners. 
Venison  brought  three  shiliings'^ier  pound. 

In  the  fall  of  1851  Mr.  Tefft  returned  to 
Elgin  by  way  of  the  Isthmus,  New  York  and 
Chicago.  The  following  year  he  built  a 
large  brick  livery  stable  on  the  west  side, 
Elgin,  which  he  owned  until  1865  conduct- 
ing it  for  several  years.  He  served  his  fel- 
low citizens  as  constable,  policeman  and 
city  marshal  most  of  the  time.  In  1862  he 
enlisted  in  Company  B,  Sixty-ninth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  for  three  months,  was 
commissioned  second  lieutenant,  and  was 
stationed  in  Chicago.  Subsequently  he  re- 
enlisted  in  the  one-hundred-days'  service 
with  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant,  and  was 
stationed  most  of  the  time  at  Columbus, 
Kentucky,  doing  guard  duty. 

After  the  war  Lieutenant  Tefft  bought 
his  brother  Jonathan's  farm,  lying  partly  in 
section  36,  Elgin  township,  Kane  county, 
while  part  lies  in  Hanover  township,  Cook 
county,  which  he  still  owns,  while  his  brother 
Jonathan,  purchased  the  old  homestead. 
Retiring  from  farm  labor  in  1876  our  sub- 
ject purchased  a  residence  on  Chicago  street, 
Elgin,  where  he  lived  until  1881,  when  in 


144 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


partnership  with  his  brother,  Eli,  he  bought 
a  stone  quarry  at  South  Elgin  and  moved 
there  to  superintend  the  working  of  the 
quarry.  After  operating  it  successfully  un- 
til 1884,  they  sold  and  he  returned  to  his 
home  on  Chicago  street,  Elgin.  The  fol- 
lowing year,  however,  he  purchased  a  thir- 
ty-five-acre farm  south  of  the  asylum,  on 
which  he  lived  for  six  years,  selling  in  1891, 
when  he  bought  his  present  home  at  403 
Jewett  street. 

Mr.  Tefft  has  been  twice  married,  his 
first  wife  being  Miss  Emily  B.  Joles,  daugh- 
ter of  Spencer  Joles,  and  to  them  were  born 
five  children:  Egbert,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  four  years;  Harvey,  who  now  lives  in 
Idaho;  Emma,  who  married  Sylvester  Mead, 
and  has  five  children — Wilbur,  Frank,  Ar- 
chie (deceased),  Roy  and  George;  they  make 
their  home  with  our  subject;  Albert  P.  and 
Bertram  W. ,  who  are  also  residents  of 
Idaho.  Mrs.  Tefft  died  in  April,  1869,  and 
he  subsequently  married  Mrs.  Frances 
(Gould)  Kinloch,  who  by  her  first  husband 
had  one  son,  Sanford  G.  Kinloch,  who  made 
his  home  with  our  subject  until  he  attained 
his  majority  and  then  bought  Mr.  Tefft's 
thirty-five-acre  farm  south  of  the  asylum. 
The  second  wife  died  May  12,  1887. 

Mr.  Tefft  was  a  charter  member  of  Clin- 
tonville  lodge,  No.  511,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of 
which  he  was  master  for  twelve  years,  and 
he  now  holds  membership  in  Elgin  Lodge, 
No.  1 1 7.  Politically  he  is  a  stalwart  Demo- 
crat. He  has  always  taken  an  active  inter- 
est in  political  affairs,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1897  was  elected  alderman  from  the  sixth 
ward — a  position  he  is  now  creditably  and 
satisfactorily  filling.  He  is  always  num- 
bered among  Elgin's  valued  citizens,  and  on 
the  rolls  of  Kane  county's  honored  pioneers 
his  name  should  be  among  the  foremost. 


MALACHI  CHRISTIAN  GETZEL- 
MAN,  of  Elgin,  is  now  living  a  re- 
tired life  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  rest  which 
he  has  truly  earned  and  richly  deserves  by 
reason  of  his  industrious  efforts  of  former 
years.  Accomplishment  and  progress  ever 
imply  labor,  energy  and  diligence,  and  it  was 
those  qualities  that  enabled  our  subject  to 
rise  from  the  ranks  of  the  many  and  stand 
among  the  successful  few.  He  is  now  one 
of  the  highly-respected  citizens  in  Elgin, 
and  his  long  residence  in  Kane  county  and 
the  active  part  he  has  taken  in  its  develop- 
ment well  entitles  him  to  representation  in 
its  history. 

Mr.  Getzelman  was  born  in  Bavaria, 
Watirtzburg,  Germany,  January  i,  1837,  a 
son  of  Malachi  and  Mary  (Getzelman)  Get- 
zelman. His  father  was  a  mason  by  trade, 
and  in  1848  came  to  the  United  States, 
locating  in  Hampshire  township,  Kane  coun- 
ty, where  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  un- 
improved timber  land  and  began  the  devel- 
opment of  a  farm,  to  which  he  added  until 
at  the  time  of  his  death  his  homestead  com- 
prised one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  valua- 
ble land.  In  politics  he  was  a  Republican, 
and  in  religious  belief  was  a  Lutheran  in 
early  life,  but  later  joined  the  Evangelical 
church.  His  death  occurred  in  August, 
1862,  and  his  wife  passed  away  on  the  ist 
of  August,  1882.  They  were  parents  of  five 
children  who  reached  mature  years:  Mi- 
chael, Jacob,  Malachi,  Margaret,  wife  of 
John  Haible,  of  Elgin,  and  Henry,  who 
died  in  Nevada  about  twenty  years  ago. 

In  the  land  of  his  nativity  Mr.  Getzel- 
man, of  this  sketch,  attended  the  public 
schools,  and  at  the  age  of  eleven  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  America.  He  assisted 
his  father  in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm 
until  after  the  inauguration  of  the  Civil  war, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


'45 


when  his  loyalty  to  his  adopted  country 
prompted  his  enlistment,  and  on  the  ist  of 
October,  1861,  he  joined  Company  K,  Fifty- 
second  Illinois  Infantry,  going  into  camp  at 
Geneva.  About  the  ist  of  November  he 
went  to  St.  Louis,  thence  to  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri,  and  later  returned  to  Kentucky. 
With  his  command  he  started  to  Fort  Don- 
elson,  making  forced  marches,  but  arrived 
just  too  late  for  participation  in  the  battle. 
His  company  was  then  sent  as  guard  over 
the  prisoners  to  Chicago.  On  their  return 
to  the  south  they  participated  in  the  battle 
of  Shiloh,  followed  by  the  siege  and  battle 
of  Corinth,  and  all  the  battles  from  Look- 
out Mountain  to  the  capture  of  Atlanta,  in- 
cluding the  memorable  march  with  Sherman 
to  the  sea.  From  Savannah  they  marched 
through  the  Carolinas,  joining  Grant's  army 
on  the  march  to  Richmond,  and  on  the  24th 
of  May,  1865,  participated  in  the  grand  re- 
view in  Washington,  the  most  celebrated 
military  pageant  seen  in  the  history  of  this 
country.  Mr.  Getzelman  passed  through 
the  war  uninjured,  save  on  one  occasion, 
when  he  received  a  slight  bullet  wound  un- 
der the  arm.  At  that  time  he  and  several 
companions  were  out  on  a  foraging  expedi- 
tion, and  were  discovered  and  pursued  by  a 
band  of  Rebel  cavalry.  So  greatly  were 
they  outnumbered  by  the  boys  in  gray  that 
they  decided  the  best  thing  to  be  done  was 
to  flee,  but  the  Rebels  were  well  mounted 
and  escape  seemed  almost  impossible.  How- 
ever, fully  aware  that  capture  meant  the 
horrors  of  Libby  and  Andersonville,  Mr. 
Getzelman  determined  to  escape  if  he  could, 
feeling  that  he  would  rather  be  killed  than 
enter  one  of  those  southern  prison  pens. 
Mounted  on  a  mule,  he  put  the  animal  to 
its  best  possible  speed,  but  as  he  reached  a 
fence  the  mule  refused  to  jump  it,  and  our 


subject,  then  tumbling  over  the  fence,  made 
his  way  toward  a  swamp,  pursued  by  the 
bullets  of  the  enemy,  several  of  which 
pierced  his  clothes,  making  him  think  that 
his  earthly  career  was  drawing  to  a  close. 
However,  he  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
swamp,  and  ultimately  arrived  at  camp 
once  more,  but  his  companions  were  cap- 
tured. The  next  day,  when  his  colonel 
suggested  that  he  had  better  go  on  another 
foraging  expedition,  he  asked  to  be  excused! 
Mr.  Getzelman  was  mustered  out  of  the 
service  July  6,  1865,  and  resumed  agricult- 
ural pursuits  which  he  successfully  conduct- 
ed for  many  years.  He  purchased  eighty 
acres  in  Hampshire  township,  and  for  six- 
teen years  made  his  home  thereon,  but  in 
the  meantime  increased  the  boundaries  of 
his  farm  until  it  comprised  seven  hundred 
acres  of  rich  land  in  one  tract.  He  placed 
much  of  this  under  cultivation,  made  many 
excellent  improvements  and  developed  one 
of  the  finest  farms  of  the  county.  For  a 
number  of  years  he  engaged  in  general  farm- 
ing, but  later  years  turned  his  attention 
more  specially  to  dairying.  He  was  very 
industrious  and  enterprising  and  his  well 
directed  efforts,  capable  management  and 
honorable  business  methods  brought  him  a 
success  which  year  by  year  added  to  his  in- 
come until  he  is  now  the  possessor  of  a 
very  handsome  competence.  On  leaving 
the  farm  he  spent  five  years  in  the  village  of 
Hampshire  and  in  1893  removed  to  Elgin, 
where  he  purchased  the  Crosby  residence  on 
Highland  avenue,  a  fine  home  in  which  he 
is  now  spending  his  declining  days,  sur- 
rounded by  the  comforts  that  go  to  make 
life  worth  the  living.  He  has  sold  a  portion 
of  his  old  farm,  but  still  retains  the  owner- 
ship of  the  homestead  of  three  hundred 
acres,  which  he  rents.  He  also  has  a  farm 


146 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Dundee 
township  and  considerable  city  realty.  All 
has  been  acquired  through  his  own  efforts 
and  his  property  is  a  splendid  indication  of 
his  busy  and  useful  life. 

Mr.  Getzleman  was  married  in  Chicago, 
September  4,  1865,  to  Ernestine  Rudolph, 
a  daughter  of  George  and  Eva  (Eichler) 
Rudolph,  natives  of  Germany.  Mrs.  Get- 
zelman  was  born  in  Saxony,  and  by  her  mar- 
riage has  become  the  mother  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  Emma,  wife  of  Israel  Reams, 
of  Hampshire;  Lydia  May,  wife  of  Charles 
J.  Smith,  of  Elgin,  who  was  born  in  Marine, 
Illinois,  a  son  of  Erasmus  and  Louisa 
(Bright)  Smith,  the  former  a  native  of 
Baden  and  the  latter  of  Saxony,  Germany. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  were  married  June  I, 
1878,  and  have  one  child,  Ernest  Theodore 
E.,  who  has  received  a  liberal  education 
and  is  now  a  member  of  the  class  of  1898 
in  one  of  the  Chicago  law  colleges.  He  is 
married.  Benjamin  C. ,  who  is  married  and 
living  in  Elgin,  is  a  graduate  pharmacist, 
but  now  occupies  the  position  of  bookkeeper 
in  the  Elgin  National  Bank.  Edna  and 
George  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Getzelman  are  members 
of  the  Christian  Evangelical  church  and  are 
people  of  the  highest  respectability,  whose 
many  excellencies  of  character  have  gained 
them  the  warm  regard  of  all  with  whom 
they  have  come  in  contact.  In  politics  he 
is  a  stanch  Republican  and  is  a  valued  mem- 
ber of  Elgin  Post,  G.  A.  R.  He  is  a  director 
in  the  Elgin  National  Bank,  and  has  ever 
taken  a  very  active  interest  in  the  develop- 
ment and  progress  of  the  community,  doing 
all  in  his  power  for  the  promotion  of  its 
business,  political,  educational  and  moral 
interests.  While  in  Hampshire  he  served 
as  a  member  of  the  school  board.  He  is  as 


true  to  the  duties  of  citizenship  in  times  of 
peace  as  he  was  when  following  the  starry 
banner  on  southern  battle  fields,  and  his  life 
record  is  one  well  worthy  of  emulation. 


EDWARD  H.  ABBOTT.  M.  D.,  is  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  medicine  and 
surgery  in  Elgin,  his  office  being  at  157  Chi- 
cago street.  In  a  few  short  years  his  devo- 
tion to  his  profession  has  won  him  a  place 
among  the  ablest  representatives  of  the 
medical  fraternity  in  this  locality. 

Dr.  Abbott  was  born  in  Elgin,  in  the  old 
Adams  house  on  Villa  street  November  6, 
1866,  being  the  first  child  born  to  Frank 
W.  Abbott  and  his  wife,  Dora  L.  (Helm) 
Abbott,  the  former  a  native  of  New  York, 
the  latter  of  Hanover,  Germany.  The  pa- 
ternal grandfather,  Hiram  Abbott,  was  an 
American  of  Scotch  descent,  and  his  wife, 
Jennette  Robinson,  was  a  descendant  of  the 
Rev.  Jedediah  Hibbard,  a  hymn  writer  and 
Baptist  minister  of  early  New  England 
times  and  a  minute  man  in  the  Revolution. 
Hiram  Abbott  was  a  merchant  of  Cayuga 
county,  New  York,  and  died  before  reaching 
the  age  of  fifty  years,  leaving  one  son  and 
two  daughters. 

Otto  and  Fredericka  (Berling)  Helm, 
the  Doctor's  maternal  grandparents,  were 
natives  of  Germany,  who  coming  to  America 
early  in  1850,  located  upon  and  developed 
a  small  farm  in  Barrington  township,  Cook 
county,  Illinois.  There  Otto  Helm  died  in 
middle  life,  while  his  wife  surviving  him, 
reached  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  In 
their  family  were  three  sons  and  one 
daughter. 

During  his  youth  Frank  W.  Abbott  first 
came  to  Elgin  about  1856,  but  later  traveled 
through  the  Rocky  Mountain  states  and 


E.   H.   ABBOTT,   M.  D, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


149 


into  Mexico,  returning  in  1861  to  enlist  as 
drummer  in  Company  I,  Illinois  Volunter 
Infantry.  After  serving  three  years  he  re- 
enlisted  and  remained  at  the  front  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  participating  in  the  battles 
of  Donelson,  Shiloh,  Siege  of  Corinth,  luka, 
Corinth,  Hatchie,  Town  Creek,  Bear  Creek, 
Resaca,  Snake  Creek  Gap,  Day's  Ferry, 
Rowe  Cross  Roads,  Dallas,  Calhoun  Cross 
Roads,  Mills  Grove,  Kenesaw,  Decatur, 
Atlanta,  Lovejoy's  Station,  Jonesboro,  Al- 
toona,  Bentonville,  Sherman's  march  to  the 
sea,  and  Savannah.  After  the  war  he 
entered  the  Elgin  National  Watch  Works, 
where  he  was  acting  as  job  foreman  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  May  7, 
1882,  when  he  was  forty-two  years  of  age. 
He  was  an  active  member  of  the  famous 
Elgin  Military  band  for  years.  Fraternally 
he  was  a  Master  Mason,  and  politically  a 
Republican.  His  widow  still  survives  and 
with  her  children  lives  at  No.  358  Yarwood 
street.  Besides  the  Doctor  there  are  two 
daughters — Catherine  L. ,  who  is  first  assist- 
ant in  the  Gail  Borden  Public  Library;  and 
Jennette  E.,  who  is  employed  in  one  of  the 
offices  of  the  National  Watch  factory. 

Dr.  Abbott  was  handicapped  in  early  life 
by  the  loss  of  his  father,  and  at  an  early 
age,  fourteen  years,  he  took  his  father's 
place  as  the  family  mainstay.  Beginning 
in  the  watch  factory  on  his  father's  job,  he 
worked  his  way  upward,  succeeding  in  every- 
thing he  undertook.  Thrown  into  the  so- 
ciety of  mechanics  he  developed  an  inter- 
est in  that  direction  and  mastered  me- 
chanical drawing  and  mathematics  in  several 
years  of  night  work.  Then  turning  to  liter- 
ature and  science  he  continued  his  night 
work,  being  in  this  his  own  tutor.  During 
the  same  time  he  took  an  active  part  in  local 
athletic  circles,  also  edited  the  watch  factory 


department  of  the  Elgin  ' '  Every  Saturday  " 
for  three  years,  acted  as  secretary  of  Kane 
lodge,  No.  47,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  for  the  same 
length  of  time,  and  passed  through  the 
chairs  in  that  lodge.  In  1888  he  helped  or- 
ganize the  Republican  Tinners'  Campaign 
companies,  acting  as  chairman  in  the  meet- 
ings of  the  organization.  Beginning  the 
study  of  medicine  several  years  before  leav- 
ing the  watch  factory,  he  entered  Rush 
Medical  College,  Chicago,  with  a  year  of 
work  to  his  credit  and  graduated  from  that 
institution  in  the  spring  of  1895.  Soon  after 
locating  in  Elgin,  Dr.  Abbott  undertook  the 
treatment  of  a  severe  case  of  burning  of  the 
limbs  and  body  of  a  young  lady  of  Elgin. 
The  case  was  pronounced  a  hopeless  one, 
the  patient  being  at  death's _door.  After 
faithful  preparation  .hundreds  of  skin  grafts 
were  placed  upon  the  denuded  flesh'with 
complete  success,  the  young  woman  regain- 
ing her  health  with  the  restoration  of  the 
destroyed  cuticle.  The  case  was  a  record 
one  of  its  kind,  the  surface  grafted  (two 
square  feet)  being  one  of  the  greatest  ever 
reported  to  the  medical  profession.  Chicago 
and  St.  Louis  papers  devoted  much  space 
to  the  operation,  while  nearly  every  paper 
in  the  middle  states  mentioned  it.  This 
case  established  the  Doctor's  reputation, 
and  has  been  followed  by  others  which  gained 
him  an  enviable  standing  in  his  profession. 
Dr.  Abbott  was  recently  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Fox  River  Valley  Medical  Asso- 
ciation and  of  the  American  Medical  Asso- 
ciation; takes  an  active  part  in  the  Odd 
Fellows,  Independent  Order  of  Forresters, 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  Mystic  Workers 
of  the  World,  Royal  Circle,  and  the  Sons  of 
Veterans.  In  the  latter  organization  he 
holds  the  State  of  Illinois  Supreme  Sur- 
geoncy upon  the  commander's  staff.  He  is 


i  jo 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


also  medical  director  of  the  Sons  of  Veter- 
ans' Life  Association,  the  insurance  branch 
of  the  order,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Carle- 
ton  Club. 

In  November,  1895,  he  purchased  a  half 
interest  in  the  drug  business  at  1 59  Chicago 
street  with  C.  F.  Wm.  Schultz  &  Com- 
pany. The  business  has  since  been  con- 
ducted with  gratifying  success,  Mr.  Schultz 
being  a  skilled  pharmacist,  a  graduate  of  the 
Chicago  School  of  Pharmacy,  the  phar- 
maceutical department  of  the  University  of 
Illinois.  The  aim  of  this  firm  is  to  keep 
only  the  best  and  choicest  of  drugs  and 
druggists'  sundries. 

Politically  the  Doctor  is  an  Independent 
Republican,  and  takes  a  commendable  in- 
terest in  public  affairs.  He  is  a  whole- 
souled,  genial  gentleman  of  a  literary  turn 
of  mind,  having  contributed  a  number 
of  articles  for  the  local  and  general  press. 
Being  yet  young,  his  promise  for  future 
eminence  is  flattering. 


/~>EORGE  BAKER,  fence  manufacturer 
\-J  and  dealer  in  fencing  material,  Hamp- 
shire, was  born  near  Mansfield,  Seneca 
county,  Ohio,  June  9,  1845.  His  father, 
Peter  Baker,  was  born  near  Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania,  and  his  mother  dying  when 
he  was  about  five  years  of  age,  he  was 
taken  and  reared  by  an  uncle,  who  lived 
near  Green  Springs,  Ohio.  In  early  life  he 
learned  the  shoemaker's  trade,  at  which  he 
worked  for  many  years,  and  at  odd  times 
after  his  removal  to  Hampshire  township. 
Samuel  Baker,  the  paternal  grandfather, 
moved  to  Ohio,  some  years  after  his  son 
Peter  iwent  to  live  with  his  uncle.  He 
died  there  about  1858,  at  the  age  of  eighty 
years.  The  Bakers  are  of  German  origin, 


the  first  of  the  name  settling  in  this  coun- 
try in  colonial  days.  Peter  Baker  married 
Magdalena  Cook,  a  native  of  Richland 
county,  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  John 
George  Cook,  who  left  Europe  after  the 
Napoleonic  wars.  To  them  were  born 
seven  children  as  follows:  Sarah  Ann, 
wife  of  Abraham  Aurand,  residing  in  Hamp- 
shire township;  George,  our  subject;  Ja- 
cob, living  in  Hampshire  township;  John, 
residing  near  the  village  of  Hampshire; 
William,  in  Hampshire  township;  Harri- 
son, living  in  Sandusky  county,  Ohio;  and 
Lydia,  wife  of  Chris  Bowman,  of  Hamp- 
shire township. 

In  November,  1845,  Peter  Baker  came 
with  his  family  to  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
and  located  on  a  farm  a  few  miles  north- 
east of  the  present  village  of  Hampshire. 
He  came  by  wagon,  and  was  three  months 
in  making  the  trip.  While  camping  on  the 
bank  of  a  river  one  evening,  the  father 
went  to  get  wood  and  the  mother  to  get 
water.  Our  subject,  then  but  about  six 
months  old,  was  left  under  the  wagon. 
When  the  mother  returned,  she  found  the 
little  one  had  rolled  nearly  into  the  river. 
The  place  selected  by  Mr.  Baker  was  in 
the  heavy  timber,  which  had  to  be  cleared 
for  cultivation.  A  log  house  was  first 
erected  and  later  a  substantial  frame 
house  was  built.  Here  the  father  followed 
farming  until  his  death,  in  December,  1867, 
at  the  age  of  forty- seven  years.  The  mother 
remained  in  possession  of  the  farm,  until 
her  death,  November  25,  1894,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-five  years.  Peter  Baker  was  a 
very  industrious  man,  and  in  bad  weather 
and  at  night  worked  at  his  trade  of  shoe- 
making,  and  thus  acquired  money  to  pay 
for  his  farm. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Hampshire  township,  and  attended  the  dis- 
trict schools  until  the  age  of  seventeen  years. 
He  remained  upon  the  home  farm,  however, 
until  November  17,  1864,  when  he  enlisted 
in  Company  B,  Seventeenth  Illinois  Cavalry, 
under  command  of  Captain  C.  H.  Shopleigh, 
and  was  mustered  into  the  service  at  St. 
Charles,  and  was  immediately  sent  to  Jeffer- 
son Barracks,  near  St.  Louis,  where  the 
regiment  was  detained  for  some  months. 
It  was  then  sent  to  Lexington,  Missouri, 
where  it  engaged  in  battle  with  the  Rebels, 
after  which  it  was  sent  to  Macon  City, 
guarding  prisoners.  They  returned  to  Illi- 
nois in  charge  of  the  prisoners,  which  were 
left  at  Alton,  and  the  regiment  was  then 
sent  to  Kansas,  west  of  Fort  Scott,  thence 
to  Verdegris  river,  in  the  Indian  country, 
and  in  guarding  the  stage  route  in  Smoky 
Hill  Valley.  When  near  Salt  Lake  City, 
our  subject  and  a  companion  were  cut  off 
from  the  troop  by  Indians,  and  the  two 
fought  for  several  hours,  when  relief  came. 
Our  subject  was  shot  in  the  leg  and  was 
sent  to  the  hospital  at  Fort  Bennett,  thence 
to  Fort  Leavenworth,  where  he  was  mus- 
tered out  and  discharged  from  hospital, 
January  10,  1866,  and  was  sent  to  the 
soldiers'  home,  where  he  remained  until 
February  22,  1866,  and  then  sent  to  Spring- 
field, and  from  there  home. 

On  his  return  home  Mr.  Baker  began 
working  on  a  farm  for  Mr.  Rudolph,  and, 
not  yet  being  of  age,  his  father  took  his 
wages,  amounting  to  one  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars,  much  to  his  sorrow.  In  the  sum- 
mer of  1867,  he  worked  for  M.  J.  Getzel- 
man,  for  twenty-one  dollars  and  fifty  cents 
per  month,  and  in  the  summer  of  1868  for 
Samuel  Gift.  In  1869,  he  worked  for  Eber- 
hardt  Wertwein,  and  in  the  fall  of  that 
year  went  to  Ohio,  expecting  to  make  a 


visit  of  a  few  weeks.  Arriving  there  he 
went  to  work  for  an  uncle,  with  whom  he 
remained  two  years.  On  the  7th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1871,  in  Thompson  township,  Seneca 
county,  Ohio,  he  married  Caroline  Deuch- 
ler,  third  in  a  family,  of  eleven  children, 
born  in  Alsace,  France,  in  1845,  and  who 
came  with  her  parents  to  America  in  1851, 
sailing  in  April  from  Havre,  France,  land- 
ing at  New  York,  in  June,  being  forty-two 
days  on  the  water.  Her  father,  Peter 
Deuchler,  married  Elizabeth  Long,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Peter  Long,  a  soldier  under  Napo- 
leon. Peter  Deuchler  was  killed  by  a  run- 
away team,  in  1872,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
two  years.  His  wife  survived  him  some 
years,  dying  at  the  age  of  sixty- seven  years. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baker  four  children  have 
been  born,  as  follows:  Albert  W.,  an  em- 
ploye in  the  tile  factory,  at  Hampshire; 
Samuel  R.,  a  telegraph  operator  at  New 
Lebanon,  Illinois;  Ida  May  and  Lillie  Annie, 
at  home. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Baker  rented  a 
farm  in  Seneca  county,  Ohio,  where  he  re- 
mained one  year  and  then  spent  four  years 
on  a  farm  in  Sandusky  county,  Ohio.  In 
1876  he  returned  to  Kane  county,  rented  a 
house  and  worked  for  Lucien  Baldwin  for 
one  year,  and  then  rented  his  father's  old 
farm  for  four  years.  Shortly  afterwards  he 
bought  his  present  place  at  the  edge  of  the 
village  of  Hampshire,  and  built  his  residence. 
For  two  years  he  worked  in  the  tile  factory 
and  at  painting  for  four  years.  In  1883, 
he  began  his  present  business,  and  now 
manufactures  several  varieties  of  fencing  and 
is  also  agent  for  several  lines  of  patent  fenc- 
ing. He  has  erected  many  miles  of  fencing 
in  Hampshire  and  adjoining  townships. 
During  the  season  in  which  fence  building 
is  dull  he  canvasses  for  Bibles  and  religious 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


books,  and  in  a  single  year  he  has  sold  two 
hundred  Bibles,  and  distributed  two  thou- 
sand Christian  tracts.  He  and  his  family 
are  all  members  of  the  Evangelical  church. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  Hampshire 
post,  G.  A.  R. ,  and  in  politics  is  a  Repub- 
lican. 

FRANCIS  BURTON,  an  honored  pioneer 
of  Kane  county,  who  is  now  living  re- 
tired in  Elgin,  was  born  in  Sherrington, 
near  Montreal,  Canada  East,  December  14, 
1829,  a  son  of  John  and  Jane  (Stringer) 
Burton,  natives  of  Yorkshire,  England,  who 
emigrated  to  Canada  about  1815,  and  were 
married  in  Montreal.  The  father,  who  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation,  enlisted  as  a  volun- 
teer in  the  French  war,  and  was  killed  in  an 
engagement  at  Odeltown,  in  1838.  His 
wife  died  in  Kane  county,  Illinois,  in  1866, 
a  worthy  member  of  the  Episcopal  church, 
to  which  the  father  also  belonged.  To  them 
were  born  nine  children,  as  follows:  Will- 
iam, Richard,  Mary,  the  wife  of  George 
Marshall,  of  South  Elgin;  John,  Francis, 
George,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven  years; 
Alice,  widow  of  George  Church;  and  Ann, 
wife  of  George  Cookman. 

Reared  in  Canada,  Francis  Burton  ob- 
tained his  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
that  country,  and  upon  the  home  farm  he 
early  became  familiar  with  every  depart- 
ment of  farm  work.  Coming  to  the  United 
States  in  1845,  he  located  in  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  where  his  brothers,  William,  Rich- 
ard and  John,  had  previously  taken  up  their 
residence.  In  1850,  before  he  had  attained 
his  majority,  he  made  his  first  purchase 
of  land,  it  being  a  tract  of  ninety-six  acres 
in  Plato  township,  which  he  leased.  In 
1852  he  had  "  an  attack  of  the  gold  fever," 
and,  with  his  brother  Richard,  crossed  the 


plains  to  California,  where  he  engaged  in 
mining  for  about  six  months  with  reasona- 
ble success,  operating  principally  on  Weaver 
creek.  On  his  return  to  Illinois  he  worked 
in  a  distillery  at  Clintonville  for  a  time,  and 
then  operated  a  farm,  which  he  rented  of 
his  uncle.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  in  Elgin  township,  Kane 
county,  to  the  cultivation  and  improvement 
of  which  he  at  once  turned  his  attention. 
Subsequently  he  bought  another  eighty-acre 
tract  adjoining,  which  he  afterward  sold  to 
the  original  owner,  John  Springer,  and  later 
purchased  fifty  acres  in  Plato  township, 
which  he  operated  for  a  few  years.  On 
selling  that  place  he  bought  one  hundred 
and  seventeen  acres  adjoining  it  on  the  east. 
This  place,  together  with  his  first  eighty- 
acre  farm,  he  still  owns,  and  he  successfully 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  1884, 
when  he  leased  his  land  to  his  son-in-law 
and  removed  to  Elgin,  where  he  has  since 
practically  lived  retired  in  the  enjoyment  of 
the  accumulations  of  former  years.  In  con- 
nection with  general  farming,  he  devoted  a 
great  deal  of  his  time  to  stock  raising  and 
dairying,  and  his  farm  is  now  chiefly  a  dairy 
farm. 

On  the  6th  of  September,  1853,  Mr. 
Burton  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Mary  Poole,  a  native  of  England,  and  a 
daughter  of  Charles  Poole.  Nine  children 
blessed  this  union,  namely:  Charles  R. ,  a 
resident  of  Kingston,  Illinois;  Adeline  M., 
wife  of  George  Wright,  of  Elgin ;  George  F., 
a  butter  maker  living  in  Mount  Carroll,  Illi- 
nois; Fenny,  wife  of  Charles  Ladd,  living 
near  Iowa  Falls,  Iowa;  Olive;  William  L., 
who  lives  on  his  father's  farm  at  Iowa  Falls; 
Frank,  a  carpenter  of  Elgin;  and  Lottie  and 
Minnie,  who  died  in  childhood. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Burton  is 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


153 


a  pronounced  Republican,  and  he  has  most 
acceptably  served  in  a  number  of  township 
offices.  He  and  his  wife  are  both  consistent 
members  of  the  United  Brethren  church, 
and  are  held  in  high  regard  by  all  who  know 
them  on  account  of  their  sterling  worth  and 
many  virtues. 

FRED  W.  JENCKS,  the  present  efficient 
alderman  from  the  second  ward,  is  one 
of  the  leading  and  most  popular  business 
men  of  Elgin,  where  he  is  interested  in  a 
number  of  different  enterprises.  Although 
a  comparatively  young  man,  he  has  done 
much  to  promote  the  commercial  activity, 
advance  the  general  welfare  and  secure  the 
material  development  of  the  city. 

A  native  of  Kane  county,  Mr.  Jencks  was 
born  in  Dundee,  July  6,  1861,  and  is  a  son 
of  Dennison  and  Elizabeth  (Hollister) 
Jencks,  the  former  a  native  of  North  Adams, 
Massachusetts,  the  latter  of  Danbury,  Con- 
necticut. The  father  came  to  Illinois  in 
1841,  is  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  the 
county,  making  his  home  in  Dundee  for 
many  years.  Since  1872,  however,  he  has 
resided  in  Elgin,  where  for  over  twenty 
years  he  was  successfully  engaged  in  the  in- 
surance business,  but  is  now  living  retired 
at  the  age  of  sixty.  A  public-spirited,  en- 
terprising citizen,  he  has  always  taken  a 
commendable  interest  in  public  affairs;  for 
three  terms  he  served  his  fellow  citizens  as 
county  supervisor,  alderman  of  Elgin  four- 
teen years,  and  postmaster  at  Dundee  for 
eight  years.  Religiously  Mrs.  Jencks  was 
identified  with  the  Baptist  church.  She 
was  called  to  her  final  rest  January  18, 
1897,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years. 

Fred  W.  Jencks,  the  only  child  of  this 
worthy  couple,  by  adoption,  has  been  a 
resident  of  Elgin  since  ten  years  of  age,  his 


parents  removing  from  Dundee  to  this  city 
at  that  time,  and  in  the  academy  he  com- 
pleted his  literary  education.  In  1877  he 
became  interested  with  his  father  in  the  in- 
surance business,  and  now  represents  some 
of  the  most  reliable  firms  in  the  United 
States,  besides  others  of  foreign  countries. 
These  include  the  Royal  Fire,  of  England; 
the  Girard,  of  Philadelphia;  the  ^Etna,  of 
Hartford,  Connecticut;  the  Glens  Falls,  of 
New  York;  the  Traders,  of  Chicago;  the 
Imperial,  of  London,  England;  the  St.  Paul, 
of  Minnesota;  the  American  Central,  of  St. 
Louis;  and  the  Scottish  Union  &  National, 
of  Scotland.  He  does  the  most  extensive 
business  of  any  firm  of  the  kind  in  Elgin. 
He  is  also  serving  as  a  notary  public,  is  a 
licensed  city  bill  poster  and  distributor,  is 
interested  in  the  real-estate  business,  and 
for  the  past  eleven  years  has  been  the  effi- 
cient and  popular  manager  of  the  Elgin 
Opera  House,  of  Elgin,  which  has  prospered 
under  his  charge. 

On  the  1 7th  of  June,  1883,  Mr.  Jencks 
was  married  to  Miss  Lizzie,  daughter  of 
Andrew  Schaller,  and  they  now  have  one 
child,  Mabel  V.  Fraternally  is  a  member  of 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  while 
politically  he  is  identified  with  the  Repub- 
lican party.  In  1895  ne  was  elected  alder- 
man from  the  second  ward,  receiving  the 
largest  majority  of  any  candidate  on  the 
ticket,  a  fact  which  plainly  indicates  his 
popularity,  and  the  confidence  and  trust  re- 
posed in  him  by  his  fellow  citizens.  He 
has  been  a  member  of  some  of  the  most 
important  committees,  and  has  been  chair- 
man of  the  fire  and  water  committee  during 
his  entire  incumbency.  He  has  exerted  his 
influence  in  behalf  of  the  best  interests  of 
the  city,  and  that  his  services  are  appre- 


154 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ciated  is  evinced  by  his  continuous  re-elec- 
tion. For  the  past  five  years  he  has  been 
president  of  the  Illinois  State  Bill  Posters 
Association. 

HANS  JOHNSON,  a  farmer  residing  in 
the  village  of  Hampshire,  is  a  native 
of  Denmark,  born  in  Husby,  November  u, 
1845.  He  there  attended  the  Lutheran 
parochial  school  until  the  age  of  fourteen, 
when  he  commenced  work  on  a  farm,  and 
later  was  employed  as  foreman  of  a  large 
farm  belonging  to  the  minister  of  their 
church,  which  position  he  retained  for  three 
years.  For  three  years  he  was  in  the  Dan- 
ish army,  serving  from  1868  to  1870,  inclu- 
sive. He  was  a  corporal  in  the  artillery 
service.  At  the  time  of  the  Franco-Prus- 
sian war  he  was  again  called  into  active 
service,  and  assisted  in  guarding  the  frontier. 
In  the  fall  of  1872  he  came  to  America. 
He  left  Denmark  September  27,  for  Hull, 
England,  and  encountered  a  severe  storm 
on  the  North  sea,  being  driven  back  to 
Scaggen  on  the  Danish  coast.  He  sailed 
from  Liverpool,  England,  October  10,  1872, 
and  landed  at  Quebec  on  the  22d  of  the 
same  month.  From  Quebec  he  went  to 
Luddington,  Michigan,  where  he  worked 
eight  months,  and  then  went  to  Grand 
Haven,  in  the  same  state,  where  he  was 
employed  two  months.  From  Grand  Haven 
he  went  to  Chicago,  and  secured  work  on 
the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  railroad  in  Indiana. 
Receiving  no  money  for  his  labor,  he  re- 
turned to  Chicago  and  began  work  for  the 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  railroad. 
Later  he  secured  work  in  Plato  township, 
Kane  county,  on  the  farm  of  Ira  Russell, 
where  he  remained  four  and  a  half  years, 
then  rented  a  part  of  the  Russell  land.  A 
sister  came  from  Denmark  to  keep  house 


for  him,  and  on  her  marriage  some  months 
later  he  sold  the  stock  and  farm  implements 
and  took  charge  of  a  farm  for  a  widow  lady 
east  of  Elgin.  He  ran  that  farm  for  two 
years,  when  on  the  28th  of  March,  1883, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mise  Reka 
Dahl,  and  to  them  have  been  born  six  chil- 
dren —  Lizzie,  Ella,  Charles,  Katherine, 
Grace  and  Florence. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Johnson  went  to 
Pingree  Grove,  rented  the  farm  of  L.  N. 
Kelly,  comprising  five  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  foriwhich  he  paid  a  cash  rent  of  seven 
thousand,  five  hundred  dollars  for  the  five 
years.  In  the  fall  of  1890  he  bought  his 
present  farm  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres, 
which  lies  partly  in  the  village  of  Hamp- 
shire, and  which  is  well  improved,  having 
on  it  a  good  frame  house,  a  large  basement 
barn  36x80  feet,  with  twenty-four-foot 
posts,  a  windmill  eighty  feet  high,  the  place 
being  well  drained  with  three  thousand  feet 
of  tiling.  The  farm  is  used  for  dairy  pur- 
poses, and  Mr.  Johnson  keeps  from  forty  to 
fifty  head  of  cows,  the  milk  from  which  he 
ships  to  Chicago. 

Hans  Johnson,  Sr. ,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  married  Kern  Jansen,  who  was  also 
a  native  of  Denmark.  He  was  a  laborer  in 
Denmark  and  came  to  America,  but  not  be- 
ing able  to  adapt  himself  to  the  customs  of 
the  country,  became  dissatisfied  and  returned 
to  his  native  land,  where  his  death  occurred 
in  1 88 1,  when  about  sixty-eight  years  of 
age.  Of  his  sfx  children,  all  came  to  Amer- 
ica and  here  made  their  homes. 

In  1892  an  exciting  and  almost  fatal  ac- 
cident occurred  to  our  subject.  He  was  „ 
filling  his  barn  with  hay,  when  the  fork  de- 
scended unexpectedly,  piercing  through  his 
clothing  and  grazing  his  flesh.  It  was  a 
rather  too  close  call  for  comfort.  Relig- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


155 


iously,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  are  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Hamp- 
shire. Fraternally,  he  is  a  Master  Mason 
and  a  member  of  the  Eastern  Star,  of  which 
his  wife  is  also  a  member;  also  a  member  of 
the  Royal  Neighbors,  of  the  Knights  of  the 
Maccabees,  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  Knights  of  the  Globe.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Republican. 


FRED  ROEHL,  of  Dundee,  Illinois,  has 
been  a  resident  of  Kane  county  since 
the  spring  of  1854.  He  is  a  native  of  Prus- 
sia, born  August  14,  1832,  and  is  the  son  of 
Charles  and  Louisa  (Kroll)  Roehl,  also  na- 
tives of  that  country.  His  father  was  a 
sailor,  owner  and  captain  of  several  ves- 
sels and  followed  the  sea  the  greater  part 
of  his  life.  When  Fred  was  but  seven 
years  of  age  his  mother  died,  leaving  three 
children.  In  his  boyhood  he  had  good 
common-school  advantages,  but  learned  the 
English  language  after  coming  to  this  coun- 
try. While  yet  residing  in  his  native  land, 
he  learned  the  stone  and  brick  mason  trade 
in  a  most  thorough  manner.  In  1854  ne 
came  to  United  States,  and  for  a  few 
months  worked  on  a  farm  near  Dundee. 
In  1855,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr. 
Parker,  a  mason,  and  engaged  in  contract- 
ing and  building  with  him  about  seven 
years.  There  are  in  Dundee  a  large  num- 
ber of  business  and  dwelling  houses,  which 
show  the  architectural  skill  and  handiwork 
of  Mr.  Roehl. 

In  1863  Mr.  Roehl  engaged  in  the  saloon 
and  hotel  business  on  the  east  side  in  Dun- 
dee, in  which  he  continued  about  three 
years,  when  he  sold  out  and  moved  to  West 
Dundee  and  there  engaged  in  the  grocery, 
butcher  and  saloon  business  for  some  seven 


years,  building  up  a  large  and  profitable 
trade.  He  then  sold  out  and  returned  to 
East  Dundee,  started  a  hardware  store, 
and  also  again  engaging  in  building  and 
contracting,  erecting  four  business  houses. 
He  likewise  carried  on  a  saloon  and  butcher 
shop,  but  after  two  years  sold  out  the  hard- 
ware store,  but  continued  in  the  other 
lines  of  business  three  years  longer.  Sell- 
ing out  his  saloon  and  butcher  shop,  he 
started  a  lumber  yard  and  engaged  in  that 
business  about  five  years.  Selling  the  lum- 
ber business  he  opened  a  wood  and  coal 
yard  in  Elgin,  which  he  continued  some 
four  or  five  years,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  dealing  in  milch  cows  and  stock. 

Mr.  Roehl  was  married  at  Dundee,  July 
25,  1857,  to  Louisa  Haasa,  a  daughter  of 
Henry  Haasa,  and  a  native  of  Hanover, 
Germany,  where  she  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated. She  came  to  this  country  in  1854 
with  her  parents,  who  first  settled  in  Elm- 
hurst,  but  later  move  to  a  farm  near  Bar- 
rington  Centre.  By  this  union  nine  children 
have  been  born,  four  of  whom  are  living, 
the  remainder  dying  in  childhood.  The 
living  are  Charles,  now  residing  in  Iowa; 
Carrie,  wife  of  Joseph  Johnson,  a  resident 
of  Algonquin,  Illinois;  Louisa,  wife  of  Will- 
iam Hagel,  a  business  man  of  Chicago; 
and  Frank,  engaged  in  the  butcher  busi- 
ness, as  junior  partner  of  the  firm  of  Smith 
&  Roehl. 

Politically,  Mr.  Roehl  is  a  Democrat, 
with  which  party  he  has  been  identified 
since  becoming  a  naturalized  citizen.  He 
has  held  several  local  offices  of  honor  and 
trust,  serving  first  as  constable  for  four 
years,  and,  though  again  elected,  declined 
the  office.  He  also  served  as  trustee  of  the 
town  on  the  west  side  and  chairman  of  the 
board  on  the  east  side.  In  every  position 


1 56 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


he  has  discharged  his  duties  faithfully  and 
well.  Religiously,  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Lutheran  church,  one  of 
its  charter  members  in  Dundee.  In  the 
erection  of  their  house  of  worship,  in  Dun- 
dee, he  contributed  liberally  of  his  time 
and  money. 

For  forty-four  years  Mr.  Roehl  has  been 
identified  with  the  business  interests  of 
Dundee.  He  has  built  for  himself  in  this 
time  some  fifteen  business  houses  and  resi- 
dences in  addition  to  those  erected  for  other 
people.  He  has  probably  done  as  much  as 
any  one  man  toward  improving  and  develop- 
ing his  adopted  city.  Numbered  among  the 
old  settlers  of  the  place,  he  enjoys  the  con- 
fidence and  respect  of  all. 


WILLIAM  MARSHALL,  proprietor  of 
the  Railroad  avenue  farm,  on  section 
19,  St.  Charles  township,  is  admitted  to  be 
one  of  the  best  farmers  in  the  township,  and 
the  man  who  is  well  regarded  by  the  com- 
munity in  general.  He  was  born  in  North 
Clifton,  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Trent, 
Nottinghamshire,  England,  April  21,  1821. 
His  father,  William  Marshall,  Sr. ,  was  also 
a  native  of  the  same  shire,  where  he  married 
Mary  Bingham,  a  native  of  Lincolnshire, 
England,  by  whom  he  had  eleven  children, 
five  sons  and  six  daughters,  all  of  whom 
grew  to  mature  years,  save  one  son. 

William  Marshall,  our  subject,  was  reared 
in  Nottinghamshire,  England,  and  in  his 
boyhood  received  a  very  limited  education. 
In  his  youth  he  was  apprenticed  for  a  term 
of  seven  years  to  learn  the  blacksmith  trade, 
his  only  compensation  being  his  board  dur- 
ing that  time.  After  completing  his  trade 
he  worked  as  a  journeyman  in  Nottingham- 
shire and  Lancastershire,  and  had  the  repu- 


tation of  being  one  of  the  best  mechanics  in 
the  vicinity.  On  the  2$th  of  March,  1843, 
in  Nottinghamshire,  he  married  Miss  Sarah 
Harpham,  a  native  of  Headon,  near  shire- 
town  of  Retford,  Nottinghamshire,  and 
three  years  later,  with  his  wife,  he  set  sail 
for  America,  taking  ship  at  Liverpool,  April 
22,  1848,  and  landed  in  New  York,  May  24, 
1848,  being  thirty-two  days  in  making  the 
trip,  during  which  time  they  encountered 
some  severe  weather.  From  New  York  he 
went  up  the  Hudson  river  to  Albany,  and 
by  the  Erie  Canal  and  the  Great  Lakes  to 
Chicago,  where  he  worked  for  a  few  days 
for  the  McCormick  company,  and  then 
came  to  St.  Charles,  started  a  shop,  and 
worked  at  his  trade  for  about  four  years. 

Believing  he  could  better  himself,  Mr. 
Marshall  sold  his  shop  and  rented  a  farm 
for  two  years,  and  then  purchased  seventy- 
six  acres  of  the  farm  on  which  he  now  re- 
sides. The  farm  was  partially  improved, 
having  on  it  a  log  house  with  a  stone  chim- 
ney, and  shake  roof.  He  lived  in  that 
house  until  he  had  made  considerable  im- 
provements in  the  place,  when  he  erected  a 
neat  and  substantial  house,  that  was  burned 
down  May  21,  1894.  He  then  built  his 
present  residence,  which  is  a  frame,  with 
pressed  brick  veneer  and  stone.  This  is  a 
fine  residence,  and  one  of  the  best  in  the 
township.  Mr.  Marshall  has  also  upon  the 
place  five  barns,  and  other  outbuildings,  of 
the  most  substantial  character.  From  time 
to  time  he  added  to  his  additional  purchase, 
until  he  had  three  hundred  acres  of  as  fine 
land  as  could  be  desired,  but  he  has  since 
sold  one  hundred  and  ten  acres,  leaving  him 
one  hundred  and  ninety  acres  in  his  present 
farm.  In  addition  to  this  farm  he  owns  a 
valuable  four-acre  tract  and  several  lots  in 
St.  Charles,  as  well  as  a  number  of  lots  in 


MR.  AND   MRS.  WM.   MARSHALL. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


1,5  9 


Chicago,  Aurora,  Evergreen  Park  and  else- 
where. 

Some  five  years  after  Mr.  Marshall  lo- 
cated in  St.  Charles  township,  he  was  joined 
by  his  father,  and  later  his  brothers  and  sis- 
ters came  to  this  country.  The  parents  and 
youngest  son  remained  with  our  subject  for 
about  one  year  and  then  removed  to  De- 
Kalb  county,  where  they  spent  the  remain- 
ing years  of  their  life,  the  father  dying  at 
the  age  of  about  ninety,  while  the  mother 
was  ninty-four  years  old  at  the  time  of  her 
death.  Thomas  Marshall,  their  youngest 
son,  remained  with  them  until  their  death, 
when  he  succeeded  to  the  property  which 
they  had  accumulated,  and  is  now  one  of 
wealthy  men  of  De  Kalb  county.  All  the 
brothers  and  sisters  started  in  life  without  a 
dollar  and  now  all  are  wealthy  and  influen- 
tial. Three  of  the  sisters  married  three 
brothers,  Edward,  John  and  William  Law- 
rence, and  became  wealthy. 

After  a  long  and  happy  married  life,  Mr. 
Marshall  was  deprived  of  his  wife,  her  death 
taking  place  February  14,  1895,  leaving  five 
children — Jane,  wife  of  Richmond  Cook, 
who  was  a  farmer  of  Kane  county,  and  is 
now  deceased,  by  whom  she  had  six  chil- 
dren; Mary  Ann,  wife  of  Joseph  Kirk,  of 
St.  Charles  township,  Kane  county,  by 
whom  she -has  ten  children;  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  Charles  T.  Shaver,  whose  farm  adjoins 
that  of  Mr.  Marshall;  they  have  one  child; 
Addie  Eliza,  wife  of  Truman  Albee,  of  El- 
gin, a  machinist  in  the  watch  factory,  by 
whom  she  had  two  children;  and  William 
Henry,  a  farmer  of  St.  Charles  township. 
Three  children  died  in  infancy  and  one  at 
the  age  of  three  years. 

On  the  i  gth  of  May,  1897,  Mr.  Mar- 
shall was  again  married,  his  second  union 
being  with  Mrs.  Mary  L.  Templeton,  of 


Chicago,  widow  of  Rev.  John  G.  Temple- 
ton,  who  held  a  position  with  Marshall 
Field  &  Company,  of  Chicago.  His  brother, 
Thomas  Templeton,  is  a  partner  in  that 
firm.  Mrs.  Marshall  was  born  in  Collins- 
ville,  Marquette  county,  Michigan.  Her  fa- 
ther, Azel  Lathrop,  was  a  pioneer  of  that 
county,  in  which  there  is  a  town  named 
for  him.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marshall  have  two 
children  (twins),  Marcus  Fletcher  and 
George  Lathrop,  born  February  28,  1898. 
By  her  first  husband,  Mrs.  Marshall  has 
three  children — Thomas  Templeton,  who 
holds  a  position  with  Orr  &  Lockett,  Chi- 
cago; Robert  Templeton,  a  student  in  the 
seminary  at  Evansville,  Wisconsin;  and 
Mary  Templeton.  a  student  in  the  home 
school. 

Politically,  Mr.  Marshall  was  formerly  a 
Republican,  but  for  some  years  has  been 
identified  with  the  Prohibition  party.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Free  Methodist  church, 
with  which  he  has  been  identified  for  thirty- 
eight  years.  He  was  one  of  the  original 
members  of  the  organization  in  his  neigh- 
borhood. For  fifty  years  he  has  been  a 
resident  of  Kane  county,  and,  although  he 
came  a  poor  man,  by  industry  and  economy 
he  has  accumulated  a  competency,  and  is 
enabled  to  take  life  easy.  His  friends  are 
many  throughout  the  county,  and  no  man  is 
held  in  higher  esteem. 


ABRAHAM  LEATHERMAN,  an  hon- 
JT\  ored  veteran  of  the  Civil  war  now  liv- 
ing retired  in  the  city  of  Elgin,  is  a  native 
of  Illinois,  born  in  the  town  of  Hanover, 
Cook  county,  December  21,  1840,  and  is  a 
worthy  representative  of  one  of  the  highly 
respected  pioneer  families  of  this  section  of 
the  state.  His  father,  Abraham  Leather- 


i6o 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


man,  ST.,  was  born  in  Kentucky,  October 
25,  1 80 1,  and  was  reared  in  Louisville. 
The  paternal  grandfather  was  only  seven- 
teen years  old  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Rev- 
olutionary war,  but  he  joined  the  Conti- 
nental army  and  served  all  through  that 
terrible  struggle,  returning  home  to  find  that 
the  other  members  of  the  family  had  all 
been  killed,  probably  by  the  Indians. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  Abraham 
Leatherman,  Sr. ,  left  his  native  state  and 
removed  to  Greencastle,  Putnam  county, 
Indiana,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until 
taking  up  his  residence  in  Hanover,  Cook 
county,  Illinois,  on  the  2Oth  of  October, 
1835.  Here  he  pre-empted  four  hundred 
acres  of  land  which  he  later  purchased  when 
it  came  into  market,  and  to  the  cultivation 
and  improvement  of  the  place  he  devoted 
his  time  and  attention  until  1865,  when  he 
sold  it.  This  place  was  known  as  Leather- 
man's  Hill,  and  the  famous  hostelry  which 
he  kept  was  known  as  Leatherman's  Inn. 
Retiring  from  active  business  life  in  1866, 
he  purchased  a  small  tract  of  land  known 
as  the  John  Hill  farm  and  there  made  his 
home  until  coming  to  Elgin  in  1885.  Here 
he  built  a  house  adjoining  that  of  our  sub- 
ject, where  he  died  February  1 6,  1889.  He 
was  a  large  man,  standing  six  feet  in  his 
stockings,  was  of  a  genial  temperament  and 
was  devoted  to  his  family.  In  political  sen- 
timent he  was  a  Democrat,  and  in  religious 
belief  was  a  Baptist. 

Abraham  Leatherman,  Sr. ,  was  married 
at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  to  Miss  Mary 
Duese,  who  was  born  in  Indiana  January 
1 8,  1803,  a  daughter  of  David  Duese,  and 
died  February  18,  1889,  being  laid  to  rest 
by  the  side  of  her  husband  in  the  old  cem- 
tery  at  Elgin.  She,  too,  was  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Baptist  church.  Nine  chil- 


dren were  born  to  this  worthy  couple:  (i) 
William,  born  January  7,  1823,  enlisted 
August  12,  1862,  in  Company  I,  One  Hun- 
dren  and  Thirteenth  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, for  service  in  the  Civil  war,  and  died 
of  smallpox  while  at  Camp  Butler  January 
28,  1863.  (2)  David,  born  October  25, 
1824,  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  but  is 
now  living  retired  in  Kansas.  (3)  Sarah, 
born  October  26,  1826,  married  David 
Longley,  and  makes  her  home  in  Chickasaw 
county,  Iowa.  (4)  Frederick,  born  Novem- 
ber 5,  1828,  was  one  of  the  "  Forty-niners," 
and  died  in  California,  supposed  to  have 
been  murdered  for  his  money  in  1852.  (5) 
Jane,  born  November  23,  1830,  is  the  wife 
of  Seth  Stowell,  who  lived  for  some  years 
near  Spring  Brook,  Illinois,  but  is  now  re- 
siding in  Nebraska.  (6)  John,  born  Janu- 
ary 7,  1833,  was  also  one  of  the  boys  in 
blue  during  the  Civil  war,  enlisting  August 
12,  1862,  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and 
Thirteenth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  He 
was  taken  prisoner  in  June,  1864,  when  in 
the  campaign  again:;t  Price,  and  was  con- 
fined for  nine  months  in  Andersonville  prison, 
being  released  after  the  surrender  of  Gen- 
eral Lee.  He  is  now  a  retired  farmer,  liv- 
ing in  Watseka,  Illinois,  but  also  owns  a 
place  in  Louisiana,  where  he  spends  the 
winter  months.  (7)  Elizabeth,  born  July 
9,  1835,  is  the  wife  of  Joseph  R.  McChesney, 
of  Glen  Ellyn,  DuPage  county,  Illinois. 
(8)  Evan,  born  December  3,  1837,  was  also 
a  Union  soldier,  having  enlisted  in  the  spring 
of  1865  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-first 
Illinois  Infantry,  and  is  now  a  farmer  living 
in  Watseka,  Iroquois  county,  Illinois.  (9) 
Abraham,  Jr.,  of  this  review,  is  the  young- 
est of  the  family. 

Reared  in  Hanover,   Cook  county,   the 
subject  of  this  sketch  attended  the  common 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


161 


schools  during  his  boyhood  and  youth,  and 
when  not  in  the  school  room,  assisted  his 
father  in  the  labors  of  the  farm.  Respond- 
ing to  his  country's  call  for  aid,  he  enlisted 
August  12,  1 86 1,  in  Company  F,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Thirteenth  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, and  was  mustered  in  at  Chicago. 
From  there  the  regiment  proceeded  to 
Memphis,  Tennessee,  and  Mr.  Leatherman 
took  part  in  all  the  marches  and  battles  in 
which  it  took  part,  including  the  Tallahassee 
expedition,  the  Vicksburg  campaign  and  the 
Arkansas  expedition.  He  was  selected  as 
one  of  the  guard  to  the  prisoners  brought 
from  Arkansas  to  Camp  Butler,  where  he 
remained  on  duty  for  about  a  year,  going  to 
Memphis  in  the  spring  of  1863.  He  was 
then  under  General  Sturges  in  the  campaign 
against  Price,  and  was  next  with  his  regi- 
ment detailed  to  guard  the  railroads  around 
Memphis,  being  thus  engaged  when  the  war 
ended.  He  was  mustered  out  at  that  place, 
and  discharged  at  Chicago,  June  29,  1865, 
being  at  that  time  a  member  of  what  was 
known  as  the  Third  Board  of  Trade  Regi- 
ment of  Chicago.  After  his  return  home, 
Mr.  Leatherman  successfully  engaged  in 
farming  and  dairying,  purchasing  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  of  the  old  John  Hill 
tract.  There  he  carried  on  operations  in  a 
most  profitable  manner  until  1883,  when  he 
came  to  Elgin  and  took  up  his  residence  at 
the  corner  of  Porter  avenue  and  Park  street, 
in  a  house  which  he  had  erected  for  his 
home.  He  leases  his  farm,  and  is  now  en- 
joying that  ease  and  retirement  which 
should  always  follow  a  useful  and  honor- 
able career. 

On  the  I3thof  June,  1867,  Mr.  Leather- 
man was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Jos- 
ephine A.  McChesney,  born  in  Chicago,  and 
a  daughter  of  James  H.  and  Mary  Brown 


(Hull)  McChesney,  who  were  born  in  New 
York  City,  and  are  now  living  in  Adams 
county,  Wisconsin.  They  have  eight  chil- 
dren living,  namely:  Josephine,  Mary  and 
Jarnes,  deceased,  Margaret,  Jane,  Samuel, 
Joseph,  John,  deceased,  and  James,  Mark 
and  Myrtle.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lealherman 
have  been  born  the  following  named  chil- 
dren: William  O.,  born  April  15,  1868,  died 
September  20,  of  that  year;  Jesse  T. ,  born 
July  8,  1872,  died  September  13,  1872; 
Foneta  M.  M.,  born  June  10,  1875,  's  now 
the  wife  of  Edward  Hunt,  of  Hanover,  Illi- 
nois; Ida  D.,  born  July  18,  1880,  and  May 
E.,  born  May  12,  1888,  are  both  at  home. 
The  parents  are  both  consistent  members  of 
the  Congregational  church,  and  are  widely 
and  favorably  known.  Politically  Mr.  Leath- 
erman is  identified  with  the  Republican 
party,  and  socially  affiliates  with  Elgin  post, 
No.  49,  G.  A.  R.  His  efforts  in  life  have 
been  crowned  with  success,  so  that  he  now 
enjoys  a  handsome  competence,  and  his 
career  has  ever  been  such  as  to  win  for  him 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  who  know 
him. 

JOHN  RADLOFF,  of  Dundee,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Germany,  born  in  Mechlenberg, 
August  25,  1839.  He  there  grew  to  man- 
hood and  received  a  good  education  in  the 
German  language,  attending  school  about 
seven  years.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm  and 
remained  with  his  father  until  nineteen  years 
of  age,  when  he  began  life  for  himself,  work- 
ing at  various  occupations  in  his  native  coun- 
try for  about  six  years.  He  was  united  in 
marriage  at  Mechlenberg,  in  1863,  with  Miss 
Mary  Schroeder,  a  daughter  of  Frank 
Schroeder,  also  a  native  of  Germany. 

With  that  laudable  desire  to  better  him- 
self, Mr.  Radloff  determined  to  emigrate  to 


1 62 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  United  States,  and  in  1865,  accompanied 
by  his  young  wife,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic, 
landing  in  New  York  city,  from  which  place 
he  came  directly  to  Illinois,  locating  in 
Huntly,  McHenry  county,  where  he  joined 
some  of  his  relatives  who  had  preceded  him 
to  the  new  world.  He  first  worked  on  the 
railroad  at  that  place,  in  and  around  the 
depot,  and  was  content  to  do  anything  hon- 
orable which  he  could  find  to  do.  In  1868, 
he  rented  a  farm  near  Huntly  and  engaged 
in  farming  and  dairying.  In  1877  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-one 
acres  near  Barrington,  Cook  county,  to 
which  he  removed,  and  on  which  he  con- 
tinued to  reside  for  nineteen  years.  In  1896 
he  rented  the  farm,  built  a  residence  on 
First  street,  Dundee,  into  which  he  moved 
with  his  family  and  has  since  lived  a  retired 
life. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Radloff  seven  children 
have  been  born:  Sophia,  wife  of  Charles 
Young,  of  McHenry  county;  Rachel,  wife  of 
Fred  Rousch,  of  Starks  Station,  Illinois; 
Fred,  a  farmer  residing  on  the  old  home- 
stead; Caroline,  wife  of  William  Miller,  of 
McHenry  county;  Mary,  wife  of  Fred  Miller, 
residing  in  Cook  county;  Bertha,  wife  of 
Burton  Chapman,  watch  inspector  in  the 
Elgin  factory;  and  Louis,  who  is  assisting 
his  brother  on  the  farm. 

Politically  Mr.  Radloff  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican and  believer  in  protection  and 
reciprocity.  His  first  presidential  ballot 
was  cast  for  U.  S.  Grant  in  1872.  For 
about  fifteen  years  Mr.  Radloff  served  as  a 
member  of  the  school  board  and  as  overseer 
of  highways  about  seventeen  years,  making 
a  faithful  and  efficient  officer.  For  some 
years  he  was  an  official  of  the  Farmers'  In- 
surance Company  of  Barrington  township, 
and  was  one  of  its  appraisers  for  six  years. 


Religiously  he  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church  and  is  one  of  its  active  members, 
having  served  as  deacon  in  the  same  for 
some  years.  His  wife  and  children  are  also 
members  of  the  same  body,  and  all  take  an 
active  interest  in  the  work  of  the  church. 

Mr.  Radloff  has  been  a  resident  of  Illi- 
nois about  thirty-three  years.  He  came 
here  a  poor  man,  but  by  his  industrious 
habits  he  has  acquired  a  fair  share  of  this 
world's  goods,  has  seen  his  family  well  pro- 
vided and  is  now  enjoying  a  well  earned 
rest. 

GEN.  JOHN  SHULER  WILCOX,  of 
Elgin,  is  one  of  the  best  known  men 
in  Kane  county,  and  one  highly  honored  by 
all.  He  comes  of  a  brave  and  patriotic 
family,  whose  deeds  are  a  part  of  the  great 
record  of  our  country's  history.  His  ances- 
try is  traced  back  to  William  Wilcockson, 
who  came  to  this  country  in  1635,  as  shown 
by  the  following  taken  from  the  New  Eng- 
land Historic  Genealogical  Register,  Vol. 
XIV.,  part  4,  page  304: 

"2dAprilis,  1635.  Theis  underwritten 
names  are  to  be  transported  to  New  Eng- 
land, imbarqued  in  the  Planter,  Nico  Tra- 
rice.  Master:  William  Wilcockson  (lynen 
weaver),  age  34;  Margaret  Wilcockson,  age 
24;  Jo  Wilcockson,  age  2." 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  name  was 
originally  Wilcockson.  In  due  time  it  was 
changed  to  Wilcox.  William  Wilcockson 
settled  first  at  Windsor  and  afterward  re- 
moved to  Stratford,  Connecticut.  His 
fourth  child,  Samuel,  settled  at  Simsbury, 
Connecticut,  where  his  first  son,  also  named 
Samuel,  was  born  April  15,  1666.  The 
eighth  child  of  the  second  Samuel  was 
named  Ephraim,  and  was  born  February  4, 
1707.  He  married  Hannah  Hill,  of  Sims- 


GEN.  J.  S.  WILCOX. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


165 


bury,  Connecticut.  They  were  the  parents 
of  Silvanus  Wilcox,  who  was  born  at  Sims- 
bury,  November  14,  1735,  and  married 
Christine  Curtis,  a  daughter  of  Peter  Curtis, 
of  that  place.  A  few  years  later  he  moved 
with  his  family  to  Nine  Partners,  Dutchess 
county,  New  York,  where  he  remained 
some  years,  and  then  went  to  Alford,  Mass- 
achusetts, where,  in  1768,  he  purchased  a 
farm  and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits. 

In  the  first  town  meeting  held  in  Alford, 
in  '775.  Silvanus  Wilcox  was  elected  con- 
stable and  collector  of  taxes,  and  the  same 
year  was  elected  one  of  the  selectmen  of 
the  town,  which  office  he  held  five  terms. 
The  trouble  with  Great  Britain  had  com- 
menced, and  Mr.  Wilcox  was  appointed 
one  of  a  committee  of  safety.  A  little  later 
a  company  was  raised  for  military  service, 
and  he  was  elected  captain.  In  the  cam- 
paign of  1775-76  it  took  an  active  part, 
and  in  September,  1777,  the  company  joined 
the  regiment  of  Col.  John  Asjley,  and 
marched  to  Saratoga,  where  they  partici- 
pated in  the  capture  of  Burgoyne.  After  a 
long  struggle  the  war  for  independence  was 
brought  to  a  successful  termination,  and 
Captain  Wilcox  retired  to  his  farm  to  enjoy 
the  blessings  of  peace  and  pursuits  of  agri- 
culture. After  residing  on  his  farm  in  Al- 
ford for  nearly  thirty  years,  he  sold  it  and 
removed  to  the  Greenland  tract,  where  he 
resided  until  his  death. 

Silvanus  Wilcox,  Jr.,  the  son  of  the 
Revolutionary  hero,  was  born  in  Al- 
ford, Massachusetts,  May  26,  1762.  He 
married,  and  in  April,  1787,  moved  with 
his  wife  and  daughter  to  Schoharie  Creek, 
New  York,  where  he  and  his  wife  are  buried, 
their  graves  being  enclosed  with  a  stone 
wall,  a  plain  marble  slab  marking  their  rest- 
ing place,  with  his  name  inscribed  "  General 


Silvanus  Wilcox."  He  attained  the  rank  of 
general  in  the  New  York  State  Militia.  His 
son,  Elijah  Wilcox,  was  born  in  Montgom- 
ery county,  New  York,  May  10,  1791.  He 
there  married  Sally  Shuler,  also  a  native  of 
New  York,  and  was  recognized  as  one  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  Fultonville,  that  state, 
where  he  lived  for  many  years.  In  the  State 
Militia  he  rose  to  the  rank  of  brigadier- 
general,  and  in  the  civil  service  of  his  town 
and  county  served  in  several  local  positions. 
In  May,  1842,  he  came  to  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  and  located  on  a  farm  two  and  a 
half  miles  northwest  of  Elgin,  where  his 
last  days  were  passed.  The  farm,  known 
as  the  Wilcox  homestead,  is  now  owned  by 
Judge  Silvanus  Wilcox,  the  eldest  son.  To 
Elijah  and  Sally  Wilcox  ten  children  were 
born,  as  follows:  Amelia  A.,  who" married 
John  Hill;  John  S.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  years;  Silvanus,  who  married  Jane 
Mallory;  Rensselaer,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Daniel  S. ,  who  married  Sarah  Ballard;  Cal- 
vin E.,  who  married  Emily  Larkin;  Edward 
Sanford,  who  married  Sarah  Clarke,  and 
later  Cordelia  Peck  Alston,  sister  of  George 
M.  Peck;  Hannah  M.,  wife  of  Charles 
R.  Collin;  John  Shuler,  our  subject;  Will- 
am  H.,  who  wedded  Mary  A.  Green,  and 
after  her  death  Mrs.  Helen  Green.  Of  these, 
four  are  living  in  Elgin:  Silvanus,  Mrs. 
Collin,  John  S.  and  William  H. 

Elijah  Wilcox  was  in  politics  a  Demo- 
crat, in  religion  a  Universalist.  In  1846 
he  was  elected  to  the  Illinois  State  senate 
and  served  four  years,  with  credit  to  him- 
self and  constituents.  When  the  Civil  war 
commenced  he  warmly  espoused  the  Union 
cause;  and  did  much  in  the  way:  of  encour- 
agement to  the  men  who  left  for  the  front. 
He  was  foremost  in  educational  and  agri- 
cultural movements,  and  always  labored  for 


1 66 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  progress  and  advancement  of  the  com- 
munity and  the  state,  and  departed  this  life 
holding  the  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him. 
He  died  December  1 1,  1862,  while  his  good 
wife  survived  him  many  years,  dying  April 
4,  1882.  She  was  a  devoted  member  of 
the  Congregational  church.  With  his  three 
sons  he  received  honorable  mention  in 
Moses'  History  of  Illinois. 

John  Shuler  Wilcox,  ninth  child  of  Gen- 
eral Elijah  and  Sally  (Shuler)  Wilcox,  was 
born  March  18,  1833,  at  Fultonville,  Mont- 
gomery county,  New  York,  and  with  the 
family  came  to  Elgin,  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
in  May,  1842,  where  they  located  on  the 
old  homestead  now  the  property  of  his 
eldest  brother,  Judge  Silvanus  Wilcox. 
When  he  was  a  boy  he  drove  the  breaking 
team  of  seven  yoke  of  oxen  to  a  great  plow 
turning  with  each  furrow  twenty-seven 
inches  of  wild  prairie  sod,  clean  cut  and  as 
straight  as  a  ribbon.  The  log  cabin  with 
shake  roof,  puncheon  floor,  wooden  latch 
and  thong  latch  string  were  familiar  realities. 
The  lurid  gleam  of  prairie  fires  against  the 
dark  horizon  of  night  was  a  common  sight, 
and  the  howl  of  prairie  wolves  at  daybreak 
and  evening  was  often  heard.  Wolves  and 
deer  were  abundant,  sand  hill  cranes,  wild 
geese  and  ducks  abounded.  Prairie  chickens 
and  quails  covered  the  prairies,  and  vast 
flocks  of  wild  pigeons  darkened  the  sky  in 
their  annual  migrations.  The  songs  of  the 
brown  thrush,  robin,  oriole,  cat  bird,  lark, 
bobolink  and  other  birds  filled  grove  and 
prairie  with  music.  Myriads  of  wild  flowers 
bloomed  from  every  spring  until  late 
autumn,  and  it  was  indeed  a  beautiful  and 
fertile  land.  In  the  winter  of  1842-3  the 
lands  came  into  market  and  it  was  a  busy 
and  anxious  time  with  the  early  settlers, 
adjusting  their  claim  lines  to  the  govern- 


ment surveys,    and   securing  title    to    their 
lands. 

Mr.  Wilcox's  boyhood  was  spent  on  the 
farm,  and  in  1851  he  was  employed  a  few 
months  in  a  store  in  Union,  McHenry 
county,  Illinois.  Going  to  Galesburg  in 
1852,  he  attended  school  there  for  about  a 
year  and  a  half,  at  what  is  now  Lombard 
University.  Returning  to  Elgin  he  studied, 
law  in  the  office  of  his  brother,  Hon.  S. 
Wilcox,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1855.  That  winter,  as  president  of  the 
Young  Men's  Association,  he  introduced  to 
Elgin  audiences  such  eminent  men  as 
Wendell  Phillips,  Elihu  Burritt,  John  G. 
Saxe,  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  Bayard  Tay- 
lor, etc.,  in  a  course  of  brilliant  lectures 
rarely  equaled.  He  was  also  a  member  of 
the  Elgin  Library  Association. 

On  September  3,  1856,  Mr.  Wilcox 
married  Miss  Lois  A.  Conger,  at  Galesburg, 
and  in  1858  they  built  their  first  house,  now 
No.  456  Douglas  avenue,  Elgin,  where  they 
have  since  resided.  It  has  ever  been  an 
ideal  home  to  their  family,  and  the  center 
of  a  most  generous  and  genial  hospitality. 
Six  children  have  been  born  to  them,  name- 
ly: Dwight  Conger;  John  Hill;  Gertrude; 
Marie,  now  Mrs.  Robert  Fuller  Fitz,  of 
Boston,  Massachusetts;  Frank  Conger;  and 
Marguerite.  Frank  C.  and  Gertrude  died 
in  infancy,  and  John  H.  in  1892. 

About  1856  a  military  company  was  or- 
ganized in  Elgin,  of  which  Mr.  Wilcox  was 
a  lieutenant,  and  for  two  years  the  "  Con- 
tinentals "  under  the  drill  and  discipline  of 
the  lamented  Col.  E.  E.  Ellsworth,  who 
was  killed  at  Alexandria,  Virginia,  early  in 
the  war,  was  the  crack  military  company  of 
northern  Illinois.  In  1855  Mr.  Wilcox 
opened  an  office  in  Elgin  and  soon  acquired 
a  good  clientage,  and  a  fair  reputation  as  a 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


167 


popular  speaker  and  rising  young  lawyer. 
Upon  the  president's  first  call  for  troops  he 
at  once  began  arranging  his  business,  pre- 
paratory to  enlisting. 

In  August,  1 86 1,  Mr.  Wilcox  became  a 
member  of  a  military  company  and  was 
chosen  its  captain.  It  became  Company 
K,  Fifty-second  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  upon  the  organization  of  the  regiment 
he  was  chosen  its  lieutenant-colonel,  was 
subsequently  promoted  to  the  colonelcy, 
and  by  the  president  was  commissioned 
brevet  brigadier  general  of  volunteers. 
He  served  with  his  regiment  in  its  cam- 
paigns, marches  and  battles  until  the  spring 
of  1864  when  he  resigned.  At  request  of 
the  governor  and  adjutant-general  of  the 
state,  he  commanded  the  camp  of  organiza- 
tion of  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-first 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  practically 
gave  the  summer  and  fall  to  the  enlistment 
and  organization  of  troops  and  the  political 
campaign  resulting  in  the  second  election  of 
Mr.  Lincoln  to  the  presidency. 

Mr.  Wilcox  then  resumed  his  law  prac- 
tice with  flattering  success  although  greatly 
handicapped  by  an  impaired  hearing,  re- 
sulting from  injury  received  at  the  battle  of 
Corinth,  Mississippi.  In  1865  he  became 
one  of  the  original  incorporators  of  the  First 
National  Bank,  serving  over  twelve  years 
as  a  director,  and  for  a  time  vice-president 
of  the  bank.  In  1869,  with  others,  he  in- 
corporated the  Elgin.  City  Banking  Com- 
pany, the  first  savings  bank  in  Elgin,  and 
served  about  ten  years  as  one  of  its  officers. 
In  1866  he  was  elected  and  served  one  term 
as  mayor  of  the  city.  He  served  a  number 
of  years  on  the  public  library  board,  and 
while  its  president  had  the  Elgin  library 
designated  by  the  congressman  of  this  dis- 
trict to  receive  all  public  documents  issued 


by  the  government,  including  the  unique 
and  very  costly  war  records  of  both  the  Fed- 
eral and  Confederate  governments.  He 
served  several  years  as  director  and  as  pres- 
ident of  the  Elgin  Agricultural  Society.  For 
over  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  has  been  a 
member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Elgin 
Academy,  and  several  years  its  president. 
From  1843  to  1854  his  father  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  same  board. 

Up  to  1871  Elgin  had  but  one  railway, 
and  the  excessive  charges  for  passengers 
and  freight  were  exasperating.  The  charges 
on  a  box  of  tea  or  upon  a  piano  were  heav- 
ier from  Chicago  to  Elgin  than  from  New 
York  to  Chicago.  Committees,  of  which 
General  Wilcox  was  a  member,  were  sent 
by  meetings  of  citizens  at  various  times  to 
confer  with  the  railway  authorities,  hoping 
for  favorable  concessions,  but  failing  to  ob- 
tain relief,  the  movement  took  form  in  the 
organization  of  the  Chicago  &  Pacific  Rail- 
way Company,  in  1871,  and  he  became  a 
member  of  its  board  of  directors  and  its 
general  solicitor.  They  constructed  its  road 
to  Byron,  Illinois,  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Rock  river,  where  it  succumbed  to  the  com- 
bined opposition  of  the  Illinois  Central,  the 
Chicago  &  Northwestern,  and  the  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  railroads,  and  failed, 
its  property  passing  by  lease  to  the  last 
named  road,  which  has  since  extended  the 
line  and  completed  the  road,  giving  the  peo- 
ple the  benefit  of  frequent  and  convenient 
trains  at  liberal  rates,  with  a  prompt  and 
generous  service  in  all  respects.  Mr.  Wil- 
cox lost  a  comfortable  fortune  and  over  six 
years  of  hard  service  in  this  enterprise,  but 
has  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  it  has 
resulted  in  immeasurable  good  to  his  fellow 
townsmen  and  to  a  large  section  of  the 
country  along  its  line. 


1 68 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


In  1877  Mr.  Wilcox  was  appointed  post- 
master of  Elgin,  having  by  reason  of  his 
deafness  abandoned  his  chosen  profession. 
In  1882  he  embarked  in  the  fuel  trade  and 
warehouse  business,  and  is  now  dealing  in 
coal,  wood,  sewer  pipe,  etc.  He  was  one 
of  the  incorporators  of  the  Elgin  Loan  & 
Homestead  Association,  and  was  for  five 
years  on  its  board  of  directors.  He  out- 
lined the  organization  of  the  Elgin  Patriotic 
Memorial  Association,  and  prepared  its  arti- 
cles of  incorporation.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  but  under 
stipulation  that  his  comrades  shall  not  ask 
him  to  take  any  office,  though  he  has  served 
as  representative  to  both  state  and  national 
encampments  a  number  of  times;  been  on 
staff  of  the  commander-in-chief;  and  is  now 
representing  the  department  of  Illinois  on 
the  committee  "in  charge  of  patriotic  exer- 
cises in  public  schools,"  by  appointment  of 
the  commander-in-chief.  On  every  "Me- 
morial day  he  is  called  upon  to  address  the 
people,  and  at  the  schools  and  at  patriotic 
assemblages  he  is  a  frequent  speaker.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  military  order  of  the 
Loyal  Legion,  and  of  the  Society  of  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee. 

General  Wilcox's  views  are  broad  and 
kindly;  he  loves  every  church  and  Christian 
work.  He  is  a  devoted  Universalist,  and 
has  been  an  active  member  and  officer  of 
the  parish  since  its  organization.  For  twen- 
ty-five consecutive  years  he  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  Sunday-school.  He  has  ever 
been  a  stanch  friend  of  the  Elgin  Woman's 
Club,  of  which  his  estimable  wife  was  one 
of  its  inc  rporators  and  its  president  during 
the  first  eight  years  of  its  work,  which  in- 
cluded the  appropriation  of  over  twenty-two 
hundred  dollars  in  aid  of  the  Elgin  Academy 
and  the  erection  of  the  Sherman  hospital. 


He  transmitted  the  money  contributed  by 
the  generous  people  to  famine-stricken  Ire- 
land, and  to  the  sufferers  in  Armenia.  In- 
deed it  would  be  difficult  to  recall  any  gen- 
erous movement  in  aid  of  education,  charity 
or  patriotism,  of  which  he  has  not  been  an 
active  factor. 

DR.  JAMES  McELROY,  a  well-known 
veterinary  surgeon  residing  at  the  cor- 
ner of  Brook  street  and  Jefferson  avenue, 
Elgin,  has  made  his  home  in  Kane  county 
for  fifty-four  years,  arriving  in  pioneer  days. 
Elgin,  which  is  now  a  great  manufacturing 
city  and  railroad  center,  was  at  that  time 
only  a  srnajl. station  on  the  stage  line  be- 
tween Galena,  Rockford,  Hazel  Green  and 
Dubuque,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  coun- 
try round  about  was  still  in  its  primitive 
condition.  The  difference  between  the  past 
and  the  present  can  scarcely  be  realized, 
even  by  those  who  were  active  participants 
in  the  development  of  the  county.  The 
present  generation  can  have  no  conception 
of  what  was  required  by  the  early  settlers  in 
transforming  the  wilderness  into  a  well  set- 
tled and  highly  cultivated  county. 

Dr.  McElroy  was  born  in  the  eastern 
part  of  Ireland,  December  3,  1814,  a  son 
of  Tarame  and  Elizabeth  (Cody)  McElroy, 
and  in  his  native  land  acquired  his  literary 
education  and  also  studied  pharmacy  in 
Dublin,  graduating  in  1836.  He  has  since 
successfully  engaged  in  the  practice  of  vet- 
terinary  surgery.  On  coming  to  the  new 
world  in  1840,  he  first  located  in  Albany, 
New  York,  from  there  removed  to  Schen- 
ectady,  later  to  Syracuse,  that  state,  and 
then  was  for  three  years  with  Mr.  Howlet, 
coming  with  him  to  the  west  to  buy  horses. 
Since  1844  Elgin  has  been  his  home  and 
post  office  address,  although  he  has  spent 


JAMES  MCELROY. 


MRS.  JAMES  MCELROY. 


0» 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


173 


some  time  at  other  places,  being  in  the  em- 
ploy of  Frink  &  Walker,  and  Moore  & 
Davis,  in  Milwaukee,  for  eight  years. 

In  1840  Dr.  McElroy  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Elizabeth  Smith,  who  was 
born  December  17,  1816,  and  departed  this 
life  January  27,  1894,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
eight  years.  Six  children  were  born  to 
them,  five  sons  and  ope  daughter,  namely: 
Tarrence,  who  was  married  and  died  at  the 
age  of  thirty-six  years;  John,  who  was  mar- 
ried and  died  at  the  age  of  thirty -two;  Ed- 
ward, who  for  the  past  five  years  has  been 
engaged  in  buying  horses  for  the  United 
States  government;  James,  a  conductor  on 
the  Iron  Mountain  railroad,  at  Texarkana, 
Texas;  and  Mary  Elizabeth,  who  is  now 
her  father's  companion  and  housekeeper. 

Although  eighty-four  years  of  age  Dr. 
McElroy  appears  much  younger  as  he  is  still 
able  to  attend  to  his  professional  duties;  his 
eyesight  is  undimmed,  and  his  natural  force 
of  character  unabated.  Nature  deals  kindly 
with  those  who  disobey  not  her  laws,  and 
the  Doctor  attributes  his  good  health  to  the 
important  fact  that  he  has  always  been  tem- 
perate in  all  things,  dissipation  of  every 
kind  having  been  studiously  avoided.  He 
possesses  many  of  the  admirable  character- 
istics of  the  Irish  race,  being  of  a  genial, 
jovial  disposition,  fond  of  wit  and  humor, 
and  generous  almost  to  a  fault.  Courteous 
and  companionable,  he  has  made  many 
warm  friends  in  his  adopted  country  and 
has  the  respect  of  all  who  know  him. 


BENJAMIN  COX,  now  living  a  retired  life 
at  No.  418  Mountain  street,  Elgin, traces 
his  ancestry  back  to  John  Cox,  who  came 
to  America  long  prior  to  the  Revolutionary 
war,  accompanied  by  two  brothers,  Thomas 

8 


and  William  Cox,  each  of  them  locating  in 
New  York  city  or  state.  John  Cox  married 
Elizabeth  Palmer,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  the  following  named  children: 
John,  William,  Jamieson,  Thomas,  George, 
Clark,  Henry,  Joseph  and  Stephen,  and  a 
daughter,  Elizabeth. 

David  Cox,  Sr.,  the  paternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  born  in  New  York  city, 
October  9,  1767.  He  married  Judith  Corn- 
ing, of  Beverly,  Massachusetts,  who  was 
born  October  2,  1767.  In  early  life  he  fol- 
lowed the  sea,  but  later  located  on  a  farm 
at  Wilmot,  New  Hampshire,  where  his 
death  occurred  at  an  advanced  age.  In 
their  family  were  three  sons  and  three 
daughters — David,  John,  Benjamin,  Judith, 
Betsy,  who  died  in  infancy,  and  Betsy  the 
second.  •  .  • 

David  Cox,  Jr.,  was  born  October  21, 
1790,  at  Beverly,  Massachusetts,  and  at 
Wilmot,  New  Hampshire,  married  Lydia 
Bean,  by  whom  he  had  three  children,  two 
now  living — Benjamin,  our  subject,  and 
Lydia,  now  the  wife  of  D.  O.  Carter,  of 
Painesville,  Ohio.  Eliza,  the  deceased,  was 
the  wife  of  Horace  French.  Early  in  the 
present  century  he  moved  west,  locating  in 
Mantua,  Portage  county,  Ohio,  where  he 
died  in  1838,  in  the  forty-eighth,  year  of  his 
age.  His  wife  survived  him  until  May  10, 
1877,  dying  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years. 
They  were  both  members  of  the  old-school 
Baptist  church.  After  the  death  of  her  hus- 
band Mrs.  Cox  married  again,  her  second 
husband  being  Enoch  Colby,  of  Concord, 
Ohio,  where  he  died.  During  the  war  of 
1812  David  Cox,  Jr.,  was  called  out  as  a 
soldier  to  help  defend  Portsmouth,  New 
Hampshire,  but  as  the  British  did  not  land, 
his  regiment  was  disbanded. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 


174 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Jeremiah  Bean,  was  a  native  of  Salisbury, 
New  Hampshire,  and  by  occupation  was  a 
farmer.  He  married  Mehitable  Garland, 
also  of  Salisbury,  New  Hampshire,  by  whom 
he  had  a  large  family.  In  the  war  of  1812 
he  served  his  country  against  the  British, 
and  was  wounded  in  the  ankle  at  the  battle 
of  Plattsburg.  He  died  at  an  advanced  age. 

Benjamin  Cox,  of  whom  we  now  write, 
was  born  in  Wilrnot,  New  Hampshire,  De- 
cember 28,  1819,  and  is  the  son  of  David 
Cox,  Jr.,  and  Lydia  (Bean)  Cox.  He  was 
reared  on  his  father's  farm  in  New  Hamp- 
shire until  sixteen  years  old,  assisting  in  the 
farm  labor  when  old  enough  to  work,  and 
attending  the  district  schools  three  months 
in  winter  and  three  in  the  summer  each 
year.  He  then  accompanied  his  parents  to 
Ohio,  where  he  continued  to  assist  in  farm 
work  until  the  death  of  his  father,  when  he 
learned  the  manufacture  of  women's  shoes 
at  Lynn,  Massachusetts. 

On  the  igth  of  July,  1841,  he  married 
Miss  Susan  Bell,  daughter  of  James  and 
Betsey  (Spangler)  Bell.  By  this  union  were 
four  children — Jennie  C. ,  Helen  E.,  Jay  M. 
and  Charles  B.  Jennie  C.  married  C.  Mor- 
ris Jennings,  and  they  have  one  daughter 
and  one  son,  Mildred  and  Benjamin.  They 
reside  in  Union,  Illinois.  Helen  E.  mar- 
ried Samuel  Monroe,  by  whom  she  has  two 
children,  Ella  and  Frank  E.  Her  home  is 
in  Elgin.  Jay  M.  died  at  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-one. Charles  B.  lives  in  Juarez,  Mexico, 
where  he  is  trainmaster  for  the  Mexican 
Central  railway.  He  married  at  Turner 
Junction,  now  West  Chicago,  Illinois,  Mary 
Alice  Trull,  and  they  have  three  children, 
Clara  B. ,  Helen  E.  and  Benjamin  Trull. 
Mrs.  Susan  Cox  died  July  8,  1884,  aged 
sixty-one  years  and  twenty-four  days.  She 
was  a  devout  member  of  the  Methodist 


church,  and  died  in  the  full  assurance  of 
faith. 

For  his  second  wife,  in  June,  1885,  Mr. 
Cox  married  Mrs.  Esther  (Gardner)  Marsh, 
widow  of  Mason  M.  Marsh,  and  daughter  of 
Dwight  and  Cynthia  (White)  Gardner,  na- 
tives of  Massachusetts,  who  removed  to 
New  York  in  childhood  and  were  there  mar- 
ried. A  brother  of  Mrs.  Cox,  Dwight  Fos- 
ter Gardner,  now  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead on  which  his  father  and  grandfather 
lived  and  died.  Her  marriage  with  Mason 
M.  Marsh  was  celebrated  in  Madison  coun- 
ty, New  York,  in  1857.  He  came  first  to 
Elgin  in  1850,  where  his  death  occurred. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cox  now  reside  in  a  large  and 
comfortable  home,  No.  418  Mountain  street, 
which  was  erected  by  him  in  1870.  In  his 
religious  belief  Mr.  Cox  is  a  Universalist. 

In  1842  Mr.  Cox  left  his  Ohio  home  on 
a  prospecting  tour.  Believing  that  in  Illi- 
nois the  opportunity  for  advancement  was 
greater  than  in  the  place  where  he  then  re- 
sided, he  came  to  this  state,  and  being 
favorably  impressed  with  Kane  county,  pur- 
chased a  claim  of  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
three  acres  from  another  party,  and  subse- 
quently entered  the  same,  paying  the  gov- 
ernment price  of  one  dollar  and  twenty-five 
cents  per  acre.  In  the  spring  of  1843  he 
returned  to  Ohio,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same 
year  came  back  with  his  wife  and  baby  in  a 
one-horse  wagon.  On  that  farm,  which 
lies  two  miles  west  of  Elgin,  and  to  which 
he  later  added  forty-three  acres,  he  lived 
until  his  removal  to  the  city,  in  1870. 

On  his  arrival  in  Kane  county,  Mr.  Cox 
had  but  about  ten  dollars  in  cash,  and  for 
a  while  worked  for  other  persons  for  fifty 
cents  per  day,  husking  corn,  and  taking  his 
pay  in  corn.  The  horse  with  which  he 
made  the  journey  to  Illinois  he  traded  for  a 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


175 


yoke  of  oxen,  with  which  he  farmed  until 
he  could  purchase  a  span  of  horses.  As 
soon  as  he  got  his  horses  he  commenced 
hauling  his  wheat  and  other  grain  to  Chi- 
cago. 

Farming  in  Illinois,  in  pioneer  days,  was 
not  an  easy  job.  It  required  hard  work. 
Mr.  Cox  was  not  averse  to  work,  and  toiled 
early  and  late,  sowing  and  reaping.  Suc- 
cess crowned  his  efforts,  and  in  1870  he  was 
enabled  to  retire  from  active  labor  and  take 
life  more  easily.  In  the  meantime,  as  stated, 
he  had  increased  the  size  of  his  home  farm, 
and  had  purchased  a  farm  of  ninety-three 
acres  in  Union  township.  In  addition  to 
these  farms  and  his  family  residence,  he 
owns  the  house  in  which  his  daughter  lives 
in  Elgin.  For  more  than  half  a  century 
Mr.  Cox  has  been  a  resident  of  Kane  coun- 
ty. His  face  is  a  familiar  one  in  and  around 
Elgin,  and  few  men  have  more  loyal  and 
steadfast  friends. 


/CHARLES  E.  LEWIS,  the  well-known 
\-^  superintendent  of  the  Carpentersville 
branch  of  the  New  York  Condensed  Milk 
Company,  has  occupied  that  position  since 
the  plant  was  established  at  that  place  in 
1888.  He  is  a  native  of  Sharon,  Litchfield 
county,  Connecticut,  born  September  3, 
1847.  His  father,  Hon.  Miles  B.  Lewis, 
was  also  a  native  of  Connecticut,  born  in 
Bridgeport  in  1811.  He  there  grew  to  man- 
hood, and  in  1832  moved  to  Sharon.  His 
marriage  with  Miss  Maria  Kelsey  was  cele- 
brated at  Milford,  Connecticut.  She  was  a 
native  of  that  state  and  was  a  woman  of 
great  refinement  and  lovable  disposition. 
There  they  continued  to  reside  and  reared 
their  family  of  nine  sons  and  one  daughter. 
Of  their  children  William  S.,  is  a  retired 


business  man  of  Chicago;  M.  K. ,  is  a  mer- 
chant of  Duchess  county,  New  York;  Charles 
E.,  our  subject;  Eliza,  who  married  Allan 
Brown,  of  Sharon,  Connecticut,  but  who 
removed  with  her  husband  and  family  to 
Iowa  in  the  spring  of  1 868,  where  both  have 
since  died. 

The  Lewises  are  of  Welsh  origin,  three 
brothers  coming  from  Wales  at  a  very  early 
day,  one  locating  in  New  York,  another  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  third  in  Connecticut. 
Miles  B.  Lewis  is  a  direct  descendant  of  the 
one  who  located  in  Connecticut.  He  was  a 
man  of  more  than  ordinary  ability  and  served 
two  terms  in  the  Connecticut  legislature  at 
the  time  P.  T.  Barnum  was  a  member  of 
that-body.  His  death  occurred  in  the  spring 
of  1893.  His  good  wife  yet  survives,  and 
is  now  eighty-four  years  of  age  and  a  well 
preserved  old  lady. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  at 
home  until  eighteen  years  of  age  and  there 
received  a  good  common-school  education 
and  learned  the  milk«business,  the  family  be- 
ing intimate  with  the  Bordens,  pioneers  in 
that  business.  In  the  Borden  factory  at 
Wassaic,  New  York,  he  received  his  first 
lessons  in  the  milk  industry.  Leaving  home 
he  came  to  Kane  county  and  began  working 
on  the  farm  of  Cornell  &  Wilder  near  Elgin, 
with  whom  he  remained  about  ten  months, 
although  he  only  intended  working  for  them 
two  weeks,  that  he  might  give  them  instruc- 
tions in  the  care  of  milk.  From  Cornell  & 
Wilders  he  drifted  around  for  quite  a  while 
working  at  anything  he  could  find  to  do  that 
was  honorable. 

In  the  spring  of  1869,  Mr.  Lewis  was 
married  at  Elgin,  Illinois,  to  Miss  Marilla 
Reaser,  a  native  of  Kane  county,  and  a 
daughter  of  Anthony  Reaser,  of  one  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  Plato  township.  She  re- 


1 76 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ceived  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of 
Elgin,  and  for  some  time  previous  to  her 
marriage  engaged  in  teaching.  By  this 
union  were  three  children,  as  follows:  Susan, 
now  the  wife  of  R.  W.  Church,  who  is  con- 
nected with  the  condensed  milk  factory  at 
Carpentersville;  Ella,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
millinery  business  at  Nunda,  Illinois;  and 
Frank  H.,  who  holds  a  position  in  the  fac- 
tory with  his  father. 

Soon  after  marriage  Mr.  Lewis  moved 
to  Crystal  Lake,  McHenry  county,  and  took 
charge  of  the  farm  of  S.  S.  Gates,  where  he 
remained  one  season.  He  then  determined 
to  go  where  he  could  get  a  farm  of  his  own 
without  much  expense.  Accordingly,  in 
1870  he  moved  to  Pottowatamie  county, 
Kansas,  and  took  up  a  claim  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  and  at  once  commenced 
its  improvement.  In  due  time  he  had  as 
fine  a  farm  as  was  in  the  neighborhood,  but 
in  1876  he  sold  out  and  returned  to  New 
York,  locating  in  Wassaic,  Duchess  county, 
and  engaged  with  Mr.  Borden  in  the  con- 
densed milk  business  at  that  place.  He  re- 
mained there  until  1882  when  the  company 
sent  him  to  Elgin  as  an  operator  on  the 
vacuum -pans.  In  that  position  he  continued 
until  the  erection  of  the  factory  at  Carpen- 
tersville, when  he  received  the  appointment 
as  its  superintendent,  which  position  he  still 
continues  to  hold  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of 
the  company  and  its  many  patrons.  The 
capacity  of  the  factory  has  been  increased 
until  it  is  now  one  of  the  best  in  the  coun- 
try, and  to  its  work  Mr.  Lewis  gives  almost 
his  entire  time  and  attention. 

Since  taking  the  superintendency  of  the 
factory,  Mr.  Lewis  has  purchased  residence 
property  in  Dundee,  and  has  now  one  of  the 
nicest  homes  in  the  place.  Politically  he  is  a 
Republican,  with  which  party  he  has  been 


identified  since  casting  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  U.  S.  Grant  in  1868.  While  pre- 
ferring to  have  others  serve  in  official  posi- 
tions, Mr.  Lewis  served  for  three  years  as  a 
member  of  the  town  board,  with  which  he 
was  connected  on  the  institution  of  the  water 
works.  While  on  the  board  he  was  chair- 
man of  the  finance  committee  and  looked 
carefully  after  the  finances  of  the  city. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Lewis  is  a  Master  Ma- 
son and  also  a  charter  member  of  Silver 
Leaf  camp,  No.  60,  M.  W.  A.  Religiously 
he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Congre- 
gational church  of  Dundee  and  take  a  com- 
mendable interest  in  the  work  of  the  church 
and  its  various  auxiliary  societies. 

For  a  third  of  a  century  Mr.  Lewis  has 
been  identified  more  or  less  with  the  inter- 
ests of  Kane  county,  and  has  endeavored  to 
contribute  his  share  to  its  growth  and  de- 
velopment. He  is  well  known  throughout 
Kane  and  adjoining  counties  as  a  man  of 
good  business  ability  and  exemplary  habits, 
enjoying  the  confidence  and  respect  of  all, 
and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  he  has  given 
representation  in  the  Biographical  Record 
of  Kane  county. 


CLINTON  F.  IRWIN,  of  the  firm  of 
\^s  Irwin  &  Egan,  attorneys  at  law,  Cook 
block,  Elgin,  enjoys  an  enviable  reputation 
in  the  legal  fraternity  of  Kane  county,  hav- 
ing the  past  eighteen  years  built  up  a  prac- 
tice that  many  older  attorneys  might  ear- 
nestly desire.  He  was  born  in  Franklin 
Grove,  Lee  county,  Illinois,  January  i, 
1854,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Ann  Eliza- 
neth  (McNeal)  Irwin,  the  former  born  in  the 
north  of  Ireland,  and  the  later  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. Of  their  three  children,  Clinton  F. 
is  the  only  one  now  living. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


177 


The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
Henry,  Irwin,  was  a  native  of  County  Antrim, 
Ireland.  On  coining  to  America  he  lived  for 
a  time  in  Canada,  and  in  1836  came  to  Illi- 
nois, settling  in  Franklin  Grove,  Lee  county, 
where  he  improved  a  farm  and  there  died  in- 
1853,  at  the  age  of  fifty-seven  years.  He  was 
the  father  of  three  sons  and  nine  daughters. 

The  maternal  grandfather,  Thomas  Mc- 
Neal,  was  a  native  of  Bedford  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  By  oc- 
cupation he  was  a  farmer,  following  that 
calling  during  his  entire  life.  He  also  moved 
to  Illinois  at  an  early  day  and  settled  near 
Dixon,  where  he  died  at  an  advanced  age. 
In  his  family  were  three  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter. His  youngest  son  entered  the  army  in 
defense  of  the  Union  and  was  killed  at  the 
battle  of  Perryville. 

Henry  Irwin,  Jr.,  was  but  a  small  child 
when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Canada. 
When  twelve  years  of  age  he  went  to  Lee 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  married  Ann  Eliza- 
beth McNeal.  In  1859  he  came  to  Kane 
county  and  locate'd  at  Maple  Park,  where 
he  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  and  in  run- 
ning a  meat  market.  He  died  in  1880,  at 
the  age  of  fifty-four  years.  His  wife  sur- 
vived until  February,  1894,  dying  at  Elgin 
at  the  home  of  her  son,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
one  years.  They  were  originally  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Dur- 
ing the  dark  days  of  the  Rebellion  Henry 
Irwin  enlisted  as  a  membet  of  Company  C, 
Seventy-fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
with  which  he  served  until  early  in  1865, 
when  he  was  transferred  to  the  Twenty-first 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry — Grant's  old  regi- 
ment— which  was  sent  to  Texas.  The  war 
ending,  he  was  discharged  after  serving  two 
years  and  eight  months. 

Clinton  Fillmore  Irwin  was  six  years  of 


age  when  his  parents  removed  to  Maple 
Park,  Kane  county.  In  the  public  schools 
of  that  village  he  received  a  common-school 
education,  which  was  later  supplemented  by 
attendance  at  Wheaton  College  ,and  the 
Valparaiso  (Indiana)  Normal.  Before  at- 
taining his  eighteenth  year  he  commenced 
teaching  in  the  public  schools  and  continued 
to  be  thus  successfully  engaged  until  he  was 
twenty-five  years  old.  While  yet  teaching 
he  commenced  reading  law  in  the  office  of 
W.  H.  H.  Kennedy,  of  Maple  Park,  but  the 
last  three  years  studied  alone.  After  pass- 
ing a  successful  examination  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  1879,  at  Chicago,  and 
at  once  commenced  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  Maple  Park.  He  there  continued 
until  1883,  when  he  removed  to  Elgin,  and, 
forming  a  partnership  with  Robert  S.  Egan, 
they  have  since  engaged  in  active  practice 
with  fine  success. 

Mr.  Irwin  was  united  in  marriage  No- 
vember 3,  1880,  with  Miss  Julia  Helen 
Egan,  daughter  of  William  and  Bridget 
(Sanders)  Egan.  By  this  union  four  chil- 
dren have  been  born:  William  Henry  Har- 
rison, Clayton  Franklin,  Mary  Mildred  and 
Clinton  Francis.  The  second  named  died 
in  early  childhood  on  the  28th  of  June, 
1890.  Religiously  Mrs.  Irwin  is  a  member 
of  the  Catholic  church. 

Mr.  Irwin  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows, Knights  of  Pythias,  Modern  Wood- 
men, Maccabees  and  United  Workmen. 
Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  the  principles 
of  which  party  were  instilled  into  him  from 
his  birth,  which  was  the  year  in  which  the 
Republican  party  came  into  existence.  In 
1896  he  stumped  a  great  portion  of  the 
states  of  Illinois  and  Indiana,  spending 
about  two  months  in  that  work.  He  deliv- 
ered addresses  at  Sycamore,  Batavia,  Ge- 


1 78 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


neva,  Aurora,  Wheaton,  Hinsdale,  Downer's 
Grove  and  various  other  places  in  Illinois. 
In  Chicago  he  delivered  four  speeches,  also 
at  Geneva  Lake,  Wisconsin,  La  Porte,  In- 
diana, and  other  points  outside  the  state. 
While  his  professional  duties  have  com- 
manded much  of  his  time,  he  has  yet  served 
his  township  and  city,  first  as  supervisor 
from  Virgil  in  1881-2,  and  was  assistant 
supervisor  of  Elgin  in  1885.  He  was  cor- 
poration counsel  for  the  city  of  Elgin  from 
May,  1895,  until  May,  1897,  and  discharged 
the  responsible  duties  of  that  position  in  a 
most  creditable  manner. 

A  resident  of  the  county  since  1858  and 
for  eighteen  years  a  member  of  the  bar, 
Mr.  Irwin  has  gone  in  and  out  among  the 
people,  making  many  friends  and  establish- 
ing a  reputation  as  one  of  its  leading  attor- 
neys. Genial  and  affable,  possessed  of  a 
logical  mind  and  of  rare  persuasive  powers, 
he  is  enabled  to  appear  well  before  a  jury 
and  to  exert  over  it  a  wonderful  influence. 
As  a  citizen  he  has  at  all  times  the  good  of 
the  community  at  heart  and  all  his  abilities 
are  exerted  to  make  the  city  and  county  of 
his  adoption  rank  among  the  brightest  and 
best  of  all  composing  this  great  common- 
wealth. 

ELON  G.  DOUGLASS,  a  prominent  citi- 
zen of  Elgin,  now  retired  from  active 
business  cares,  is  one  of  the  men  who  make 
old  age  seem  the  better  portion  of  life.  He 
is  a  very  intelligent  and  well-informed  man, 
and  to  those  who  have  the  pleasure  of  his 
acquaintance  his  well-stored  mind  and  con- 
versational powers  are  a  source  of  perpetual 
pleasure. 

,  Mr.  Douglass  was  born  near  Gorham, 
Ontario  county,  New  York,  and  is  a  worthy 
representative  of  an  honored  old  family  of 


the  east.  His  father,  George  Douglass,  was 
a  native  of  Connecticut,  born  in  1804,  and 
was  a  son  of  Rev.  Caleb  Douglass,  also  a 
native  of  that  state,  whence  he  removed 
with  his  family  to  Ontario  county,  New 
York,  settling  near  Whitesboro.  He  died 
at  Gorham  in  1835,  at  a  very  advanced  age, 
being  blind  for  the  last  seven  years  of  his 
life.  His  father,  a  colonial  soldier  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,  was  one  of  three  broth- 
ers who  crossed  the  Atlantic  from  Scotland 
at  a  very  early  day,  and  who  first  located  in 
Massachusetts,  but  afterward  removed  to 
Connecticut.  One  brother  settled  in  New 
York,  the  other  in  Pennsylvania. 

.  George  Douglass,  our  subject's  father, 
was  unusually  well  educated  for  his  time, 
and  successfully  engaged  in  teaching  when 
a  young  man,  after  which  he  served  as  school 
inspector  in  New  York  for  many  years,  while 
he  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  In 
1856  he  became  a  resident  of  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  and  here  died  ten  years  later.  In 
early  life  he  married  Miss  Eliza  Metcalf, 
who  was  born  in  the  town  of  Gorham,  On- 
tario county,  New  York,  about  1809,  of 
English  ancestry,  and  who  was  called  to 
her  final  rest  in  1894.  Her  father,  Irwin 
Metcalf,  who  died  in  New  York  at  about 
the  age  of  eighty  years,  was  three  times 
married,  his  first  wife  being  the  mother  of 
Mrs.  Douglass. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  second 
in  order  of  birth  in  the  family  of  four  chil- 
dren, the  others  being  as  follows:  Mary 
died  in  July,  1897;  Ada,  who  was  the  wife 
of  Ogden  Seward,  of  D'ltchess  county,  New 
York,  died  in  May,  1893;  Ora  P.  enlisted 
in  September,  1861,  in  the  Union  army 
during  the  Civil  war,  was  wounded  at  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  died  at  Jefferson 
Barracks  in  June,  1863.  Going  to  see  him, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


179 


our  subject  wished  to  bring  him  home,  and 
it  is  probable  that  he  might  have  lived  if 
permitted  to  come. 

Elon  G.  Douglass  began  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  his  native  county,  sub- 
sequently attended  the  Canandaigua  Acad- 
emy, and  after  his  removal  to  Rochester, 
New  York,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  he 
attended  the  Rochester  University  for  four 
years.  Having  thus  obtained  an  excellent 
education,  he  successfully  engaged  in  teach- 
ing school  for  several  years  during  early 
life.  In  April,  1856,  he  became  a  resident 
of  Kane  county,  and  has  since  been  identi- 
fied with  its  interests.  By  rail  he  and  his 
father  came  to  Chicago,  thence  proceeded 
to  DuPage  county,  Illinois,  Rock  Island, 
and  on  to  Iowa  City,  Iowa,  looking  for  a 
suitable  location,  and  finally  decided  to  set- 
tle in  Kane  county,  with  which  they  were 
best  pleased.  Our  subject  remained  in  El- 
gin while  the  father  returned  for  the  family, 
which  arrived  in  June,  1856.  Upon  section 
22,  Elgin  township,  the  father  bought  one 
hundred  seventy-two  acres  of  prairie  land, 
and  also  eleven  acres  of  timber,  and  with 
him  the  son  engaged  in  farming  until  the 
father's  death.  On  first  locating  here  Mr. 
Douglass  gave  his  attention  principally  to  the 
raising  of  cereals  adapted  to  this  climate — 
wheat,  corn,  oats,  etc. — later  engaged  in 
stock  raising,  and  finally  devoted  his  ener- 
gies to  dairy  farming,  being  thus  employed 
from  1879  until  1895.  Having  met  with  a 
well -deserved  success  in  his  undertakings, 
he  has  now  laid  aside  business  cares,  and  is 
enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil  at  his 
pleasant  home,  at  No.  636  Lillie  street, 
Elgin,  where  he  has  resided  since  August, 
1895. 

In  Rochester,  New  York,  October  7, 
1856,  Mr.  Douglass  married  Miss  Angie 


Bradbury,  a  native  of  Erie  county,  New 
York,  and  a  daughter  of  William  B. 
and  Maria  (Van  Scoten)  Bradbury.  Her 
mother's  people  came  to  this  country  with 
the  Van  Rensselaers  and  other  patrons 
from  Holland.  Her  father,  who  was  quite 
prominent  in  musical  circles,  was  born  in 
Bath,  England,  in  1787,  a  son  of  William 
B.  Bradbury,  Sr.,  and  when  three  years  of 
age  he  came  to  America.  He  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  and  having  accumulated  a 
comfortable  competence,  he  spent  his  last 
years  in  ease  and  retirement  from  active 
labor.  At  about  the  age  of  thirty-five  he 
was  married  to  Maria  Van  Scoten,  by  whom 
he  had  nine  children,  Mrs.  Douglass  being 
the  fourth  in  order  of  birth.  Only  four  are 
now  living,  the  others  being  two  older  sisters 
and  a  younger  brother.  The  father  died  at 
Caledonia,  Livingston  county,  New  York, 
at  the  age  of  ninety  years,  and  Mrs.  Doug- 
lass had  an  uncle  who  lived  to  the  extreme 
old  age  of  one  hundred  four. 

Two  children  were  born  to  our  subject 
and  wife — Ella  and  Irving — but  both  died 
when  young.  Mr.  Douglass'  nephew,  Ora 
Seward,  now  makes  his  home  with  them. 
He  is  a  graduate  of  the  Elgin  Academy  and 
the  Chicago  University,  completing  both 
the  literary  and  law  courses  in  the  latter  in- 
stitution, and  for  a  time  he  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  chosen  profession  in  Ne- 
braska. He  also  taught  in  Shurtliff  Col- 
lege, Upper  Alton,  Illinois;  Elgin  Academy, 
and  in  the  Lake  Forest  Seminary;  and  is 
now  taking  a  post-graduate  course  in  lan- 
guages. He  studied  in  Europe  for  fourteen 
months. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Douglass  are  devout  and 
earnest  Christians,  are  active  and  promi- 
nent members  of  the  Baptist  church  of  El- 
gin, and  take  considerable  interest  in  all 


i8o 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


kinds  of  church  work.  Mr.  Douglass  can 
well  remember  the  exciting  campaign  of 
1840,  when  the  Whig  cry  was  "Tippecanoe 
and  Tyler,  too."  He  now  gives  his  un- 
wavering support  to  the  men  and  measures 
of  the  Republican  party,  but  has  never  cared 
for  political  honors.  He  is,  however,  one 
of  the  representative  and  honored  citizens 
of  his  community,  having  the  respect  and 
esteem  of  all  who  know  him. 


LYSANDER  STOWELL,  for  many  years 
one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  El- 
gin township,  Kane  county,  and  one  of  its 
honored  pioneers  as  well  as  highly  respect- 
ed citizens,  was  born  October  21,  1824, 
near  Hartford,  Connecticut.  With  his 
father,  Seth  Stowell,  he  came  to  Elgin 
when  there  was  but  one  house  standing  in 
the  prospective  city,  and  with  the  growth  and 
development  of  the  county  he  was  prom- 
inently identified  until  his  death.  The 
father,  a  cabinet  maker  by  trade,  manufact- 
ured the  first  organ  built  in  St.  Charles. 
He  became  quite  well-to-do,  owning  a  large 
tract  of  land  three  miles  in  extent  in  Elgin 
and  St.  Charles  townships,  and  to  each  of 
his  three  sons,  Lysander,  Washington  and 
Franklin,  he  gave  a  farm. 

Reared  to  agricultural  pursuits,  Lysand- 
er Stowell  adopted  farming  as  a  life  work, 
and  in  his  undertakings  met  with  excellent 
success.  He  died  upon  his  farm  in  Elgin 
township,  May  18,  1889.  He  was  a  man 
of  studious  habits,  always  a  great  reader, 
and  was  well  posted  on  the  leading  questions 
and  issues  of  the  day.  He  was  a  supporter 
of  the  Republican  party,  but  never  cared 
for  the  honors  or  emoluments  of  public 
office.  As  a  citizen  and  neighbor  he  mer- 


ited and  received  the  high  regard  of  the  en- 
tire community. 

In  1884  Mr.  Stowell  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Mrs.  Martha  Knettle,  widow  of 
George  Knettle.  She  was  born  March  16, 
1831,  near  Warm  Springs  and  Randesburg, 
Pennsylvania,  fifteen  miles  from  Carlisle, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Jesse  and  Mary 
(Stone)  Hippie,  also  a  native  of  that  state. 
Her  maternal  grandfather,  Richard  Stone, 
was  a  native  of  London,  England,  while 
her  paternal  grandfather,  John  Hippie,  was 
one  of  five  brothers  who  left  their  old  home 
in  Germany  and  together  came  to  America 
prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  served 
as  a  farrier  through  a  part  of  that  struggle 
and  shod  a  horse  for  General  Washington. 
He  was  a  well-to-do  farmer,  but  on  selling  his 
farm  received  his  pay  in  Continental  mon- 
ey, which  proved  useless  and  he  lost  all. 
Jesse  Hippie,  Mrs.  Stowell's  father,  was 
born  October  1 1,  1800,  and  died  in  Geneva, 
Illinois,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  or  eighty- 
four  years.  By  trade  he  was  a  tailor,  but 
for  some  years  prior  to  his  death  he  lived 
retired.  In  his  family  of  six  children,  Mrs. 
Stowell  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth. 

George  Knettle,  Mrs.  Stowell's  first  hus- 
band, was  born  near  Mifflintown,  Cumber- 
land county,  Pennsylvania,  December  18, 
1806,  a  son  of  Henry  and  Hannah  (Walker) 
Knettle,  who  were  born  near  the  Delaware 
river  in  Bucks  county,  that  state.  His  pa- 
ternal ancestors  were  from  Wurtemburg, 
Germany,  while  the  Walkers  were  of  Scotch 
descent.  His  grandfather  was  George  Knet- 
tle, who  married  a  Miss  Sleuker.  George 
Knettle,  Jr.,  was  twice  married,  his  first 
wife  being  a  Miss  Steward,  also  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  by  whom  he  has  four  children 
— one  son  and  three  daughters.  In  Chica- 
go he  married  Miss  Martha  Hippie,  and  to 


LYSANDER  STOWELL. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


183 


them  were  born  three  children:  One  died 
in  infancy,  unnamed;  Lacy,  deceased;  and 
Grace  F.  Mr.  Knettle  was  a  prosperous 
business  man  and  accumulated  considerable 
property.  Going  to  Minneapolis  in  1857 
he  purchased  a  large  tract  of  timber  land  in 
"The  Big  Woods"  west  of  that  city,  where 
he  erected  large  sawmills  and  became  exten- 
sively interested  in  the  manufacture  of  lum- 
ber. He  sustained  heavy  losses,  however, 
through  fire,  and  in  1868  came  to  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  rented  a  farm  and 
established  a  cheese  factory.  Later  he  re- 
tired from  active  business  and  returned  to 
Minnesota,  where  he  died  April  10,  1883, 
honored  and  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him.  Mrs.  Stovvell  now  makes  her  home 
at  No.  304  Walnut  street,  Elgin,  and  is 
surrounded  by  a  large  circle  of  friends  and 
acquaintances. 


FRANK  KRAMER.— Much  of  the  civili- 
zation of  the  world  has  come  from  the 
Teutonic  race.  Continually  moving  west- 
ward they  have  taken  with  them  the  enter- 
prise and  advancement  of  their  eastern 
homes  and  have  become  valued  and  useful 
citizens  of  various  localities.  In  this  coun- 
try especially  have  they  demonstrated  their 
power  to  adapt  themselves  to  new  circum- 
stances, retaining  at  the  same  time  their 
progressiveness  and  energy,  and  have  be- 
come loyal  and  devoted  citizens,  true  to  the 
institutions  of  "the  land  of  the  free  "  and 
untiring  in  promotion  of  all  that  will  prove 
of  benefit  to  their  adopted  country.  The 
German  element  in  America  forms  an  im- 
portant part  of  American  citizenship,  and  of 
this  class  Mr.  Kramer  is  a  worthy  repre- 
sentative. He  is  now  editor  and  proprietor 


of  the  "Deutsche  Zeitung,"of  Elgin,  and 
has  made  his  paper  an  important  factor  in 
the  public  welfare  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Kramer  was  born  in  Bodenheim, 
Hessen  Darmstadt,  Germany,  April  24, 
1838,  a  son  of  John  Kramer,  also  a  native 
of  that  locality,  who  was  a  son  of  Bernhardt 
Kramer.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  a 
farmer  and  grape  cultivator,  and  spent  his 
entire  life  in  his  native  land,  where  he  died 
in  1882.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Catherine  Kirchner,  was  a.  .daughter 
of  Hanry  and  Elizabeth (-Koegler)  Kirchner, 
and  her  father  was  one  of  the  soldiers  who 
fought  under  the  great  Napoleon.  She 
died  in  1890.  The  parents  of  our  subject 
had  four  children,  of  whom  he  is  the  sec- 
ond. The  others  are  Henry,  John  and 
Elizabeth,  who  are  still  living  in  the  Father- 
land. The  sister  visited  Mr.  Kramer  in  El- 
gin during  the  summer  of  1893,  and  also  at- 
tended the  Columbian  Exposition  in  Chi- 
cago. 

Frank  Kramer  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  land  and  when  nineteen 
years  of  age  bade  adieu  to  home  and  friends 
and  sailed  for  America,  landing  in  New 
York  in  1857.  He  spent  a  short  period  in 
Elmira,  New  York,  then  went  to  Chicago, 
and  at  Elmhurst,  Illinois,  took  up  his  resi- 
dence. He  worked  there  as  a  farm  hand 
for  a  time  and  then  went  to  the  lumber 
woods  of  Wisconsin,  after  which  he  returned 
to  Elgin  and  again  secured  work  on  a  farm. 

Later  he  located  in  the  city  of  Elgin, 
where  he  learned  the  cooper's  trade,  which 
he  followed  five  years  in  Elgin  and  Chicago. 
Returning  to  Elgin,  he  entered  the  employ 
of  Dr.  H.  K.  Whitford,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained six  years,  looking  after  the  Doctor's 
collections  and  other  business  interests. 
He  then  engaged  in  the  dray  business  on 


1 84 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


his  own  account,  and  was  thus  engaged  un- 
til 1880,  when  he  established  the  Elgin 
"Deutsche  Zeitung,"  which  he  has  since 
published  with  good  success.  He  has  en- 
larged it  from  a  six-column  quarto  to  a  six- 
column  five-leaf  paper,  and  now  has  a  large 
circulation  among  the  German  population  of 
this  section  of  the  state.  Its  political  sup- 
port has  ever  been  given  the  Democratic 
party,  and  it  strongly  advocates  the  free 
silver  and  other  planks  of  that  platform. 
However,  at  local  elections,  where  no  na- 
tional issue  is  involved,  it  upholds  the  best 
man  regardless  of  party  affiliations.  Its 
circulation  is  now  the  largest  of  any  Ger- 
man weekly  paper  in  the  county.  The 
paper  is  a  neat  and  attractive  sheet,  devot- 
ed to  the  best  interests  of  the  community, 
and  to  the  advancement  of  the  sons  of  the 
fatherland.  Its  editorials  are  interesting, 
just  and  progressive,  and  the  "Zeitung"  is 
a  popular  visitor  in  many  homes. 

Mr.  Kramer  has  not  always  been  a 
Democrat.  In  ante  bellum  days  he  was  an 
abolitionist.  He  voted  for  Lincoln  and  in 
1868  for  Grant,  but  in  1872  supported 
Horace  Greeley  and  has  been  a  Democrat 
since  that  time.  In  1878  he  was  elected  as 
an  independent  candidate  to  the  office  of 
town  collector  and  filled  that  position  in  a 
most  creditable  way.  From  1888  to  1891 
he  represented  the  first  ward  of  Elgin  in  the 
city  council  and  was  chairman  of  the  finance 
committee.  In  1897  he  was  appointed  by 
Mayor  Price,  park  commissioner  for  a  term 
of  three  years  and  has  ever  proved  a  capable 
and  faithful  public  officer.  He  owns  con- 
siderable real  estate,  having  made  judicious 
investments  in  various  parts  of  the  city. 

On  the  26th  of  October,  1860,  Mr. 
Kramer  married  Miss  Carrie  H.,  born  in 
Chicago  September  8,  1840,  daughter  of 


Joseph  and  Mary  (Atzel)  Markel,  natives  of 
Alsace  and  Loraine,  Germany,  respectively. 
They  died  in  Hanover  township,  Cook 
county,  Illinois. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kramer  are  the  parents  of 
the  following  named  children:  John  F.,  who  is 
now  in  the  express  business  and  also  deals  in 
coal  and  wood ;  Henry  J. ,  a  ranchman  of  Cus- 
ter  county,  Montana;  Katherine  E.  ,a  gradu- 
ate of  the  Elgin  high  school,  who  was  for  three 
terms  deputy  town  collector  and  for  seven 
years  a  deputy  in  the  county  treasurer's 
office  during  the  busy  season;  Martha  M.,  a 
graduate  of  the  high  school,  who  married 
Ed  Dolph,  of  Chicago,  and  has  one  child, 
Alvin;  Mamie  A.,  a  graduate  of  the  high 
school  and  of  a  short  hand  and  typewriting 
course,  in  Kimball's  College,  Chicago,  who 
died  February  9,  1896;  Carolyn  H.,  who 
attended  the  high  school  and  Drews  Busi- 
ness College;  Rutherford  B.,  a  graduate  of 
the  Elgin  Academy  and  now  a  student  in 
the  law  department  of  the  University  of 
Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor;  William  M.  and 
N.  Elsie,  who  are  now  students  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Elgin. 

Mr.  Kramer  is  president  of  the  Elgin 
German  Benevolent  Society,  the  oldest  or- 
ganization of  the  kind  in  the  county,  and  at 
intervals  has  served  as  its  president  for 
twelve  years.  The  family  attend  the  First 
Baptist  church.  Mr.  Kramer  belongs  to 
that  class  of  men  whom  the  world  terms 
self-made,  for  coming  to  this  country  empty- 
handed,  he  has  conquered  all  obstacles  in 
the  path  to  success,  and  has  not  only  se- 
cured for  himself  a  handsome  competence, 
but  by  his  efforts  has  materally  advanced 
the  interests  of  the  community  with  which 
he  is  associated.  He  is  a  prominent  figure 
in  business,  political  and  social  circles  and 
ranks  among  the  leading  citizens  of  Kane 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


185 


county.  Mr.  Kramer  has  twice  visited  his 
old  home  in  Germany,  once  in  1881  and 
again  in  1891. 


EDWARD  S.  ENO,  superintendent  of 
the  Elgin  branch  of  the  New  York 
Condensed  Milk  Company,  Elgin,  Illinois, 
is  one  of  the  best  known  and  highly  esteemed 
citizens  of  the  place.  He  traces  his  ances- 
try back  to  James  Eno,  who  was  of  French 
extraction,  but  who  came  to  this  country 
from  England  in  1648,  locating  in  Windsor, 
Connecticut.  A  sword  said  to  have  been 
brought  by  him  from  England  has  passed 
from  father  to  eldest  son  from  that  day  to 
this,  and  is  now  in  possession  of  John  S. 
Eno,  of  Brewster,  New  York. 

Samuel  Eno,  the  great-great-grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  the  father  of  Daniel 
Eno,  who  married  Chloe  Mills,  December 
23,  1809,  by  whom  he  had  six  children — 
Charlotte,  Esther,  Erastus  S. ,  Emeline  E., 
Daniel  Mills  and  Aurelia  E. 

Daniel  Mills  Eno  was  born  October  28, 
1812,  in  Connecticut,  where  he  grew  to 
manhood,  and  was  there  married  March  30, 
1836,  to  Eunice  C.  Sage,  a  native  of  the 
same  state,  born  in  1813.  Later  he  moved 
to  Wayne  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
engaged  in  farming  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  December  25,  1891.  He  was  a 
good  man,  a  member  and  deacon  in  the 
Presbyterian  church  for  many  years,  and 
from  time  to  time  held  a  number  of  minor 
official  positions.  His  wife,  who  was  also  a 
member  of  the  same  religious  body,  is  yet 
living,  an  honored  resident  of  Seeleyville, 
Pennsylvania.  They  were  the  parents  of 
ten  children,  eight  of  whom  are  yet  living. 
In  order  of  birth  they  are  as  follows:  (i) 
John  S.,  a  resident  of  Brewster,  New  York, 


married  Susan  Clark  and  had  five  children- 
Clark,  Emma,  Frank,  Daniel  (deceased) 
and  Susan.  (2)  Eunice  is  the  wife  of  John 
E.  Woodward  and  is  the  mother  of  two 
children — Anna  M.  and  Alfred.  (3)  Susan 
is  the  widow  of  John  K.  Jenkins  and  had 
nine  children — Frederick  W.  (deceased), 
Mary,  Benjamin,  Laura,  Martha,  Susan, 
John  K. ,  Gail  and  Grace.  (4)  Laura  is  the 
wife  of  Eben  H.  Clark  and  has  five  chil- 
dren— Elizabeth,  Herbert,  Edward,  Bertha 
and  Daniel.  (5)  Edward  S. ,  our  subject, 
is  the  next  of  the  family.  (6)  George  died 
in  infancy.  (7)  Alfred  W.  married  Rose 
Miller  and  has  two  children — Daniel  and 
Helen.  (8)  Fred  K.  died  in  infancy.  (9) 
Lillie  G.  is  at  home.  (10)  Charlotte  E.  is 
the  wife  of  J.  O.  Southard,  by  whom  she 
has  one  child,  Eunice. 

Edward  S.  Eno,  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Seeleyville,  Pennsylvania,  May  26,  1848, 
and  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  in  Wayne 
county,  being  educated  in  the  public  schools. 
After  leaving  school  he  clerked  for  about 
eighteen  months  in  a  hardware  store  in  his 
native  town,  and  in  1870  commenced  work 
for  the  New  York  Condensed  Milk  Company 
at  Brewster,  New  York.  From  that  time 
to  the  present  he  has  been  connected  with 
that  company  and  has  served  in  almost 
every  capacity,  commencing  work  in  the 
least  responsible  position  and  working  his 
way  up  to  the  superintendency  of  one  of  the 
most  important  branches  of  the  business. 
They  manufacture  Gail  Borden's  condensed 
milk. 

Mr.  Eno  was  married  in  Wayne  county, 
Pennsylvania,  October  21,  1873,  to  Miss 
Helen  A.  Conyne,  a  native  of  that  county, 
and  a  daughter  of  Alexander  and  Laura 
(Gregory)  Conyne,  the  former  a  native  of 
New  York,  the  latter  of  Susquehanna  coun-_ 


1 86 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ty,  Pennsylvania,  who  removed  to  Wayne 
county  in  a  very  early  day.  Alexander 
Conyne  was  by  occupation  a  stationary  en- 
gineer, and  followed  that  pursuit  within  a 
few  years  of  his  death,  when  he  purchased 
a  farm  and  engaged  in  agriculture.  His 
death  occurred  April  i,  1876.  His  wife, 
who  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  is 
still  living  and  makes  her  home  with  her 
children.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  as  follows:  George  W. ,  who  mar- 
ried Charlotte  Webster  (now  deceased)  and 
resides  in  New  Haven,  Connecticut;  Charles 
W.,  deceased;  Frank  F.,  a  resident  of  Mon- 
tana; Helen  A.,  wife  of  our  subject;  Clara 
P.,  wife  of  Horace  White,  of  White  Valley, 
Pennsylvania;  Charles  G.,  who  married 
Anna  Hawkins  and  now  resides  in  Mandan, 
North  Dakota;  Case  V.,  who  married  Mary 
Pullis  and  lives  in  Bangor,  South  Dakota; 
Eva  L.,  wife  of  Fred  W.  Chase,  of  Butte, 
Montana;  Fannie  I.,  also  a  resident  of 
Butte;  and  Herbert  A.,  of  Anaconda,  Mon- 
tana. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eno  four  children  have 
been  born:  Charles  Edward,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  fifteen  months;  and  Herbert  S. 
Laura  E.  and  Alfred  W.,  all  of  whom  are 
yet  under  the  parental  roof.  The  family 
reside  in  a  neat  and  comfortable  home  on 
North  Spring  street,  Elgin,  where  they  de- 
light to  entertain  their  many  friends.  The 
parents  are  members  of  the  Prospect  Street 
Congregational  church,  in  the  work  of  which 
they  are  actively  engaged.  Fraternally, 
Mr.  Eno  is  a  member  of  Monitor  lodge, 
No.  522,  F.  &  A.  M.;  and  Washington 
lodge,  No.  13,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  of  Elgin. 

In  politics  Mr.  Eno  is  a  thorough  Re- 
publican, and  has  been  identified  with  that 
party  since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  U.  S.  Grant.  His  business  interests 


have  usually  been  such  that  he  could  not 
give  much  of  his  time  to  political  affairs, 
more  than  to  attend  the  conventions  of  his 
party,  vote  its  ticket  and  in  a  quiet  way 
advocate  its  principles.  In  the  municipal 
affairs  of  his  adopted  city  he  has  always 
manifested  the  greatest  interest,  and  in  the 
discharge  of  his  duties  as  a  citizen  he  has 
done  his  full  share  in  its  development.  For 
two  years  he  served  as  alderman  from  his 
ward,  and  his  record  as  a  member  of  the 
city  council  is  a  commendable  one.  While 
serving  in  that  capacity  he  was  chairman  of 
the  finance  committee  and  of  the  special 
committee  on  water  works.  To  him  prob- 
ably as  much  as  any  other  man  is  due  the 
present  fine  water  works  in  Elgin,  acknowl- 
edged to  be  among  the  very  best  in  the  en- 
tire country.  To  secure  the  admirable  sys- 
tem he  devoted  much  time  and  study.  He 
also  served  three  years  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  education. 

For  some  eight  or  ten  years  Mr.  Eno 
served  in  the  fire  department  of  the  city, 
only  resigning  his  position  because  he  could 
not  give  it  the  time  and  attention  necessary. 
The  same  energy  shown  in  creating  and 
making  efficient  the  water  works  was  dis- 
played by  him  in  the  fire  department. 

It  is,  however,  as  superintendent  of  the 
Elgin  Branch  of  the  New  York  Condensed 
Milk  Company  that  he  is  best  known  through- 
out Kane  and  adjoining  counties.  In  1870 
he  came  to  Elgin  as  a  representative  of  that 
company,  and  in  1882  he  was  made  super- 
intendent, and  has  since  occupied  that  posi- 
tion. In  1870  there  was  comparatively  lit- 
tle doing  in  the  milk  business  in  Elgin,  and 
what  little  milk  found  its  way  into  this  mar- 
ket was  shipped  to  Chicago.  With  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  condensed  milk  factory 
the  business  began  rapidly  to  grow  until 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


187 


to-day  Elgin  is  recognized  as  the  leading 
place  in  the  United  States  for  this  industry. 
In  addition  to  the  large  quantity  used  by 
the  New  York  Condensed  Milk  Company, 
vast  quantities  of  milk  are  used  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  butter  and  cheese.  All  con- 
versant with  the  subject  acknowledge  that 
to  Mr.  Eno  and  his  wise  management  of  the 
affairs  of  the  company  much  of  this  success 
is  due.  In  all  the  thirty-three  years  in 
which  the  company  have  operated  here 
there  has  never  been  a  strike  among  its  em- 
ployees, and  the  best  feeling  is  always  main- 
tained by  all  connected  with  it.  The  super- 
intendent is  honored  and  respected  by  the 
men  and  he  honors  and  respects  them.  Dur- 
ing the  campaign  of  1896  a  lot  of  politicians 
were  discussing  the  relation  between  em- 
ployers and  employees,  one  party  endeavor- 
ing to  show  that  they  were  antagonistic,  one 
to  the  other.  Reference  was  made  in  proof 
of  this  to  several  large  institutions,  when 
some  one  mentioned  the  Elgin  branch  of  the 
New  York  Condensed  Milk  Company.  The 
contending  party  at  once  objected  to  refer- 
ence to  that  company,  stating  aside  from 
the  New  York  Condensed  Milk  Company 
his  contention  was  true.  "In  that  com- 
pany," said  he,  "the  superintendent  and 
employees  are  too  much  like  one  family." 
A  greater  compliment  could  not  have  been 
bestowed  upon  Mr.  Eno.  All  classes  and 
all  professions  speak  of  him  in  the  highest 
terms  of  praise. 


HENRY  BLAZIER  is  a  retired  farmer 
residing  in  the  village  of  Hampshire. 
His  father,  John  Blazier,  was  born  in  the 
village  of  Diefenalern,  Bavaria,  May  28, 
1819.  In  his  native  country  he  learned  the 
trades  of  cooper  and  brewer,  and,  while  yet 


residing  there,  served  three  years  in  the  Ba- 
varian army.  He  remained  in  his  native 
land  until  1847,  when  he  started  for  Amer- 
ica with  the  design  of  enlisting  in  the  Mexi- 
can war,  but  the  war  was  closed  before  he 
reached  the  field.  He  sailed  from  Ham- 
burg and  landed  in  New  York  after  a  voy- 
age of  forty-nine  days.  He  there  secured 
work,  and  for  a  time  was  engaged  in  the 
tile  factory  across  the  river  in  New  Jersey. 
Desiring  to  come  west  he  ascended  the 
Hudson,  and  by  canal  went  to  Buffalo,  New 
York,  and  thence  by  lake  to  Chicago. 
Coming  to  Kane  county,  he  settled  in 
Hampshire  township,  but  secured  work  for 
a  time  at  the  cooper's  trade  in  Belvidere, 
Boone  county,  and  then  worked  for  various 
farmers  in  the  neighborhood.  During  the 
war  he  bought  land  in  Hampshire  county, 
and,  as  wheat,  during  the  latter  part  of  the 
struggle,  was  two  dollars  per  bushel,  he  was 
enabled  to '  add  to  his  original  purchase, 
paying  cash  for  the  same.  In  the  fall  of 
1 88 1,  he  rented  his  farm  and  moved  to  the 
village  of  Hampshire,  where  he  is  living  re- 
tired. 

John  Blazier  is  the  son  of  Wolf  Blazier, 
of  French  descent,  who  fought  against  Na- 
poleon, and  who  served  as  a  revenue  officer 
in  Germany.  John  Blazier  first  married  in 
New  York  Barbara  Ber,  by  whom  he  had 
seven  children,  five  yet  living,  as  follows: 
Henry,  our  subject;  Carrie,  who,  on  the 
29th  of  March,  1880,  married  Albert  Eich- 
ler,  a  native  of  Saxony,  Germany,  born 
March  15,  1853,  and  who  died  May  17, 
1885.  He  came  to  this  country  with  his 
parents,  George  and  Sophia  Eichler,  and 
later  purchased  a  farm  in  De  Kalb  county, 
Illinois,  which  is  yet  owned  by  his  widow. 
They  were  the  parents  of  two  children,  Al- 
bert and  Ida,  who  now  attend  the  public 


i88 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


schools  of  Hampshire;  George  is  a  farmer 
in  Hampshire  township;  Mary  married  Will- 
iam Huber,  by  whom  she  has  one  son, 
Frank  Blazier,  and  they  reside  in  Kane 
county,  Illinois;  John  is  engaged  in  farming 
in  the  south  end  of  Hampshire  village. 

Henry  Blazier  was  born  in  Woodbridge, 
New  Jersey,  April  15,  1858,  and  came  west 
with  his  parents  at  the  age  of  two  years. 
He  first  attended  school  in  Reid's  district, 
and  later  in  the  Bean  district,  until  twenty 
years  of  age.  He  then  hired  to  his  father, 
and  remained  with  him  until  1887,  when  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in 
section  16,  and  boarded  with  a  family  on  an 
adjoining  farm,  and  for  eleven  years  was  en- 
gaged in  its  cultivation  with  good  success. 
In  the  spring  of  1898  he  rented  the  farm, 
and  now  makes  his  home  with  his  sister, 
Mrs.  Carrie  Eichler,  who  has  recently 
moved  to  the  village  of  Hampshire.  Mr. 
Blazier  engaged  principally  in  dairying  while 
on  the  farm,  usually  having  some  twenty  to 
thirty  head  of  cows.  His  place  was  well 
improved,  being  tilled  and  ditched  at  a  cost 
of  one  thousand  dollars,  and  having  a  barn 
36x68  feet,  and  a  good  dwelling  house  at  a 
cost  of  eighteen  hundred  dollars.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  thorough  Republican. 


VINCENT  S.  LOVELL,  deceased, 
through  the  years  of  his  identification 
with  Kane  county,  enjoyed  the  highest  re- 
spect of  his  fellow  townsmen  by  reason  of 
his  strict  integrity,  true  manhood  and  intel- 
lectual attainments.  He  was  a  gentleman 
of  refinement  and  culture,  and  his  deport- 
ment was  always  courteous  and  kind.  His 
devotion  to  the  public  welfare  also  made 
him  a  valued  factor  in  public  life,  and  by 
his  death  Elgin  was  deprived  of  one  of  her 


best  citizens.  He  was  one  of  her  native 
sons,  of  whom  she  had  every  reason  to  be 
justly  proud.  On  the  2d  of  May,  1845,  he 
began  his  earthly  pilgrimage,  which  was 
ended  December  7,  1892,  covering  a  life- 
span  of  forty-seven  years. 

Vincent  Smith  Lovell  was  a  son  of  Vin- 
cent Sellar  and  Lucy  (Smith)  Lovell,  and 
in  a  private  school  conducted  by  his  mother 
he  acquired  his  elementary  education,  which 
was  supplemented  by  a  course  in  the  Elgin 
Academy.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  began 
learning  the  printing  trade  in  an  office  in 
Chicago,  and  after  learning  that  trade  he 
secured  a  position  under  Finder  F.  Ward  in 
the  abstract  office  of  Geneva,  Illinois.  Later 
the  mother  removed  with  her  two  sons  to 
Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  in  order  to  give  them 
the  advantages  of  a  college  education,  and 
in  1872  our  subject  was  graduated  in  the 
State  University.  He  then  secured  a  place 
on  the  staff  of  the  "Argus,"  a  journal  pub- 
lished in  Albany,  New  York,  with  which  he 
was  connected  for  two  years,  when  he  again 
came  to  the  west  and  became  a  member  of 
the  staff  of  the  Chicago  "Post  and  Mail," 
with  which  he  was  associated  until  entering 
into  partnership  with  his  brother,  Judge 
Lovell,  in  the  real-estate  business  and  law 
practice.  They  thus  carried  on  business 
until  the  death  of  our  subject,  and  their  ju- 
dicious management,  keen  foresight  and  un- 
flagging enterprise  brought  them  a  gratify- 
ing success. 

Mr.  Lovell  was  married  at  Frankfort-on- 
the-Main,  Germany,  August  19,  1876,  to 
Miss  Eliza  A.  Hadwen.  The  lady  was  born 
near  Halifax,  Yorkshire,  England,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  Wilson  Hadwen,  who,  like 
his  father,  John  Hadwen,  was  a  wealthy 
cotton  and  silk  manufacturer.  The  last 
named  married  Margaret  Lovell,  a  daugh- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


189 


ter  of  John  J.  Lovell,  a  gentleman  fanner 
of  England.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Eliza  Lo- 
vell had  retired  from  business,  and  with  his 
family  was  living  abroad  at  the  time  of  her 
marriage.  Mr.  Lovell  continued  in  active 
business  in  his  native  city  until  called  to  the 
home  beyond.  Although  not  connected 
with  any  church,  his  life  was  permeated  by 
true  Christian  principles.  He  was  consid- 
erate of  the  welfare  and  rights  of  others, 
had  great  sympathy  for  his  fellow  men,  was 
benevolent,  and  never  spoke  an  uncharita- 
ble word.  His  ability  was  recognized  by  his 
fellow  citizens,  he  serving  as  mayor  of  the 
city,  discharging  the  duties  of  the  office  in  a 
highly  satisfactory  manner  until  he  resigned 
for  the  reason  that  he  could  not  conscien- 
tiously perform  the  duties  of  his  office.  He 
also  served  for  some  years  as  director  of  the 
public  library.  He  was,  however,  very  re- 
tiring, and  few  knew  the  depths  of  his  na- 
ture, but  his  intimate  friends  had  an  appre- 
ciation and  respect  for  him  which  arises 
only  from  true  worth. 


OAMUEL  C.  ROWELL,  deceased,  was 
O  for  many  years  one  of  the  leading  men 
of  Hampshire  township.  He  was  born  at 
East  Plainfield,  Sullivan  county,  New  Hamp- 
shire, April  13,  1819,  and  was  the  son  of 
Jacob  and  Mary  (Currier)  Rowell,  the  for- 
mer being  a  farmer  in  New  Hampshire, 
where  he  was  born,  and  where  his  entire 
life  was  spent,  dying  after  having  passed 
his  three  score  years  and  ten.  His  father, 
the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  Enoch 
Rowell,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war. 

Samuel  C.  Rowell  was  reared  on  a  farm 
and  attended  the  district  schools  until  the 
age  of  fifteen,  when  he  entered  Kimball 


Union  Academy,  at  Meriden,  New  Hamp- 
shire, where  he  spent  three  years.  He 
taught  school  winters  and  worked  on  farms 
other  seasons  for  a  time,  and  while  working 
with  a  companion,  laying  stone  wall  one 
hot  day,  both  resolved  to  leave  the  stony 
country  and  get  a  living  more  easily  else- 
where. Accordingly,  in  1840,  he  went  to 
Kentucky,  where  Yankee  teachers  were  in 
demand.  He  there  engaged  in  teaching  for 
about  three  years,  and  then  came  to  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  riding  on  horseback  some 
eight  hundred  miles.  After  examining  con- 
siderable country,  looking  for  a  location,  he 
finally  decided  to  locate  in  Hampshire  town- 
ship, where  he  bought  a  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  from  the  government, 
on  which  he  erected  a  dwelling  house  and 
then  returned  south  teaching  school  in  Ten- 
nessee. 

On  his  return  north,  Mr.  Rowell  stopped 
in  Kentucky  to  marry  the  girl  of  his  choice, 
who  had  been  a  pupil  of  his  while  teaching 
there.  He  was  married  May  13,  1844,  in 
Fairview,  Fleming  county,  Kentucky,  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Ball,  a  native  of  that  place, 
born  December  11,  1823,  and  a  daughter  of 
Silas  and  Tennie  (Brown)  Ball,  the  former 
born  in  Mason  county,  Kentucky,  in  March, 
1800.  He  was  the  son  of  Benjamin  Ball, 
a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812,  who  was  born 
in  Virginia,  and  who  married  Nancy  Cook. 
Benjamin  Ball  was  a  farmer,  a  relative  of 
Mary  (Ball)  Washington,  the  mother  of 
George  Washington.  He  died  when  about 
eighty  years  of  age.  Silas  Ball  followed 
agricultural  pursuits  all  his  life,  dying  in 
1830.  Elizabeth  was  first  in  the  family  of 
twelve  children,  born  to  Silas  and  Tennie 
Ball.  To  Mr",  and  Mrs.  Rowell  six  children 
were  born,  of  whom  four  survive,  as  follows: 
(i)  Mary,  wife  of  Corydon  L.  Dickson,  of 


190 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Plato  township,  and  the  mother  of  two 
children — Luella,  and  Ethel.  The  former 
married  Edward  Walgren,  by  whom  she  has 
one  child,  Eugene.  (2)  Fremont,  who  is 
in  partnership  with  his  mother,  in  the 
mercantile  business.  He  married  Nellie 
Ketchum,  born  in  Hampshire,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Martin  Van  Buren  and  Sophronia 
(Buzzell)  Ketchum,  the  former  a  native  of 
New  York,  who  died  at  Rouse's  Point,  on 
Lake  Champlain,  when  Nellie  was  an  infant. 
Her  father  was  a  son  of  Horace  Ketchum, 
and  her  mother  a  daughter  of  Aaron  Buz- 
zell. To  Fremont  and  Nellie  Rowell  have 
been  born  two  children:  Beulah  and  Leone. 

(3)  Jessie  C.,  who  married  Edward  Buzzeil, 
of  Leaf   River,    Illinois,    by  whom  she   has 
two  children — Walter  and    Arthur,    twins. 

(4)  Olivia,   who   married  George   York,    of 
Lyons,    Iowa,    and    they    have    one   child, 
Jessie. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Rowell  brought 
his  bride  to  Hampshire  township  and  en- 
gaged in  farming,  which  occupation  he  con- 
tinued until  1850,  when  he  sold  his  farm 
and  devoted  his  time  to  mercantile  pursuits, 
having  acquired  an  interest  in  a  store  at  the 
old  village  of  Hampshire,  where  he  was  in 
business  until  1875,  when  he  removed  to 
the  new  village,  soon  after  the  completion 
of  the  railroad  to  that  point.  He  erected 
one  of  the  first  business  buildings  in  the 
village,  and  purchased  the  interest  of  his 
partner,  and  continued  in  the  mercantile 
trade.  Later  he  took  into  partnership  his 
son,  Fremont,  and  the  business  is  still  con- 
ducted under  the  firm  name  then  adopted, 
Samuel  C.  Rowell  &  Son,  Mrs.  Rawell  re- 
taining a  half  interest. 

Mr.  Rowell  was  a  very  prominent  man 
during  life,  his  superior  education  giving 
him  an  advantage  over  others.  He  was' 


one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  new  village 
of  Hampshire,  and  was  the  first  president 
of  the  village  board.  From  1858  to  1861 
he  served  as  supervisor  of  the  township, 
and  again  from  1864  to  1867.  For  twenty 
years  he  was  postmaster  of  the  village,  and 
during  that  time  would  open  office  any  time, 
day  or  night,  for  the  accommodation  of  pa- 
trons. During  his  incumbency  the  office 
was  moved  from  the  old  village  to  the  new. 
For  forty  years  he  served  as  justice  of  the 
peace,  and  his  administration  of  that  office 
.was  satisfactory  in  every  respect.  He  also 
served  as  school  inspector  before  the  office 
of  county  superintendent  of  public  schools 
was  established. 

Mr.  Rowell  was  made  a  Mason  at  Ma- 
rengo,  Illinois,  in  1850,  and  was  one  of  the 
charter  members  of  Hampshire  lodge,  serving 
as  secretary  of  the  lodge  for  over  thirty 
years.  Prior  to  the  war  he  was  a  Demo- 
crat, but  when  the  South  rebelled  he  be- 
came a  Republican,  with  which  party  he 
was  identified  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
November  24,  1892.  He  was  a  man  of 
broad  character  and  liberal  views,  univer- 
sally respected,  and  was  greatly  missed  from 
his  accustomed  place  when  called  to  rest. 


COL.  RICHARD  PARRAM  McGLINCY, 
eldest  son  of  George  D.  and  Rukamah 
McGlincy,  of  English  and  Irish  descent,  was 
born  in  Shepardstown,  Jefferson  county, 
West  Virginia,  and  at  an  early  age  entered 
the  printing  office  of  John  H.  Yittle,  of  the 
"Shepardstown  Register,"  where  he  re- 
mained, except  during  the  time  of  the  Civil 
war,  rising  from  the  position  of  errand  boy, 
at  the  age  of  eleven  years,  when  not  much 
taller  than  a  common  ink  keg,  to  that  of 
foreman  of  the  office,  which  he  occupied 


COL.   R.  P.  McGLINCY. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


193 


from  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  fully 
equipped  for  all  newspaper  work,  for  which 
he  had  a  passionate  love.  Trusted  and 
helpful  to  his  employer,  the  latter  said, 
"As  Dick  has  always  stood  by  me,  through 
thick  and  thin,  come  weal  or  woe,  I  am  loth 
to  part  with  him,"  when  he  married  Asenath 
R.  Wells,  a  graduate  of  the  Mount  Morris, 
Rock  River  Seminary,  and  at  the  time  of 
marriage  assistant  principal  of  the  Martins- 
burg,  West  Virginia,  public  schools,  and 
left  for  Chicago  in  1868.  He  was  there 
engaged  in  newspaper  work  on  the  "  Inter 
Ocean,"  and  other  papers,  until  he  came  to 
Elgin,  Illinois,  in  1869,  where  he  entered 
more  fully  into  the  editorial  and  printing 
work.  He  soon  became  dairy  editor  on  the 
Elgin  "  Gazette, "and  also  of  a  Minneapolis 
paper,  taking  an  active  part  in  the  great 
dairy  interests  of  Elgin  and  the  Northwest, 
often  serving  as  president  of  prominent  so- 
cieties, and  acting  as  secretary  of  two  or 
three  at  the  same  time,  publishing  their 
annual  reports,  board  of  trade  reports,  etc. 
During  his  last  ten  years  in  Elgin  he  was 
the  honored  and  valued  secretary  of  the 
Elgin  Board  of  Trade.  He  was  very  prom- 
inent in  all  dairy  circles,  so  that  hardly  any 
of  their  conventions  were  considered  com- 
plete without  an  address  from  him,  and  he 
was  called  to  many  states  and  cities  to  or- 
ganize boards  of  trade.  He  was  therefore 
well  and  favorably  known  to  most  men  in 
his  line  of  work. 

A  typical  Southerner,  whole-souled  and 
generous,  he  made  friends  wherever  he 
went,  prominent  among  them  being  ex-Gov. 
W.  D.  Hoard,  of  Wisconsin,  who  was  one 
of  his  dairy  co-laborers.  Being  an  Odd 
Fellow  of  many  years  standing,  he  was  very 
prominent  in  that  order  in  Elgin,  and  on  all 
public  occasions  was  generally  their  repre- 

9    . 


sentative  and  spokesman.  He  held  the 
position  of  deputy  grand  master  for  many 
years,  and  retained  his  membership  in  the 
Elgin  encampment  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death.  Col.  McGlincy  served  with  dis- 
tinction all  through  the  Civil  war,  and  part 
of  the  time  fought  under  Stonewall  Jack- 
son. His  father,  a  very  prominent,  dyed- 
in-the-wool  West  Virginia  Democratic  poli- 
tician, died  at  Shepardstown,  that  state,  in 
1885,  leaving  a  wife  and  five  children,  all 
of  whom  are  living  with  the  exception  of 
Richard  P.,  in  Washington,.  District  of 
Columbia. 

In  the  fall  of  1887,  Colonel  McGlincy 
went  to  San  Jose,  California,  where  he  be- 
came very  highly  esteemed  and  prominent 
in  the  state,  on  account  of  his  interest  in 
all  that  tended  to  its  advancement,  espe- 
cially its  horticultural  and  fruit  interests. 
He  was  extensively  engaged  in  the  fruit 
raising  and  its  shipping,  and  was  given 
charge  of  the  Santa  Clara  county  fruit  and 
wine  exhibit  at  the  Columbian  World's 
Fair,  at  Chicago,  in  1893,  where  many  of 
his  old  friends  were  glad  to  see  him. 

On  his  return  to  California  after  the 
fair,  Colonel  McGlincy  received  much  favo- 
rable newspaper  mention  as  a  representa- 
tive to  the  state  legislature.  He  became 
deputy  internal  revenue  collector,  and  was 
holding  the  position  at  the  time  of  his  cruel 
murder,  in  May,  1897.  In  California,  as 
always  before,  he  was  prominently  active 
among,  and  helpful  to  the  Odd  Fellows, 
who  honored  and  loved  him  in  life,  and 
now,  as  brothers,  sincerely  mourn  his  sad 
fate  and  untimely  death.  The  hall  of 
Morning  Light  lodge,  which  he  had  organ- 
ized at  his  home  town,  is  decorated  with  his 
portrait,  and  Odd  Fellows  souvenirs,  which 
he  had  received  from  Illinois  friends. 


194 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mrs.  Asenath  Rhodlna  (Wells)  McGlincy 
was  born  and  spent  the  early  years  of  her 
life  at  the  foot  of  the  Alleghany  mountains, 
in  West  Virginia,  on  the  banks  of  the  Val- 
ley river,  whose  bed  is  almost  one  contin- 
uous heap  of  stones.  No  wonder  she  sees 
"books  in  running  brooks,"  reads  "ser- 
mons in  stones,"  and  having  often  picked 
chestnut  burrs  from  the  trees,  while  stand- 
ing on  the  rocks,  and  there  gathered  mosses, 
wild  spice,  holly  and  wintergreen,  and  at- 
tended "  sugaring  off,"  in  the  maple  woods, 
sees  in  the  groves,  "God's  temples,  the 
hills  his  dwelling  place,"  and  loves  the 
rocks  the  more  the  higher  they  tower. 
Being  the  eldest  daughter  of  David  and 
Mary  Ann  Wells,  of  Scotch,  German  and 
English  origin,  she  largely  inherits  Scotch 
characteristics  and  their  love  of  the  sciip- 
tures,  the  German  literary  taste,  with  love 
of  flowers  and  home,  and  a  puritanic  rever- 
ence of  much  in  our  forefathers,  which  so 
conspired  to  make  our  loved  America  great 
as  it  is. 

In  her  early  life  her  parents  came  west, 
and  with  a  family  of  eight  children,  settled 
near  Galena.  Having  made  good  progress 
in  her  studies,  at  the  age  of  twelve  she  was 
placed  in  the  noted  school  of  A.  B.  C. 
Campbell,  in  that  hilly  city,  the  early  home 
of  U.  S.  Grant,  then  all  surrounded  by  rich 
lead  mines.  From  Galena  she  became  a 
neighbor  and  schoolmate  of  John  A.  Raw- 
lins,  first  on  General  Grant's  staff,  and  later, 
secretary  of  war  in  General  Grant's  cabi- 
net. At  this  country  school  they  sat 
together  on  backless  benches,  ran  races, 
played  ball  and  "  spelled  down  " — the  con- 
test always  hot  between  the  two.  From 
this  country  school  both  went  to  Rock  River 
Seminary,  at  Mt.  Morris,  Illinois,  then  the 
most  prominent  Methodist  educational  in- 


stitution in  Illinois — to  the  state  then,  what 
Evanston  is  now.  After  years  of  hard  study, 
alternated  with  teaching  in  Mt.  Morris,  and 
other  places  in  the  country,  she  com- 
pleted her  course  of  study  in  the  seminary, 
and  went  again  to  Galena,  and  assisted  her 
brother,  James  William  Wells,  who  was 
principal  of  its  public  schools.  From  that 
position  she  went  in  charge  of  the  Galena 
Academy,  remaining  until  her  brother  de- 
cided to  go  to  California,  in  1850,  when  she 
left  and  took  the  principalship  of  the  Shulls- 
burg,  Wisconsin,  school,  where  she  gave 
good  satisfaction  for  years.  Her  next 
teaching  was  as  assistant  principal  in  the 
Dubuque,  Iowa,  schools,  and  from  there  in 
1863,  she  took  the  principalship  of  the  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  schools,  remaining  until  near 
the  close  of  the  late  Civil  war.  In  April, 
1865,  as  she  was  boarding  a  train  fora  visit 
to  her  early  West  Virginia,  home  the  news 
came  of  President  Lincoln's  assassination. 
While  in  this  old  mountain  home,  visiting 
and  teaching,  the  last  of  which  was  as  assist- 
ant principal  in  the  Martinsburg,  West 
Virginia,  schools,  she  formed  the  acquant- 
ance  of  Richard  Parran  McGlincy,  to  whom 
she  was  married  in  July,  1868.  Coming 
immediately  west,  by  way  of  Washington, 
Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  New  York,  and 
Niagara  Falls  to  Chicago,  they  there  re- 
sided until  March,  1869,  and  then  settled  in 
Elgin,  Illinois.  After  coming  to  Elgin  she 
engaged  in  teaching  in  a  select  school  for  a 
number  of  years,  having  among  her  scholars 
many  young  men  and  women  now  promi- 
nently engaged  in  business  in  Elgin  and 
elsewhere.  She  is  a  Chautauqua  graduate, 
now  holding  her  certificate  as  a  graduate  of 
the  Chautauqua  National  Literary  Circle. 
She  now  lives  again  on  the  banks  of  a  river, 
in  the  lovely  valley  of  the  Fox,  in  her  own 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


'95 


beautiful  home,  trying  to  make  the  most  and 
best  of  life,  for  self  and  others,  surrounded 
by  and  loving  as  ever,  her  flowers  and 
books. 

DR.  BEEBE,  a  well-known  insurance 
agent  living  at  No.  4 1 1  Walnut  avenue, 
Elgin,  was  born  September  6,  1847,  m  Co- 
lumbia county,  New  York,  of  which  state  his 
parents,  Riley  and  Amelia  (Bunker)  Beebe, 
were  also  natives.  The  father,  who  was  a 
cooper  by  trade,  removed  from  New  York 
to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  in  1852,  locating  in 
Geneva,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  and 
gardening  for  some  years.  Subsequently 
he  came  to  Elgin,  where  he  passed  away  in 
his  eighty-eighth  year,  while  his  wife  died  in 
May,  1897,  in  her  eighty-second  year.  He 
was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  while  she  was  a  Spiritual- 
ist in  religious  belief. 

Born  to  this  worthy  couple  were  four- 
teen children,  but  only  six  are  now  living, 
three  of  whom  are  residents  of  Kane  coun- 
ty, those  beside  our  subject  being  Amos  C., 
a  blacksmith  employed  in  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  railroad  shops  at 
Aurora,  and  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Olson,  of  Elgin. 
Four  of  the  sons  were  numbered  among 
the  defenders  of  the  Union  during  the  Civil 
war.  Thomas  J.,  the  oldest,  who  is  now 
a  resident  of  Anthony,  Harper  county, 
Kansas,  enlisted  August  7,  1861,  in  an  in- 
dependent company,  known  as  the  Kane 
County  Cavalry,  which  afterward  served  as 
body  guard  to  Generals  Halleck,  Curtis  and 
Steele.  He  entered  the  service  as  a  pri- 
vate, was  made  orderly,  and  on  the  2d  of 
October,  1863,  was  commissioned  captain 
of  his  company,  which  was  afterward  con- 
solidated by  the  War  Department  and  made 
a  part  of  the  Fifteenth  Illinois  Cavalry.  He 


remained  in  the  service  three  years,  and 
was  in  many  important  battles.  James  E. 
was  a  member  of  the  same  company,  but 
at  the  end  of  nineteen  months  of  faithful 
service  he  was  honorably  discharged  on  ac- 
count of  physical  disability.  On  regaining 
his  health,  he  re-enlisted  and  served  'until 
the  close  of  the  war,  being  in  Texas  with 
the  last  remnant  of  the  forces  against  Kirby 
Smith.  He  died  October  8,  1895,  at  tne 
age  of  fifty-four  years.  John  W.,  who  was 
born  December  5,  1843,  enlisted  at  the  same 
time  as  his  older  brothers  in  the  s'ame  com- 
pany, in  which  he  served  as  a  private  until 
mustered  out  at  the  expiration  of  his  three 
years'  term  of  enlistment.  He  died  Sep- 
tember 27,  1883. 

Our  subject,  also  one  of  the  boys  in  blue, 
was  reared  and  educated  in  Kane  county, 
and  when  only  sixteen  years  of  age  joined 
the  Union  army,  enlisting  November  18, 
1863,  in  Company  B,  Seventeenth  Illinois 
Cavalry.  He  was  engaged  in  the  most  dan- 
gerous kind  of  warfare,  that  of  hunting 
bushwhackers,  never  being  able  to  meet 
them  in  fair  field.  After  the  surrender  of 
Lee  the  company  of  which  Mr.  Beebe  was 
a  member  was  ordered  to  the  plains  under 
command  of  General  Dodge,  and  there  took 
part  in  several  engagements  with  the  hos- 
tile Indians,  being  stationed  on  Big  creek  in 
western  Kansas.  There  were  no  railroads 
or  settlements  in  that  region,  but  Mr.  Beebe 
enjoyed  the  time  spent  there,  as  he  had 
ample  opportunity  to  engage  in  his  favorite 
sport,  that  of  hunting,  killing  many  buffa- 
loes and  wolves.  In  December,  1865,  he 
was  honorably  discharged,  after  having 
served  two  years  and  one  month,  and  re- 
turned to  his  home. 

On  starting  out  in   life  for  himself  Mr. 
Beebe     was    employed    as    a    blacksmith's 


196 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


helper  in  the  C. ,  B.  &  Q.  shops  at  Aurora. 
In  1872  he  went  to  Guthrie  county,  Iowa, 
and  for  about  four  years  was  engaged  in 
farming  near  Casey.  He  then  removed  to 
Marshalltown,  Iowa,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed in  the  railroad  shops  for  six  years. 
Later  he  worked  in  the  Iowa  Central  rail- 
road shops,  where  he  learned  railroad  spring 
making,  at  which  he  worked  for  about  three 
years,  returning  to  Kane  county  at  the  end 
of  that  time,  and  was  employed  in  the  Elgin 
Watch  Factory  for  about  twelve  years. 
Since  the  spring  of  1893  he  has  successfully 
engaged  in  the  insurance  business  in  Elgin, 
representing  the  Mutual  Benefit,  of  Newark, 
New  Jersey,  and  the  Atlas  Accident  Com- 
pany, of  Boston. 

While  in  Iowa  Mr.  Beebe  was  married, 
October  7,  1874,  to  Miss  Angelina  C.  Por- 
ter, who  successfully  engaged  in  teaching  in 
that  state  for  four  years,  conducting  one 
village  school  and  the  others  in  the  country. 
Her  parents,  James  and  Lucy  (Carpenter) 
Porter,  were  natives  of  Ohio,  born  near 
Zanesville.  Her  father,  who  served  as 
county  superintendent  of  schools  in  Jasper 
county,  Iowa,  for  six  years,  always  took  an 
active  and  prominent  part  in  educational 
affairs.  He«lso  filled  the  office  of  justice 
of  the  peace.  His  death  occurred  in  1876, 
when  he  was  fifty-eight  years  of  age,  but  his 
widow  is  still  living  and  now  makes  her 
home  in  Nebraska.  Of  their  six  children, 
five  are  also  living.  They  are  as  follows: 
Lyman,  an  attorney  of  Loveland,  Colorado; 
Angeline  C.,  wife  of  our  subject;  Horace, 
a  farmer  of  Cozad,  Nebraska;  Frank,  a 
farmer  of  Casey,  Iowa;  George,  also  a  farmer 
of  Cozad,  Nebraska;  and  Docia,  who  was 
the  second  in  order  of  birth  and  died  at  the 
age  of  thirteen  months.  Mr.  Porter's  ma- 
ternal grandfather  served  for  seven  long  years 


inthe Colonial  army  duringthe  Revolutionary 
war,  and  in  the  possession  of  the  family  is 
an  old  brass  kettle  which  he  captured  full 
of  butter  from  the  Tories  at  the  battle  of 
Monmouth. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beebe  were  born  four 
children,  namely:  Edgar  D.,  who  is  now 
working  in  a  shoe  factory  in  Elgin;  Edith, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  one  year;  Ethel  May 
and  Ruth,  both  at  home.  Mrs.  Beebe  holds 
membership  in  the  Eastern  Star  and  the 
Woman's  Relief  Corps,  having  served  as 
president  of  the  latter  for  three  terms.  Mr. 
Beebe  is  the  present  recording  secretary  of 
the  Court  Bluff  City,  -No.  74,  Independent 
Order  of  Foresters  of  Illinois,  and  for  three 
years  he  has  also  served  as  commander  of 
Veteran  post,  No.  49,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Elgin. 
He  is  very  progressive  in  his  views,  believ- 
ing in  keeping  abreast  with  the  latter  day 
nineteenth-century  progress.  In  1892  he 
was  elected  alderman  of  Elgin,  and  accepta- 
bly filled  that  position  for  two  terms. 


WILLIS  LYMAN  BLACK.— One  of 
the  prominent  representatives  of  the 
journalist  profession  is  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  brief  notice,  junior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Lowrie  &  Black,  proprie- 
tors of  the  "Daily  News"  and  "Weekly  Ad- 
vocate," of  Elgin,  Illinois.  He  is  one  of  the 
leading  and  prominent  business  men  of  the 
city,  being  especially  interested  in  its  bank- 
ing institutions. 

Mr.  Black  was  born  in  Elgin,  where  the 
Baptist  church  is  now  located,  April  18, 
1855,  and  is  a  son  of  Lyman  and  Harriet 
(Weston)  Black.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
James  Black,  spent  his  entire  life  in  Massa- 
chusetts. The  father,  Lyman  Black,  was 
born  in  Granville,  that  state,  October  26, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


197 


1815,  and  was  the  youngest  in  a  family  of 
eight  children.  In  the  spring  of  1836  he 
came  to  Elgin,  passing  through  Chicago, 
where  he  was  offered  the  block  on  which  the 
Palmer  House  now  stands  for  a  pair  of  boots 
he  was  carrying  over  his  shoulder,  but  he 
declined  the  offer.  On  the  present  site  of 
Elgin  he  engaged  in  farming  for  some  time, 
but  later  in  life  devoted  his  time  and  atten- 
tion to  the  banking  business,  being  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  First  National  Bank, 
and  also  the  Elgin  City  Banking  Company, 
more  familiarly  known  as  the  Savings  Bank, 
and  in  both  of  these  institutions  he  was  a 
director  and  vice-president.  He  continued 
his  connection  with  them  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  May  15,  1889.  He  was  a 
man  of  medium  size,  was  quite  domestic  in 
his  tastes,  was  pleasant  and  genial  in  his 
disposition,  and  was  gifted  with  a  fine  mem- 
ory, which  was  of  great  benefit  not  only  to 
himself  but  to  others  who  desired  informa- 
tion concerning  current  matters.  His  wife 
was  born  in  Utica,  New  York,  December 
1 6,  1823,  and  was  the  daughter  of  James 
and  Margaret  Weston,  who,  in  1846,  came 
to  Elgin,  where  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Black  were 
married  June  27,  1847.  She  was  a  devot- 
ed member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  died 
in  that  faith  November  26,  1891.  Of  their 
five  children  three  died  in  infancy,  and 
Weston  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years 
from  the  effects  of  a  kick  from  a  horse. 

Our  subject,  the  only  one  of  the  family 
now  living,  acquired  his  primary  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  Kane  county,  later 
graduated  at  the  Elgin  Academy,  and  in 
1874  entered  the  Chicago  University,  where 
he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1878. 
For  a  year  after  leaving  college  he  was  em- 
ployed in  Chamberlain's  clothing  house,  and 
then  entered  the  office  of  the  "Advocate" 


to  learn  the  business.  In  1 886  he  purchased 
a  half  interest  in  that  journal  and  the 
"Daily  News,"  the  former  of  which  was 
founded  in  1848,  the  latter  in  1873.  The 
"Advocate,"  now  the  oldest  paper  in  the 
county,  is  a  seven-column  quarto,  and  en- 
joys the  largest  circulation  of  any  paper  in 
the  district.  It  is  published  on  Saturdays. 
The  "News"  is  the  same  size,  and  is  also 
the  oldest  daily  in  the  county.  The  office 
of  these  journals  is  equipped  with  modern 
machinery,  including  type-setting  machines 
and  Webb  press,  and  in  connection  with  the 
printing  department  there  is  also  a  bindery. 
Both  papers  are  unwavering  in  their  sup- 
port of  the  Republican  party  and  its  prin- 
ciples, and  are  devoted  to  the  interests  of 
Elgin  and  Kane  county.  Mr.  Black  is  a 
heavy  stockholder  in  both  the  First  National 
Bank  and  the  City  Savings  Bank,  in  which 
he  is  a  director  and  vice-president. 

On  the  4th  of  September,  1884,  Mr. 
Black  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Etta  D.  Roe,  who  was  born  in  Rolling 
Prairie,  Indiana,  May  4,  1864,  a  daughter 
of  George  W.  and  Marietta  (Drummond) 
Roe,  of  Chicago.  She  is  the  second  in  or- 
der of  birth  in  their  family  of  four  children, 
the  others  being  Alta  May;  James,  who  was 
drowned  at  Rolling  Prairie,  Indiana,  in 
1883;  and  Clifford  G.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Black 
have  two  children:  Lyman  Foster,  born 
March  16,  1887;  and  Mareta  Vergine,  born 
August  31,  1892.  The  family  have  a  beau- 
tiful home  at  No.  237  Villa  street,  Elgin, 
which  was  erected  by  Mr.  Black,  and  also 
have  a  cottage  at  Lake  Geneva,  Wisconsin, 
where  they  spend  the  summer  months. 

Politically,  Mr.  Black  is  a  Republican, 
and  socially  is  an  honored  member  of  the 
Century  Club,  while  his  wife  is  an  active 
and  prominent  member  of  the  Coffee  Club 


198 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  the  Every  Wednesday  Literary  Club. 
Of  high  social  qualities,  they  are  very  pop- 
ular, having  a  most  extensive  circle  of 
friends  and  acquaintances,  and  their  home 
is  the  abode  of  hospitality  and  good  cheer. 


/CHARLES  P.  DEANE,  a  well-known 
v_>  retired  business  man  living  in  Elgin, 
was  born  in  Worcester  county,  Massachu- 
setts, April  4,  1813,  a  son  of  Cyrus  and 
Nancy  (Howe)  Dean,  also  natives  of  that 
state,  where  they  spent  their  entire  lives, 
the  father  dying  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven 
in  the  house  where  he  learned  his  trade, 
and  the  mother  at  the  age  of  eighty-five. 
Throughout  life  he  worked  on  watches  and 
clocks  at  the  goldsmith's  trade,  and  gave 
his  entire  time  to  his  business  affairs,  taking 
no  active  part  in  public  life.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  were  faithful  members  of  the  Con- 
gregational church,  and  were  held  in  high 
esteem  by  all  who  knew  them.  Of  their 
seven  children  only  two  are  now  living: 
Charles  P. ;  and  Nancy,  wife  of  Charles 
Lyon,  of  Oak  Park,  Chicago. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  of  Massachusetts, 
and  when  his  school  days  were  over  he 
went  to  New  York,  where  he  was  employed 
at  various  occupations  for  a  few  years.  For 
four  years  he  engaged  in  the  planing-mill 
business  in  Lewiston,  Maine,  and  then  re- 
turned to  Massachusetts,  assisting  his  brother 
George  in  the  manufacturing  business  at 
Maiden  for  two  years.  Coming  west  in 
1857,  Mr.  Deane  located  in  Elgin  and 
opened  up  and  developed  a  good  farm  two 
miles  northwest  of  the  city,  but  now  within 
the  corporate  limits.  To  agricultural  pur- 
suits he  devoted  his  energies  for  six  years, 
and  then  erected  a  store  on  Grove  avenue, 


Elgin,  purchased  a  stock  of  goods,  and 
began  business  as  a  merchant,  being  thus 
engaged  until  1880,  when  he  sold  out,  and 
has  since  lived  retired. 

On  the  3d  of  July,  1841,  Mr.  Deane  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  P.  Bald- 
ridge,  who  died  April  21,  1851,  aged  twenty- 
seven  years.  To  them  were  born  three 
children,  namely:  Cyrus  F.,  born  Novem- 
ber 13,  1842,  was  a  member  of  the  Army  of 
the  Southwest  during  the  Civil  war,  and 
was  mortally  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Stone 
River  in  1862,  dying  at  Nashville,  January 
15,  1863;  Maria  N.  married  Daniel  W. 
Brown,  also  a  Union  soldier,  who  died  in 
Elgin,  and  to  them  were  born  three  chil- 
dren— Edna,  Charles  and  Cyrus;  she  resides 
in  Elgin.  Charles  H.,  the  youngest  of  the 
family,  died  February  25,  1850,  at  the  age 
of  six  years. 

Mr.  Deane  was  again  married,  March  24, 
18^3,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss 
Abbie  M.  Haskell,  by  whom  he  had  four 
children:  Mary  A.  is  now  a  successful  kin- 
dergarten teacher  in  Elgin;  Ella  J.  is  the 
wife  of  Joseph  Mitchell,  of  Elgin,  and  has 
three  children,  Howard,  Deane  and  Ethelyn; 
Lizzie  A.  died  March  7,  1859,  when  only 
six  months  old;  and  Julia  F.  is  a  stenog- 
rapher and  type  writer  employed  in  an 
office  in  Chicago. 

Politically  Mr.  Deane  was  originally  a 
Whig,  but  since  the  dissolution  of  that 
party  he  has  been  a  stanch  Republican. 
For  many  years  he  was  one  of  the  active 
and  progressive  business  men  of  the  county, 
as  well  as  one  of  its  most  reliable  and  hon- 
ored citizens,  and  now  in  his  declining  years 
he  is  enjoying  a  well-earned  rest,  free  from 
the  cares  and  responsibilities  of  business 
life.  Throughout  Kane  county  he  is  widely 
and  favorably  known. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


199 


DAVID  HILL,  proprietor  of  the  nursery 
near  Dundee,  has  been  a  resident  of 
Kane  county  since  1872.  He  was  born  in 
Hartfordshire,  about  thirty  miles  from  Lon- 
don, England,  January  17,  1849,  and  is  the 
son  of  Henry  and  Martha  (Grayes)  Hill, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  same  shire. 
In  his  native  land  he  grew  to  manhood,  and 
had  fair  educational  advantages.  He  com- 
menced nursery  work  in  Bedford,  England, 
in  early  life,  and  worked  there  for  some 
years.  In  1871  he  came  to  the  United 
States,  forming  one  of  a  party  of  three 
young  men.  Going  to  Boston  he  made 
application  for  work  at  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  rooms,  and  on  the 
advice  of  the  secretary  went  to  Wood- 
stock, Windham  county,  Connecticut,  where 
he  secured  work  in  the  Spaulding's  nursery 
and  fruit  farm,  where  he  remained  about  one 
year.  In  1872  he  came  west  to  Dundee, 
and  went  to  work  on  a  farm  near  that  place 
for  one  winter.  The  next  season  he  com- 
menced work  in  the  nursery  then  owned  by 
William  Hill,  and  continued  with  him  until 
his  death.  He  then  succeeded  to  the  busi- 
ness through  his  wife,  who  was  a  niece  of 
William  Hill,  and  came  with  him  from  Scot- 
land when  a  child.  At  that  time  the  place 
consisted  of  six  acres,  with  but  two  in  nurs- 
ery stock.  An  incumbrance  was  on  the 
place  of  two  thousand  dollars.  Our  subject 
went  to  work  and  put  out  more  stock,  and 
buying  land  from  time  to  time  is  now  the 
owner  of  one  hundred  and  six  acres,  all  of 
which  is  near,  but  not  contiguous,  to  the  old 
place.  He  has  put  out  nursery  stock  until 
he  has  in  all  some  eighty-five  acres.  He 
grows  for  the  wholesale  trade  as  well  as  re- 
tail. His  specialties  are  hardy  evergreens, 
shade,  ornamental  and  forest  trees,  although 
he  grows  and  deals  in  fruit  trees  and  small 


fruit.  His  trade  is  mostly  in  the  western 
states,  and  he  has  built  up  an  extensive 
business,  employing  from  seventy-five  to  one 
hundred  men  in  packing  and  shipping  in  the 
busy  season. 

In  June,  1878,  Mr.  Hill  was  united  in 
marriage  at  Dundee,  Illinois,  with  Miss 
Maggie  Grant,  a  native  of  Aberdeen,  Scot- 
land, and  a  niece  of  William  Hill,  who  came 
with  him  to  the  United  States  when  a  miss 
of  twelve  years.  Her  education,  began  in 
her  native  country,  was  completed  in  the 
schools  of  Kane  county.  By  this  union  there 
are  six  living  children — George  W.,  Arthur 
H.,  Waudie,  Mabel,  Vernon  and  Florence. 
They  lost  one  daughter,  Marguerite,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  six  months. 

Politically  Mr.  Hill  is  a  stanch  Republic- 
an, his  first  Presidential  vote  being  cast  for 
James  A.  Garfield.  Since  becoming  a  resi- 
dent of  this  country  he  has  always  mani- 
fested a  commendable  interest  in  its  political 
affairs,  though  not  in  a  strictly  partisan 
sense.  A  friend  of  education  and  the  public 
schools,  he  has  given^of  his  time  to  advance 
their  interests  as  a  member  of  the  school 
board.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  the  blue  lodge  at  Dun- 
dee, and  the  chapter  at  Elgin.  With  his 
estimable  wife  he  holds  membership  in  the 
Baptist  church. 

Mr.  Hill  has  now  been  a  resident  of  Illi- 
nois for  twenty-nine  years.  His  life  affords 
an  example  to  the  young  in  that  he  com- 
menced his  life  here  without  money  or 
friends,  but  having  a  determination  to  suc- 
ceed he  industriously  applied  himself  until 
he  has  acquired  a  good  property  and  a  large 
and  fairly  prosperous  business.  He  is  well 
known  throughout  Illinois  and  other  west- 
ern states  for  his  sterling  character  and 
worth. 


200 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


M 


ERRITT  HARGER,  an  honored  and 
highly  respected  citizen  of  Elgin,  is 
now  retired  from  the  active  labors  of  life 
and  occupies  a  comfortable  home  on  Hen- 
dee  avenue,  overlooking  the  Fox  river.  He 
was  born  July  31,  1819,  in  Lewis  county, 
New  York,  a  son  of  Noah  N.  and  Lucy 
(Gillette)  Harger,  who  were  both  born  and 
reared  in  Connecticut.  The  father  was  a 
carpenter  and  joiner,  and  also  followed  the 
occupation  of  farming.  In  1855  he  came 
with  our  subject  to  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  died  April  n,  1863,  his  wife  hav- 
ing previously  passed  away  at  their  old 
home  in  New  York,  on  the  2Oth  of  May, 
1850.  Both  were  consistent  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  and  in  politics  he 
was  first  a  Whig  and  later  a  Republican. 
Their  children  were  Morgan  and  Mrs.  Maria 
Arthur,  both  deceased;  Madison,  who  died 
in  Ohio;  Mary,  now  the  widow  of  Henry 
Ragan,  and  a  resident  of  Syracuse,  New 
York;  Milton,  deceased;  Merritt,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch;  and  Lydia  and  Mar- 
tha, both  deceased. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity,  Merritt 
Harger  grew  to  manhood,  obtaining  his  edu- 
cation in  the  district  schools,  and  early  be- 
coming familiar  with  the  duties  which  fall 
to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  There  he 
continued  to  follow  farming  until  1855 
when  he  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  and 
bought  a  small  farm  in  Plato  township,  to 
the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  which 
he  devoted  his  energies  for  ten  years.  Sell- 
ing that  place,  he  purchased  four  hundred 
and  ten  acres  of  slightly  improved  land  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  same  township, 
which  he  placed  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation. He  erected  thereon  good  and  sub- 
stantial buildings  and  made  many  other  use- 
ful improvements,  which  added  to  its  value 


and  attractive  appearance,  making  it  one  of 
the  best  farms  in  the  county.  He  was  one 
of  the  first  men  in  the  community  to  engage 
in  sheep  raising  to  any  great  extent,  but 
when  wool  became  so  cheap  that  it  proved 
unprofitable  he  discontinued  the  business. 
He  then  directed  his  attention  to  dairying, 
and  was  one  of  the  first  to  engage  in  the 
manufacture  of  cheese,  which  was  then  in 
demand.  At  one  time  he  sold  his  cheese 
by  the  ton  at  twenty  cents  per  pound. 
After  residing  upon  his  second  farm  for 
twenty-nine  years,  he  decided  to  retire  from 
active  work,  and  removed  to  Elgin,  where 
he  has  since  made  his  home,  enjoying  the 
fruits  of  former  toil. 

In  Lewis  county,  New  York,  Mr.  Harger 
was  married  October  17,  1843,  to  Miss 
Mary  E.,  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Eliza- 
beth (Herin)  Rogers,  natives  of  the  Empire 
state.  Her  paternal  grandfather  was  born 
in  Connecticut,  and  was  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers of  Lewis  county,  New  York.  Soon 
after  our  subject  came  west,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Rogers  also  came  to  Kane  county  and 
located  in  Elgin  township,  where  he  pur- 
chased and  operated  a  large  tract  of  land. 
Besides  Mrs.  Harger,  their  other  children 
were  Betsy  Ann,  Grange  L.  and  Henry  C. , 
all  deceased;  and  Nelson,  John  H.  and  Jane, 
still  residents  of  Illinois.  Mrs.  Harger  de- 
parted this  life  September  2,  1895.  By  her 
marriage  to  our  subject  she  became  the 
mother  of  one  child,  Lucy  Maria,  who  was 
born  December  21,  1864,  and  married 
James  M.  Buzzell,  now  deceased.  She  died 
September -22.  1884,  leaving  no  children. 
Mr.  Harger  was  again  married,  November 
26,  1896,  his  second  union  being  with 
Adella  Kenyon,  a  daughter  of  Lafayette  and 
and  Mary  (Winsor)  Kenyon. 

Mr.    Harger    cast    his   first   presidential 


MERRITT  HARGER. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


203 


vote  for  William  Henry  Harrison  in  1840, 
during  one  of  the  most  exciting  campaigns 
ever  held  in  this  country.  His  support  is 
now  given  to  the  men  and  measures  of  the 
Republican  party.  He  has  sold  his  farm 
and  has  invested  in  real  estate  in  Elgin, 
which  is  proving  quite  profitable.  Mr.  Har- 
ger  is  widely  and  favorably  known  through- 
out Kane  county,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that 
no  man  in  Elgin  county  has  more  or  warmer 
friends. 

HOWARD  L.  PRATT,  M.  D.—  Among 
the  well-known  representatives  of  the 
medical  profession  in  Elgin,  whose  reputa- 
tion is  not  confined  alone  to  the  city  in  which 
he  makes  his  home,  but  who  is  favorably 
known  in  several  counties  and  in  at  least 
two  states  of  the  union,  is  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  Born  at  Unionville,  Lake  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  February  27,  1850,  he  is  the  son 
of  George  and  Adaline  S.  (Torrey)  Pratt, 
the  former  a  native  of  Ohio,  the  latter  of 
New  York.  They  were  the  parents  of  five 
children,  of  whom  three  are  now  living: 
Howard  Lewis,  our  subject;  Mary  E. ,  wife 
of  F.  E.  Miller,  of  Chicago;  and  Edith,  wife 
of  Frank  McAllister,  of  Chicago. 

George  Pratt,  the  father,  grew  to  man- 
hood in  his  native  state,  and  in  youth  learned 
the  trade  of  a  blacksmith,  which  trade  he 
followed  until  his  removal  to  Illinois  in 
1855.  While  yet  residing  in  Ohio  he  mar- 
ried Adaline  S.  Torrey,  a  daughter  of  Ira 
Allen  Torrey,  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  a 
hotel  keeper  for  many  years,  who  later  emi- 
grated to  Neenah,  Wisconsin,  where  his 
death  occurred  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years. 
His  wife  traced  her  ancestry  back  to  Tabitha 
Goodenough,  her  great-grandmother.  Mrs. 
Torrey's  father,  who  bore  the  name  of 
Wallis,  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812, 


and  died  while  held  a  prisoner  by  the  British 
in  Canada. 

On  coming  to  Illinois  with  his  family,  in 
1855,  George  Pratt  located  at  Woodstock, 
McHenry  county,  where  he  followed  his 
trade  and  engaged  in  farming  for  some  years, 
besides  being  interested  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness. He  later  removed  to  Chicago,  where 
his  wife  died  in  January,  1895.  She  was  a 
conscientious  Christian  woman,  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  church  for  many  years,  and 
died  in  the  faith  of  a  resurrection  beyond 
the  grave  and  a  re-union  of  loved  ones. 
After  her  death  her  husband  returned  to 
Woodstock,  where  he  is  now  working  at  his 
trade,  although  seventy-five  years  of  age. 
He  is  yet  hale  and  hearty. 

Lewis  Pratt,  the  paternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Vermont, 
and  was  numbered  among  the  pioneers  of 
the  "Western  Reserve,"  settling  in  Ash- 
tabula  county,  Ohio.  His  death  occurred 
after  a  short  illness  while  he  was  on  a  busi- 
ness trip  to  western  Ohio,  before  he  was 
forty  years  of  age.  His  brother,  Charles, 
built  by  contract  the  first  government  har- 
bor at  Ashtabula.  His  family  consisted  of 
three  sons  and  four  daughters  who  grew  to 
mature  years.  By  occupation  he  was  a 
farmer,  following  that  vocation  during  his 
entire  life.  His  father,  the  great-grandfa- 
ther of  Dr.  Pratt,  was  a  Baptist  minister  in 
Vermont,  and  lived  to  the  age  of  ninety- 
nine  years  and  six  months.  He  was  a  man 
of  remarkable  mental  and  physical  activity. 
At  the  age  of  ninety  he  invited  his  grand- 
son, Charles,  Jr.,  who  was  visiting  him,  to 
go  with  him  to  the  barn  to  see  a  favorite 
colt.  On  reaching  the  farmyard  gate  he 
placed  his  hands  on  the  top  bar  and  cleared 
it  with  a  leap,  saying,  "Charles,  you  can't 
do  that." 


2O4 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Howard  Lewis  Pratt  was  but  five  years 
old  when  he  was  brought  by  his  parents  to 
Illinois.  His  literary  education  was  obtained 
in  the  public  schools  of  Woodstock,  Mc- 
Henry  county,  and  in  Todd's  Academy,  now 
conducted  as  a  seminary  at  that  place.  In 
1874  he  commenced  reading  medicine  and 
the  following  year  entered  Rush  Medical 
College,  Chicago,  an  institution  noted  for 
the  better  class  of  its  graduates,  from  which 
he  received  a  diploma  in  1878.  Returning 
to  Woodstock,  he  at  once  commenced  prac- 
tice with  his  preceptor  in  the  city  in  which 
he  was  reared  and  where  his  manner  of  life 
was  well  known.  Kansas,  the  great  Sun- 
flower state,  was  now  having  a  boom  and  a 
large  nnmber  of  people  were  attracted  there. 
Dr.  Pratt  was  among  the  number,  and  in 
April,  1879,  he  took  up  his  residence  in 
Wellington,  that  state,  where  he  resumed 
practice. 

While  in  Wellington,  on  the  2ist  of  Oc- 
tober, 1880,  Dr.  Pratt  married  Miss  Edith 
A.  Smith,  a  daughter  of  Joel  and  Emaline 
L.  (Brown)  Smith,  of  Marengo,  Illinois,  the 
latter  a  native  of  Cortland,  New  York,  and 
one  of  the  early  teachers  in  the  public  schools 
of  Dundee,  Illinois,  and  the  former  of  Rut- 
land, Vermont.  Her  father  was  a  pioneer 
of  DuPage  county,  Illinois,  where  he  located 
in  1857.  To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Pratt  two  chil- 
dren were  born — Ada  A.  and  Alice  M.,  who 
yet  remain  at  home. 

In  October,  1883,  Dr.  Pratt  removed 
with  his  family  to  Elgin  and  in  the  fifteen 
years  that  have  since  passed  he  has  built  up 
an  extensive  practice.  His  office  is  in  his  own 
home  at  No.  266  Chicago  street.  He  is 
engaged  in  general  practice.  He  was  elected 
in  1897  president  of  the  Fox  River  Valley 
Medical  Association. 

Dr.   and  Mrs.  Pratt  are  members  of  the 


First  Baptist  church  of  Elgin.  In  the  work 
of  the  church  they  both  take  a  lively  inter- 
est. Politically  he  is  a  Republican.  So- 
cially the  family  move  in  the  best  circles 
and  are  universally  esteemed  for  their  many 
excellent  qualities  of  head  and  heart. 


JOHN  A.  RUSSELL,  a  representative 
of  the  legal  fraternity,  with  office  in 
Cook  block,  Elgin,  is  a  native  of  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  born  in  St.  Charles,  Oc- 
tober 4,  1854.  He  is  the  son  of  John 
and  Jeanette  (Beith)  Russell,  natives  of 
Scotland,  and  the  parents  of  three  children, 
the  others  being  Wm.  B.,  of  Newhall,  Iowa, 
and  Hannah  M.,  of  Elgin.  John  Russell, 
the  father,  was  a  stone  mason  by  trade,  and 
on  coming  to  America  located  at  St.  Charles, 
where  he  died  in  1857,  while  still  a  young 
man.  His  wife  died  the  previous  year. 
Both  were  members  of  the  Congregational 
church. 

Both  the  paternal  and  maternal  grand- 
fathers of  our  subject  were  of  Scotch  birth. 
The  former,  the  father  of  four  sons,  died  in 
his  native  land  at  an  advanced  age.  The 
latter,  Robert  Beith,  came  to  America  with 
his  wife,  Barbara,  in  company  with  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Russell,  and  also  located  at  St. 
Charles,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of 
about  seventy  years.  His  wife  lived  to  be 
ninety.  Robert  Beith  was  in  comfortable 
circumstances  financially  and  lived  a  retired 
life  in  St.  Charles. 

John  A.  Russell  was  but  two  years  of  age 
when  his  mother  died,  and  only  three  years 
old  when  his  father  passed  away,  so  that  he 
never  knew  the  great  love  of  father  or 
mother.  When  five  years  old  he  was  taken 
from  his  native  town  and  for  five  or  six 
years  was  in  Minnesota  and  Iowa.  Return- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


205 


ing  to  Kane  county,  be  attended  Elgin 
Academy  for  a  time,  and  then  read  law  in 
the  office  of  Botsford  &  Barry.  After  com- 
pleting his  studies  he  passed  a  successful  ex- 
amination at  Springfield  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  January  3,  1879.  Opening  an 
office  in  Elgin  he  has  since  continued  to 
practice  there  with  good  success. 

Mr.  Russell  was  married  December  24, 
1888,  to  Miss  Clara  Mair,  of  Batavia,  Illi- 
nois, daughter  of  James  Mair,  a  well-known 
resident  of  that  place.  Two  children  have 
come  to  bless  this  union:  Marion  and  Mar- 
jorie.  In  her  religious  views  Mrs.  Russell 
is  a  Methodist,  holding  membership  in  the 
church  of  that  denomination  in  Elgin. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Russell  is  a  member  of 
Monitor  lodge,  No.  522  A.  F.  &  A.  M.; 
Loyal  L.  Munn  chapter,  No.  96,  R.  A.  M. ; 
Bethel  cornmandery,  No.  36,  K.  T. ,  all  of 
Elgin,  and  Medina  Temple  of  the  Scottish 
Rite,  Chicago.  Politically  he  is  an  enthu- 
siastic Republican,  and  in  the  welfare  of 
his  party  takes  great  interest.  He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  county  central  committee 
four  years;  chairman  of  the  senatorial  com- 
mittee of  the  fourteenth  senatorial  district 
two  years;  and  was  also  secretary  of  the 
State  League  of  Republican  clubs  two  years, 
preceding  the  campaign  of  1 896.  For  some 
years  be  has  done  more  or  less  campaign 
work,  taking  the  stump  in  Kane  and  adjoin- 
ing counties.  A  fluent  speaker,  he  has  done 
much  to  keep  his  native  county  in  line  with 
the  Republican  party. 

It  is  as  an  attorney,  however,  that  Mr. 
Russell  is  best  known,  the  one  profession  in 
which  he  takes  great  delight.  His  ability 
in  this  calling  is  unquestioned  and  success 
has  crowned  his  efforts.  In  addition  to  his 
private  practice  he  served  three  years  as 
city  attorney  of  Elgin,  and  four  years  as 


state's  attorney  of  Kane  county.  Law 
breakers  had  reason  to  fear  him  as  a  prose- 
cutor. 

While  confining  himself  principally  to 
his  legal  business  Mr.  Russell  has  always  felt 
an  interest  in  the  manufacturing  institutions 
and  other  industries  of  the  county.  He  is 
now  serving  as  secretary  of  the  W.  H.  How- 
ell  Company,  of  Geneva,  that  manufactures 
six  tons  of  sad  irons  per  day  in  connection 
with  a  machine  shop  where  many  other  ar- 
ticles of  usefulness  are  manufactured. 

An  almost  life-long  resident  of  the  coun- 
ty, Mr.  Russell  has  an  extended  acquaint- 
ance in  all  parts,  and  this  acquaintance  is 
not  confined  to  Kane  county,  but  extends 
throughout  the  state,  his  position  as  secre- 
tary of  the  Republican  League  bringing  him 
in  contact  with  many  of  the  oldest  and  best 
men  in  the  state.  His  pleasant  manners 
and  good  conversational  powers  make  him 
friends  wherever  he  goes. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  GOETTING,  pro- 
prietor of  the  Elgin  Steam  Laundry 
at  115-117  Division  street,  has  for  fifteen 
years  been  a  resident  of  Elgin.  Through- 
out his  career  of  continued  and  far-reaching 
usefulness  his  duties  have  been  performed 
with  the  greatest  care,  and  his  business  in- 
terests have  been  so  managed  as  to  win  him 
the  confidence  of  the  public  and  the  pros- 
perity which  should  always  attend  honorable 
effort. 

Mr.  Goetting  was  born  in  Schaumberg, 
Cook  county,  Illinois,  October  9,  1859,  and 
is  a  son  of  Charles  and  Dorothea  (Kraegel) 
Goetting,  in  whose  family  were  five  chil- 
dren, but  only  two  are  now  living,  the  other 
being  Matilda,  widow  of  Jacob  Theobold. 
The  father,  who  was  a  brick  and  stone 


2O6 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


mason  and  a  plasterer  by  trade,  came  to 
Americ?.  from  Germany  in  1863  and  first 
located  in  Addison  township,  Du  Page  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  but  later  took  up  his  residence 
in  Cook  county,  where  he  died  in  1888,  at 
the  age.  of  eighty-two  years.  His  wife  had 
passed  away  some  years  previous,  dying  in 
1873,  at  the  age  of  fifty.  Both  held  mem- 
bership in  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  were 
widely  and  favorably  known.  The  paternal 
grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  laboring 
man  and  while  serving  in  the  German  army 
was  killed  by  a  French  soldier.  He  had 
only  one  son.  Dietrich  Kraegel,  the  ma- 
ternal grandfather,  also  served  for  some 
time  in  the  German  army,  but  later  came 
to  America,  and  his  death  occurred  in 
Du  Page  county,  Illinois,  when  in  his  eight- 
ieth year.  By  trade  he  was  a  tailor.  In 
his  family  were  six  children. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in 
much  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  boys  and 
in  the  public  schools  of  Cook  county  ob- 
tained his  education.  During  his  youth  he 
first  worked  on  a  farm,  then  he  learned  the 
carpenter's  trade  and  also  learned  to  operate 
a  stationary  engine.  On  coming  to  Elgin 
in  1882  he  worked  at  his  trade  of  carpenter 
for  three  years,  and  for  the  same  length  of 
time  was  employed  in  the  Elgin  Steam 
Laundry.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  pur- 
chased the  plant  and  business,  which  he  has 
since  successfully  conducted.  He  gives  em- 
ployment to  from  twenty  to  twenty-five 
persons,  and  the  work  turned  out  is  excep- 
tionally fine. 

On  the  26th  of  June,  1886,  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  Mr.  Goetting  and 
Miss  Mary  Borchert,  a  daughter  of  Gottlieb 
and  Elizabeth  (Springer)  Borchert.  Three 
children  were  born  to  them — Charles  G., 
Bertha  A.,  and  Ida  E. ,  but  the  first  two 


named  are  now  deceased.  The  parents  are 
prominent  members  of  the  St.  Paul's  Evan- 
gelical Church,  and  Mr.  Goetting  is  now 
serving  as  church  treasurer.  He  belongs  to 
St.  Paul's  Benefit  Society,  and  the  Colum- 
bian Knights,  and  politically  is  identified 
with  the  Republican  party.  He  resides  at 
216  Dexter  avenue,  where  he  has  a  pleasant 
home,  and  there  the  many  friends  of  the 
family  are  always  sure  of  a  hearty  welcome. 
As  a  business  man  he  is  enterprising  and 
progressive,  and  as  a  citizen  he  meets  every 
requirement. 


JACOB  PHILIP  LONG,  deceased,  was 
born  in  Hamburg,  Germany,  in' the  val- 
ley of  the  Rhine,  March  6,  1825,  and  died 
at  his  home  in  Elgin,  on  the  2Oth  of  Sep- 
tember, 1896.  His  life  span  therefore 
covered  the  Psalmist's  span  of  three  score 
years  and  ten,  and  the  record  which  he 
made  during  that  period  was  one  character- 
ized by  business  ability  and  well-merited 
successes,  by  honorable  dealing  and  by  the 
regard  which  is  ever  accorded  genuine 
worth. 

Mr.  Long  was  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Kath- 
arine (Younge)  Lange,  also  natives  of  Ger- 
many, and  it  is  only  by  the  American  repre- 
sentatives of  the  family  that  the  name  is 
spelled  "  Long."  The  father  of  our  subject 
was  a  wagon-maker  and  spent  his  entire  life 
in  the  country  of  his  nativity.  His  wife  was 
a  daughter  of  a  wealthy  distiller  of  the  pro- 
vince of  Hessen,  who  was  the  owner  of  a 
large  farm  and  much  real  estate,  and  who 
was  also  a  soldier  under  Napoleon. 

Mr.  Long,  of  this  review,  learned  the 
trade  of  wagon  making  under  the  direction 
of  his  father,  and  that  of  distilling  with  his 
maternal  grandfather.  After  his  mother's 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


207 


death  he  entered  the  German  army  in  which 
he  served  for  four  years.  Upon  his  return 
home  he  found  that  his  father  had  married 
again  and  being  much  displeased  with  this 
state  of  affairs  he  resolved  to  come  to  Amer- 
ica. Accordingly  he  made  all  preparations 
to  leave  his  native  land  and  sailed  from 
Havre  to  New  York,  whence  he  made  his 
way  to  Chicago  and  then  to  Elgin.  Here 
he  worked  at  the  wagonmaker's  trade  as  a 
journeyman  for  a  time,  and  then  embarked 
in  business  on  his  own  account.  His  first 
factory,  established  on  Milwaukee  and  River 
streets,  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  he  then 
removed  to  a  temporary  shop  on  River 
street,  in  which  he  carried  on  business  until 
the  completion  of  a  fine  two-story  brick 
shop  and  factory,  which  was  erected  at  No. 
112  Division  street,  in  1879.  There  he 
carried  on  business  until  his  death.  He  did 
a  large  repairing  trade  and  built  up  an  ex- 
tensive business  in  the  manufacture  of  all 
kinds  of  vehicles,  which  on  account  of  the 
excellence  of  the  workmanship  found  a 
ready  sale  on  the  market.  The  enterprise 
which  he  conducted  therefore  proved  a  prof- 
itable one  and  enabled  him  to  surround  his 
family  not  only  with  the  necessities,  but  also 
many  of  the  luxuries,  of  life. 

Mr.  Long  was  married  in  Cook  county, 
Illinois,  about  ten  miles  east  of  Elgin,  to 
Miss  Caroline  Wilhausen,  who  was  born  in 
Kur  Hessen,  Germany,  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica when  fourteen  years  of  age  with  her  par- 
ents, Frederick  and  Caroline  Wilhausen. 
Her  father  owned  a  small  farm  in  Kur  Hes- 
sen, but  disposed  of  that  property  in  1847, 
and  with  his  family  sailed  from  Bremen  to 
New  York.  He  then  made  his  way  to  Chi- 
cago, where  he  resided  for  two  months,  while 
seeking  a  desirable  farm.  Finally  he  pur- 
chased land  near  Schaumberg,  Cook  coun- 


ty, where  he  continued  to  make  his  home 
until  his  death,  about  1853.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Long  were  born  six  children,  but  three 
died  in  infancy.  Those  still  living  are  Julia, 
wife  of  August  Schwemm,  a  machinist  of  Chi- 
cago; Anna,  who  is  residing  with  her  mother; 
and  Herman  Frederick,  who  carries  on  the 
business  left  by  his  father.  He  learned  the 
blacksmith's  trade  in  his  father's  shop,  also 
wagon  making  and  carriage  painting,  and 
now  displays  marked  ability  in  his  conduct 
of  the  industry.  He  was  born  in  Elgin, 
May  1 6,  1872,  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  and  Drew's  Business  College,  and 
when  twenty  years  of  age  put  aside  his  text 
books  to  take  up  the  practical  duties  of  busi- 
ness life.  Like  his  father,  he  is  a  Democrat, 
and  is  a  progressive,  wide-awake  young 
business  man,  and  a  popular  citizen. 

Jacob  P.  Long  was  a  valued  member  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and 
a  consistent  member  of  St.  John's  Evangel- 
ical church.  He  found  his  greatest  enjoy- 
ment in  his  home  arnid  his  family,  but  was 
not  without  a  large  circle  of  warm  friends. 
He  was  large-hearted,  generous  and  kindly, 
possessed  a  jovial  disposition,  was  true  to 
every  trust  reposed  in  him,  and  possessed 
such  sterling  characteristics  that  the  highest 
regard  was  ever  his. 


EDGAR  E.  HOXIE,  a  locomotive  engin. 
eer  on  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern 
railroad,  now  residing  at  No.  320  Center 
street,  Elgin,  is  one  of  the  valued  citizens  of 
that  place,  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of 
the  old  and  respected  families  of  Kane  coun- 
ty. He  was  born  in  Dundee,  October  18, 
1845,  a  son  of  George  W.  and  Fidelia  (Aid- 
rich)  Hoxie,  who  were  natives  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  were  married  just  across  the  line 


208 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  Pownall,  Vermont.  The  father,  who 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  1836  and  purchased  land  in  Kane 
county,  after  which  he  returned  to  the  east 
and  was  married  in  that  year  or  the  year 
following.  He  then  brought  his  bride  to 
his  new  home  in  the  wilderness,  erecting  a 
log  house,  in  which  they  began  their  do- 
mestic life.  The  farm,  comprising  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  wild  land,  purchased 
of  Mr.  Dewesse,  was  soon  placed  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation,  but  in  the  mean- 
time the  family  endured  all  the  hardships 
and  privations  incident  to  life  on  the  front- 
ier. At  that  time  Chicago  was  a  mere  ham- 
let, and  the  land  on  which  the  court  house 
is  now  located  could  be  bought  for  ten 
shillings  per  acre.  The  father  took  no  act- 
ive part  in  public  affairs  aside  from  serving 
as  school  director  in  his  district,  which  office 
was  very  important  in  those  pioneer  days. 
He  died  in  1889  at  the  age  of  seventy- six 
years,  his  wife  a  year  later  at  the  age  of 
eighty-one.  Both  were  earnest  members  of 
the  Baptist  church,  with  which  he  was  offi- 
cially connected.  Reared  to  habits  of  in- 
dustry and  economy,  they  were  always  hard 
working  people,  and  were  thus  well  equipped 
for  frontier  life. 

In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple  were 
five  children,  namely:  Emily,  who  died  of 
cerebro-spinal  meningitis  when  past  the 
^age  of  thirty  years;  Homer,  a  resident  of 
Dundee,  and  foreman  of  the  condensing 
factory  in  Carpentersville;  Jane,  wife  of  Je- 
rome Irick,  of  Dundee;  Edgar  E.,  of  this 
sketch;  and  Charles  A.,  station  agent  at 
Dundee  for  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern 
railroad. 

Upon  the  home  farm  at  Dundee  Edward 
E.  Hoxie  was  reared  until  fifteen  years  of 
age,  and  then  learned  the  trade  of  sash  and 


blind  making,  which  he  followed  at  that 
place,  in  Elgin  and  in  Chicago  for  sixteen 
years.  He  then  entered  the  service  of  the 
Chicago  &  Northwestern  railroad  as  fireman, 
and  after  being  thus  employed  for  four  years, 
he  was  promoted  engineer  in  1881,  com- 
pleting his  seventeenth  year  in  that  capac- 
ity in  July,  1898.  During  the  twenty-one 
years  he  has  been  with  the  company,  he 
has  never  been  reprimanded  or  had  any  un- 
pleasant relations  with  them,  which  fact 
speaks  volumes  as  to  the  faithful  manner  in 
which  he  has  labored  for  their  interests. 
He  has  never  met  with  any  serious  accident, 
never  had  but  one  collision,  which  was  not 
his  fault,  but  the  fault  of  the  pay  car,  which 
ran  into  him;  twice  his  engine  has  left  the 
tracks,  but  no  serious  accident  has  hap- 
pened to  himself. 

During  the  early  part  of  the  Civil  war 
Mr.  Hoxie  enlisted  for  three  months,  in  a 
call  to  guard  prisoners  from  Fort  Donelson 
and  Shiloh,  and  after  serving  for  four 
months,  he  returned  home.  In  1863  he 
enlisted  in  Company  B,  Sixty-ninth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  as  corporal,  and  after- 
ward re-enlisted  in  Company  I,  Fifty-second 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  partici- 
pated in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  when  the 
Union  troops  were  almost  constantly  under 
fire  for  ninety  days,  and  he  was  with  Sher- 
man on  his  celebrated  march  to  the  sea, 
walking  the  entire  distance.  He  was  under 
the  command  of  General  Corse,  who,  after 
General  Sherman  signaled  him  to  hold  the 
fort  at  Altoona  Pass,  sent  back  the  reply: 
"  I  am  short  a  cheek  bone  and  an  ear,  but 
able  to  whip  the  Rebs  and  all  hell  yet. "  It 
will  be  remembered  that  Altoona  Pass  is  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  town  of  Altoona,  in 
northwestern  Georgia.  Here,  on  the  5th  of 
October,  1864,  occurred  the  battle  made 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


209 


memorable  by  the  gallant  defense  of  Altoona 
by  General  John  M.  Corse,  of  the  Federal 
army.  General  Sherman  was  occupying  At- 
lanta, having  garrisoned  Altoona  as  his  sec- 
ond base;  this  point  the  Confederates  deter- 
mined to  capture,  and  General  S.  G.  French, 
under  General  Hood,  was  commissioned  to 
accomplish  the  work.  Sherman  being  in- 
formed of  these  designs,  signaled  from  Ken- 
esaw  Mountain  to  General  Corse,  stationed 
at  Rome,  to  move  with  the  utmost  speed  to 
Altoona  and  "  hold  the  fort  "  against  all  op- 
position until  he  himself  could  arrive  with 
aid.  Here  General  Corse,  with  scarcely  two 
thousand  men,  maintained  the  defense  from 
nine  in  the  morning  until  three  in  the  after- 
noon against  a  large  force  of  Confederate 
soldiers.  At  three  General  French  sounded 
a  retreat,  and  Altoona  was  saved.  The 
proudest  day  of  Mr.  Hoxie's  life  was  when 
he  participated  in  the  grand  review  at  Wash- 
ington, District  of  Columbia,  at  the  close  of 
the  war.  Fortunately,  during  the  entire 
service  he  was  never  wounded  or  taken  pris- 
oner, and  when  the  war  was  over  he  was 
honorably  discharged  in  Chicago,  in  July, 
1865. 

On  the  3d  of  February,  1869,  Mr. 
Hoxie  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Lucy  Lown,  daughter  of  George  and  Fanny 
Lown,  who  were  from  Dutchess  county, 
New  York,  her  father's  farm  bordering  on 
the  Hudson  river  in  the  town  of  Rhinebeck. 
Two  children  blessed  this  union:  Maud, 
who  was  born  December  18,  1870,  and  died 
March  20,  1883;  and  Mabel,  who  is  attend- 
ing school  in  Elgin. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Hoxie  is  an  honored 
member  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive 
Engineers,  the  Masonic  order,  and  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  His  political 
support  is  always  given  the  men  and  meas- 


ures of  the  Republican  party,  and  he  takes 
quite  an  active  interest  in  local  affairs.  As 
a  citizen  he  commands  the  respect  and  es- 
teem of  all  who  know  him,  and  has  a  host 
of  friends  throughout  his  native  county. 


JOHN  A.  LOGAN,  whose  name  is  insep- 
arably connected  with  the  political  his- 
tory of  Elgin,  served  his  fellow  citizens  as 
United  States  deputy  marshal  for  four 
years  and  as  alderman  from  the  seventh 
ward  of  Elgin.  He  was  born  in  that  city 
August  9,  1 86 1,  a  son  of  John  and  Julia 
(Murphy)  Logan,  who  were  born,  reared 
and  married  in  County  Cork,  Ireland.  On 
coming  to  the  United  States  during  the  '505 
they  located  in  Elgin,  Illinois,  where  the 
father  died  about  the  close  of  the  Civil  war. 
On  his  emigration  to  America  he  was  accom- 
panied by  his  father,  Owen  Logan,  who, 
with  his  family  settled  in  Elgin.  In  politics 
the  father  of  our  subject  was  a  Democrat, 
and  in  religious  belief  was  a  Catholic,  to 
which  church  his  wife  also  belonged.  She 
is  now  deceased.  Their  children  were  Mary, 
Nellie,  Julia,  Margaret,  Thomas,  John  A. 
(ist),  John  A.  (our  subject),  and  Margaret 
(2d),  all  deceased  with  the  exception  of 
Thomas,  a  resident  of  Elgin,  and  our  sub- 
ject. 

Reared  in  Elgin,  John  A.  Logan,  of  this 
review,  acquired  his  education  in  the  public 
schools.  On  starting  out  in  life  for  him- 
self he  first  worked  in  a  brickyard,  later  was 
employed  in  a  butter  factory  for  two  years, 
and  in  a  cheese  box  factory  for  about  four 
years.  He  then  entered  the  service  of  the 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  railroad,  remaining 
with  that  company  for  about  ten  years,  or 
until  1889,  when  he  established  a  saloon  in 
Elgin  and  successfully  conducted  the  same 


2IO 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


for  two  years.  In  1888  he  was  appointed 
deputy  sheriff  of  Kane  county  under  Will- 
iam H.  Reed,  and  served  in  that  capacity 
for  four  years.  Since  1 894  he  served  as 
United  States  deputy  marshal,  and  most 
ably  and  satisfactorily  discharged  the  duties 
of  that  office. 

Mr.  Logan  was  married  in  1881,  to  Miss 
Mary  A.  Althen,  a  native  of  Sycamore,  De- 
Kalb  county,  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of 
Casper  and  Louise  (Miller)  Althen,  natives 
of  Germany.  Two  children  bless  this  union, 
namely:  Margaret  and  John. 

The  Democratic  party  has  always  found 
in  Mr.  Logan  a  stanch  supporter  of  its  prin- 
ciples, and  he  is  a  recognized  leader  in  local 
political  affairs,  being  the  present  chairman 
of  the  Democratic  committee  of  Elgin  and 
a  member  of  the  senatorial  committee.  He 
has  also  been  a  delegate  to  many  county, 
senatorial,  congressional  and  state  conven- 
tions, and  is  active  and  influential  in  the 
councils  of  his  party.  In  1886  he  was  first 
elected  alderman  from  his  ward  for  the 
short  term,  and  at  the  two  succeeding  elec- 
tions was  re-elected,  serving  continuously 
until  1891.  In  1894  was  again  elected  to 
the  same  position,  and  two  years  later  was 
re-elected,  being  the-  present  incumbent, 
chairman  of  the  railroad  committee,  and  a 
member  of  the  street  lighting,  fire  and 
health  committees.  Socially  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Lochiel  lodge,  K.  P.,  of  Elgin,  and  is 
also  a  Mason,  belonging  to  the  blue  lodge 
of  Elgin,  and  the  Medina  Temple  and 
Oriential  Consistory  of  Chicago. 


JOHN   B.    MOORE.— Among  the   many 
who  came  to  the  grand  prairie  state  in 
pioneer  days,  and   who  have   been   instru- 
mental in  making  it  take  the  highest  rank 


among  its  sister  states  of  the  Union,  is  the 
man  whose  name  heads  this  sketch,  who 
dates  his  residence  in  Illinois  since  Septem- 
ber 27,  1844.  A  native  of  New  York,  he 
was  born  at  College  Hill,  Oneida  county, 
July  26,  1815,  and  is  the  son  of  Shubel  and 
Betsy  (Watson)  Moore,  natives  of  New 
England,  but  who  were  among  the  pioneers 
of  Oneida  county,  New  York.  The  Moores 
are  of  Scottish  descent.  The  family  on 
leaving  that  country  located  for  a  time  in 
Ireland  and  then  came  to  the  United  States, 
first  settling  in  Connecticut.  Thomas  Moore 
was  a  drover  and  furnished  beef  to  the  army 
during  the  Revolutionary  war. 

Shubel  Moore  grew  to  manhood  in  Con- 
necticut, and  was  twice  married,  having 
five  children  by  his  first  union.  His  second 
wife  was  Betsy  Watson,  the  mother  of  our 
subject.  She  was  born  in  Massachusetts, 
and  was  the  daughter  of  Alexander  Watson, 
a  native  of  Middlesex  county,  that  state, 
and  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  who 
•  entered  the  service  in  July,  1776,  when  a 
lad  of  sixteen  years.  He  participated  in 
many  important  engagements  during  the 
struggle  for  independence.  In  1793,  he 
removed  with  his  family  to  Herkimer  coun- 
ty, New  York,  cleared  off  the  timber, 
opened  up  a  farm,  and  there  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life,  dying  April  6,  1840. 
His  wife,  Persis  Watson,  survived  him  some 
months,  dying  June  2,  1841. 

Shubel  Moore  moved  to  Oneida  county, 
New  York,  at  a  very  early  day,  locating  on 
College  Hill,  where  he  purchased  a  partially 
improved  place,  which  he  converted  into 
one  of  the  best  farms  in  that  locality.  He 
there  died  in  1820,  when  but  forty-nine 
years  old.  His  widow  survived  him  many 
years,  dying  on  the  old  homestead  Decem- 
ber 1 8,  1859.  After  her  husband's  death, 


JOHN  B.  MOORE. 


MRS.  J.   B.   MQORE, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


213 


she  managed  the  farm  and  reared  her  fam- 
ily, doing  by  them  as  well  as  her  means  and 
opportunities  afforded.  She  was  a  woman 
of  good  business  ability,  and  it  can  be  said 
of  her  as  of  one  of  old  "she  did  what  she 
could."  On  the  death  of  her  husband, 
there  was  quite  an  indebtedness  on  the 
place,  which,  with  the  aid  of  her  sons,  she 
in  due  time  paid  off,  and  later  built  a  good, 
substantial  residence.  By  his  first  wife 
Shubel  Moore  had  four  sons,  Hiram,  Miles, 
Ira  and  Frederick,  and  one  daughter,  Ma- 
tilda. By  his  second  wife  he  had  ten  chil- 
dren: Persis,  Caroline,  Keziah,  Maria, 
Thomas,  John  B.,  Bright  Alexander, 
Shubel, -and  two,  Cornelia  and  Eliza,  who 
died  in  infancy.  Of  this  number,  Johtr  B. 
and  Shubel  are  the  only  survivors,  Shubel 
residing  in  Utica,  New  York. 

John  B.  Moore  was  but  five  years  of  age 
when  his  father  died.  He  remained  under 
the  parental  roof  until  attaining  his  seven- 
teenth year,  assisting  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  home  farm.  He  then  commenced  to 
learn  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  occupa- 
tion he  followed  for  a  number  of  years. 
While  yet  residing  in  New  York,  on  the 
1 2th  of  March,  1839,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Sophia  Todd,  born  at  Col- 
lege Hill,  May  6,  1819.  By  this  union 
were  one  son,  and  one  daughter.  Albert  B., 
the  son  enlisted  in  1862  in  the  Ninety-first 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  was  taken  pris- 
oner by  the  raider,  Morgan,  and  was  after- 
wards exchanged.  He  is  now  a  farmer,  re- 
siding in  Jackson  county,  Kansas.  The 
daughter,  Adelaide,  is  now  the  wife  of 
Andrew  Schofield,  of  Los  Angeles,  Cali- 
fornia. 

In  1844,  Mr.  Moore  came  to  Illinois, 
by  way  of  the  Erie  canal  to  Buffalo,  and  by 

the    great    lakes    to    Chicago.      Moving  on 
10 


west,  he  settled  in  Grundy  county  and  there 
entered  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
land,  which  he  commenced  to  improve. 
Being  without  capital,  for  a  time  he  en- 
gaged in  contracting  and  building  to  pay 
for  the  land,  and  make  other  necessary  im- 
provements. He  continued  to  do  more  or 
less  contracting  and  building  for  several 
years.  As  his  means  increased  he  bought 
more  land,  and  at  one  time  owned  one 
thousand  acres,  comprising  the  farm  on 
which  he  lived.  In  the  early  days  he  hauled 
his  wheat  and  other  grain  to  Chicago,  the 
trip  requiring  two  days  each  way.  At  night 
he  slept  under  the  wagon  when  the  weather 
was  not  too  severe.  His  wheat  brought  at 
different  times  from  forty-eight  cents  to 
ninety-five  cents  per  bushel.  His  trips  to 
•Ghjcago  were  with  a  wagon  and  two  yoke 
of  oxen,  and  he  usually  hauled  fifty-two 
bushels  at  a  time. 

While  residing  in  Grundy  county,  Mrs. 
Sophia  Moore  died  November  25,  1851.  She 
had  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  since  reaching  the  age  of  thir- 
teen years.  On  the  25th  of  April,  1852, 
Mr.  Moore  .was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Lucy  Sterling,  a  native  of  Michigan,  born 
May  31,  1831.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  Cornelia  (Lathrop)  Sterling, 
natives  of  Connecticut,  but  who  were  married 
in  New  York,  removed  from  thence  to  Mich- 
igan, and  in  1834,  to  Kane  county,  Illinois. 
They  located  at  Geneva,  where  Mr.  Sterling 
bought  a  farm,  and  built  the  first  hotel  in 
the  place.  He  also  built  the  first  dam  and 
erected  the  first  mill  in  Geneva.  Mrs. 
Sterling  was  the  first  teacher  in  the  place. 
After  residing  in  the  village  for  some  years, 
Mr.  Sterling  removed  to  his  farm,  which  is 
now  owned  and  occupied  by  our  subject, 
and  there  built  a  substantial  stone  residence. 


214 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


The  last  years  of  his  life  were  spent  on  that 
farm,  although  his  death  occurred  in  Grundy 
county,  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Moore, 
August  30,  1871,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine 
years. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore,  nine  children 
have  been  born,  as  follows:  Sterling,  who 
died  in  infancy;  George,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  twelve  years;  Shubel,  a  stockman, 
married,  and  residing  in  Jackson  county, 
Kansas:  Arabella,  wife  of  Heiko  Felkamp, 
of  Great  Bend,  Kansas;  Frederick,  a  farmer 
residing  near  Great  Bend,  Kansas;  Mrs. 
Maria  Fellows,  residing  in  Jackson  county, 
Kansas;  Delia,  wife  of  John  Strader,  a  drug- 
gist of  Geneva,  Illinois;  Emery  T. ,  a  farmer 
of  St.  Charles  township;  and  John,  who  re- 
sides on  the  old  homestead. 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Sterling,  his 
homestead  was  put  up  at  auction,  and  was 
purchased  by  Mr.  Moore.  It  then  com- 
prised one  hundred  and  eighty-seven  acres, 
to  which  Mr.  Moore  subsequently  added 
three  adjoining  farms,  making  one  of  about 
seven  hundred  acres.  For  some  years  he 
engaged  in  its  active  management,  but  is 
now  practically  retired.  He  was  one  of  the 
prime  movers  in  the  establishment  of  the 
factory  at  Geneva,  and  also  the  one  at  St. 
Charles.  He  later  purchased  the  Geneva 
factory,  but  soon  made  it  co-operative.  It 
is  now  controlled  by  a  stock  company.  In 
every  enterprise  calculated  to  advance  the 
material  interest  of  his  adopted  city  and 
county,  Mr.  Moore  has  ever  done  his  part. 

Politically,  Mr.  Moore  is  a  life-long 
Democrat,  being  reared  in  the  faith.  He 
cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  Martin 
Van  Buren,  and  has  never  since  missed  a 
presidential  election  and  has  always  voted 
for  the  Democratic  nominee.  While  resid- 
ing in  Grundy  county  he  served  for  a  time 


as  chairman  of  the  Democratic  central  com- 
mittee. By  his  fellow  citizens  he  was  there 
elected  to  various  local  offices,  including 
that  of  county  commissioner.  Since  com- 
ing to  Kane  county  he  has  steadily  refused 
official  position,  preferring  to  give  his  un- 
divided time  and  attention  to  his  extensive 
business  interests.  While  not  a  member, 
he  and  his  wife  attend  the  Baptist  church 
and  contribute  to  its  support.  Mr.  Moore 
is  well-known  throughout  Kane  and  adjoin- 
ing counties,  and  by  all  who  know  him  he 
is  held  in  the  highest  esteem. 


HENRY  G.  SAWYER,  of  Carpenters- 
ville,  Illinois,  is  one  of  the  active  and 
enterprising  business  men  and  manufactur- 
ers of  Kane  county.  He. has  been  connect- 
ed with  the  Star  Company  since  its  organi- 
zation in  1873,  and  to  him  much  of  the 
credit  is  due  for  its  prosperous  condition. 
He  was  born  in  Elgin,  Kane  county,  March 
21,  1844,  and  is  the  son  of  George  E.  Saw- 
yer, a  native  of  Vermont,  born  at  Bradford, 
October  17,  1815.  John  W.  Sawyer,  the 
grandfather,  was  also  a  native  of  Vermont, 
the  family  locating  in  that  state  at  an  early 
day.  They  are  of  English  descent. 

George  E.  Sawyer  grew  to  manhood  in 
Vermont,  and  there  married,  January  5, 
1837,  Abigail  P.  Blake,  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  of  which  state  her  father,  Hez- 
ekiah  Blake,  was  a  native.  By  trade  Mr. 
Sawyer  was  a  carpenter,  which  occupation 
he  followed  in  early  life.  In  April,  1837, 
with  a  one-horse  wagon,  he  started  from 
his  Vermont  home  to  Illinois,  arriving  in  El- 
gin in  October  of  the  same  year.  In  his 
wagon  were  his  entire  earthly  possessions, 
but  he  came  here  with  an  earnest  desire  to 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


215 


better  himself  in  life.  At  Elgin  his  wife 
had  some  friends,  including  a  sister,  Mrs. 
David  Corliss,  who  located  here  the  previ- 
ous year.  Commencing  work  at  his  trade, 
he  continued  at  that  but  a  short  time  and 
then  took  up  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  Elgin  township,  which  he 
later  entered  and  subsequently  sold  and 
then  purchased  a  farm  in  Dundee  township, 
near  the  present  village  of  Carpentersville, 
to  which  he  removed  and  on  which  he  re- 
sided for  about  thirty  years.  Leaving  the 
farm,  he  removed  to  Carpentersville,  where 
he  died  May  22,  1894,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-nine years.  His  wife  passed  away 
August  31,  1891.  Their  remains  were  laid 
to  rest  in  the  Dundee  cemetery.  They 
were  the  parents  of  two  children — William 
G.,  of  Elgin,  and  our  subject. 

Henry  G.  Sawyer  grew  to  manhood  in 
Kane  county,  received  his  primary  educa- 
tion in  its  district  schools  and  for  a  time  at- 
tended the  Elgin  Academy.  He  remained 
"at  home  assisting  his  father  in  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  farm  until  twenty-two  years  of 
age,  when  in  company  with  his  brother  he 
purchased  the  mercantile  business  of  J.  A. 
Carpenter,  at  Carpentersville,  in  which  he 
continued  for  eight  years.  He  then  en- 
gaged in  settling  up  the  business  and  was 
employed  as  a  commercial  salesman.  He 
was  one  of  the  charter  members  and  stock- 
holders of  the  Star  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  was  the  first  secretary 
and  treasurer.  That  position  he  continued 
to  occupy  until  1896,  when  he  was  elected 
president  of  the  company.  This  is  one  of 
the  extensive  enterprises  in  Kane  county,  its 
products  being  sent  all  over  the  northwest, 
including  Indiana,  Ohio  and  Pacific  coast. 
The  institution  was  started  in  a  small  way 
on  small  capital,  but  under  the  wise  man- 


agement of  Mr.  Sawyer  it  has  grown  from 
year  to  year. 

On  the  yth  of  November,  1867,  at  Car- 
pentersville, Illinois,  Mr.  Sawyer  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Ella  A.  Brown, 
daughter  of  True  and  Lucinda  Brown,  the 
father  being  an  old  settler  and  substantial 
farmer  of  Kane  county.  She  was  born  in 
New  Hampshire,  but  came  to  this  county 
with  her  parents  in  early  childhood.  Her 
death  occurred  in  November,  1868,  and 
Mr.  Sawyer  was  again  married  March  23, 
1871,  to  Miss  Mary  Kingsley,  a  native  of 
Illinois,  born  in  Cook  county,  and  the 
daughter  of  S.  W.  Kingsley,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  and  came  west  by  way  of 
the  New  York  and  Erie  canal  and  the  great 
lakes.  Settling  in  Barrington  township  in 
1840,  he  entered  about  four  hundred  acres 
of  land,  which  he  improved  and  on  which 
he  resided  for  many  years,  but  is  now  liv- 
ing a  retired  life  in  Dundee.  By  this  union 
were  five  children:  Lora,  now  the  wife  of 
Charles  H.  Harvey,  of  Carpentersville; 
Bertha  E.,  who  married  Robert  Nightin- 
gale, Barrington,  Cook  county,  but  is  now 
deceased;  Clara,  now  a  student  of  Dickson 
College;  George  K.  and  Addie  K.,  twins. 
The  latter  died  in  infancy.  The  former  is 
a  student  of  the  Illinois  State  University. 
The  mother  of  these  children  died  March 
25,  1879,  and  Mr.  Sawyer,  December  25, 
1880,  married  Lillian  M.  Burkitt,  who  was 
born  and  reared  in  Cook  county,  and  a 
daughter  of  William  Burkitt.  By  this  mar- 
riage were  three  children. — Clarence  E., 
Ethel  M.  and  Howard  C. ,  all  attending  the 
home  school. 

Politically  Mr.  Sawyer  is  a  Republican 
and  a  strong  believer  in  the  principles  of 
that  party.  While  taking  an  active  interest 
in  political  affairs,  especially  local  politics, 


216 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


his  .business  interests  have  been  such  as  to 
preclude  his  holding  public  office.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  the  Maccabees,  and 
the  Knights  of  the  Globe,  while  Mrs.  Sawyer 
is  a  member  of  the  Daughters  of  the  Globe. 
A  lifelong  resident  of  Kane  county,  Mr. 
Sawyer  has  gone  in  and  out  among  its  peo- 
ple, attending  strictly  to  business,  and  is 
regarded  as  one  of  its  valued  citizens.  Few 
men  are  better  known  throughout  Kane  and 
adjoining  counties  and  he  is  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  by  all. 


EZRA  M.  STARR,  who  is  spending  his 
declining  years  in  ease  and  retirement 
at  his  pleasant  home,  No.  539  Ryerson 
avenue,  Elgin,  was  born  June  23,  1836,  in 
Cattaraugus  county,  New  York,  of  which 
state  his  parents,  William  B.  and  Sallie  M. 
(Bailey)  Starr,  were  also  natives.  There 
the  father  continued  to  engage  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits  until  1860,  when  he  emigrated 
to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  purchasing  a  farm 
in  the  town  of  Campton,  where  he  made  his 
home  until  called  to  his  final  rest  in  1892,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  He  held  mem- 
bership in  the  Universalist  church,  and  was 
widely  and  favorably  known  throughout 
Kane  county,  having  lived  in  several  differ- 
ent localities. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
Samuel  Starr,  was  born  August  4,  1780,  and 
died  February  23,  1856.  He  served  for 
three  months  in  the  war  of  1812,  being  dis- 
charged at  Sackett's  Harbor,  November  12, 
1814,  and  for  his  services  he  received  aland 
warrant.  He  was  in  every  way  a  most  re- 
liable and  excellent  man  and  most  capably 
filled  the  offices  of  township  clerk  and  jus- 
tice of  the  peace.  Religiously  he  was  a  con- 


sistent member  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
He  married  Miss  Catherine  Wright,  who 
was  born  May  10,  1783,  and  died  April  7, 
1848.  They  reared  a  large  family  of  chil- 
dren, but  Mrs.  Shaw,  of  Toledo,  is  the  only 
one  now  living.  Her  husband  was  a  pioneer 
of  Lucas  county,  Ohio,  and  served  as  its 
first  sheriff. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  oldest 
of  five  children,  the  others  being  as  follows: 
William  A.,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  La- 
bette  county,  Kansas,  died  there  at  the  age 
of  thirty-five  years,  at  which  time  he  was 
serving  as  county  auditor.  He  was  also  a 
successful  teacher  of  that  state,  was  quite 
an  influential  man,  and  was  a  most  intimate 
friend  of  Senator  Plum,  of  Kansas.  Mil- 
lard  F.  is  a  resident  of  Rutland,  Kane  coun- 
ty, and  has  served  as  assessor  and  in  other 
county  offices.  Lydia  C.  is  the  wife  of 
Frank  P.  Shepard,  of  South  Elgin.  Arthur 
died  in  infancy. 

In  the  public  schools  of  New  York  state, 
Ezra  M.  Starr  acquired  his  education  and 
upon  the  home  farm  early  became  familiar 
with  the  duties  which  fall  to  the  lot  of  the 
agriculturist.  He  first  came  west  in  1854, 
but  later  returned  to  New  York.  In  1857, 
however,  he  located  in  Ripon,  Fond  du  Lac 
county,  Wisconsin,  where  he  worked  at 
brick  making  for  fifteen  dollars  per  month 
and  board,  -remaining  there  two  years.  He 
then  came  to  Hanover,  Cook  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  worked  by  the  month  for  two 
seasons,  and  in  1863  purchased  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  in  Elgin  township,  Kane 
county,  of  Virgil  B.  Bogue,  Mrs.  Starr's 
father,  who  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
the  county.  Our  subject  successfully  en- 
gaged in  the  operation  of  this  farm  until 
laying  aside  business  cares  after  a  long  and 
useful  career. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


217 


On  the  7th  of  January,  1863,  Mr.  Starr 
was  married  to  Miss  Jane  Clarissa  Bogue, 
who  was  born  on  the  farm  in  Kane  county 
which  her  husband  purchased  of  her  father. 
Four  children  graced  this  union,  namely: 
Gertrude  M.,  wife  of  E.  D.  Wheeler,  a  trav- 
eling salesman  residing  in  Elgin;  Chester,  a 
cattle  dealer  of  Kane  county;  and  Catherine 
and  William  Virgil,  who  are  attending 
school.  Catherine  gives  lessons  on  the  vio- 
lin at  the  College  of  Music,  Elgin,  and  well 
understands  the  art  of  bringing  forth  sweet 
strains  from  that  favorite  instrument. 

Mr.  Starr  is  a  progressive  and  enterpris- 
ing citizen,  is  broad  and  liberal  in  his  views, 
and  keeps  well  abreast  with  the  times.  He 
is  quite  domestic  in  his  tastes,  his  greatest 
enjoyment  being  found  in  his  home,  and 
through  his  own  efforts,  he  acquired  a  com- 
petence which  now  enables  him  to  lay  aside 
business  cares  and  enjoy  his  quiet  home  life. 
Politically  he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and 
he  has  served  his  fellow  citizens  as  super- 
visor of  his  township  two  years  and  school 
director  twenty  years. 


LEVI  S.  STOWE.— There  is  particular 
satisfaction  in  reverting  to  the  life  his- 
tory of  the  honored  and  venerable  gentle- 
man whose  name  initiates  this  review,  since 
his  mind  bears  the  impress  of  the  historical 
annals  of  Kane  county  from  early  pioneer 
days,  and  for  many  years  he  has  actively 
and  prominently  identified  with  the  com- 
mercial and  business  interests  of  Elgin,  in 
which  city  he  is  now  living  retired. 

Mr.  Stowe  was  born  June  24,  1826,  in 
Granville,  Washington  county,  New  York, 
and  is  a  son  of  Asahel  and  Lydia  (Daven- 
port) Stowe.  The  father  was  born  April 
24,  1795,  and  was  the  son  of  Cyrus  Stowe, 


who  was  born  July  16,  1769,  a  descendant 
oi  Lord  John  Stowe,  who  on  account  of  re- 
ligious persecution  was  driven  out  of  Eng- 
land and  came  to  America,  settling  in  either 
Massachusetts  or  Vermont.  At  an  early 
day  members  of  the  family  removed  to  New 
York.  The  Davenports  were  also  early 
settlers  of  that  state,  but  little  is  known  of 
their  history. 

Leaving  New  York,  Asahel  Stowe,  with 
his  family,  journeyed  westward  by  team, 
and  on  the  28th  of  September,  1843,  ar- 
rived in  Elgin,  Illinois,  where  his  brother, 
Cyrus  Stowe,  had  located  three  years  previ- 
ously. Besides  these  two  brothers,  the 
other  children  were  Polly  E.,  Samuel,  Han- 
nah, Edwin  C. ,  William  C.,  Parley  W.  and 
Wealthy  B.  Cyrus  C.  Stowe  was  an  active 
and  prominent  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  of  Elgin,  in  which  he  served 
as  one  of  the  first  deacons.  The  children 
born  to  Asahel  and  Lydia  (Davenport) 
Stowe  were  as  follows:  William  H. ;  Louise 
J.,  wife  of  Jesse  Rose;  Marilla,  wife  of 
Theodore  Cowen;  Levi  S.;  Rebecca  L., 
wife  of  Monroe  Hammon;  Electa  and  Eve- 
line, who  both  died  in  childhood;  Albert, 
deceased;  Edwin,  deceased;  Martha,  widow 
of  William  Battles.  Of  these,  only  five  are 
now  living:  Levi  S. ;  Henry;  and  Louise, 
of  Martin  county,  Minnesota;  Rebecca,  of 
Michigan;  and  Martha,  of  Marseailles,  Illi- 
nois. The  mother  of  these  children  died  in 
Conewango,  Cattaraugus  county,  New  York, 
in  1841,  the  father  in  Sycamore,  Illinois,  in 
June,  1859.  In  religious  belief  he  was  a 
Congregationalist,  and  in  politics  a  Whig, 
until  1856,  when  he  became  a  Republican. 

On  coming  west  with  the  family,  Levi 
S.  Stowe  found  employment  in  Elgin  at 
chopping  wood  for  twenty-five  cents  per 
cord,  and  subsequently  he  went  to  De  Kalb 


218 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


county,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  for 
about  three  years.  The  following  three 
years  were  spent  in  farming  and  lumbering 
in  Wisconsin,  and  on  his  return  to  Illinois 
he  located  in  Sycamore,  where  he  remained 
for  one  year.  After  passing  a  year  at  St. 
Charles,  he  came  to  Elgin,  where  he  first 
conducted  a  restaurant,  and  then  opened  a 
general  store  on  Chicago  street  in  the  build- 
ing now  occupied  by  the  Barclay  hardware 
firm,  carrying  on  general  merchandise  very 
successfully  there  for  almost  a  quarter  of  a 
century.  Since  selling  out  his  store  in  1881, 
he  has  practically  lived  retired.  Besides 
his  own  pleasant  home  at  No.  56  Villa 
street,  he  owns  considerable  real  estate,  in- 
cluding residence  property  in  the  city  which 
he  rents. 

Mr.  Stowe  was  married  October  26, 
1852,  to  Miss  Jane  E.  Holgate,  of  Elgin, 
Kane  county,  who  was  born  in  Franklin 
county,  New  York,  April  27,  1833,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Rev.  Ozem  and  Angeline  (Safford) 
Holgate.  She  died  in  Elgin  on  the  6th  of 
July,  1855,  a  worthy  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  of  which  her  father 
was  a  minister.  On  October  3,  1857,  Mr. 
Stowe  was  again  married,  his  second  union 
being  with  Miss  Betsy  Lessenden,  who  was 
born  in  1835,  a  daughter  of  Ephraim  and 
Caroline  (Anderson)  Lessenden,  natives  of 
Sheerness,  Kent  county,  England.  In  1849 
they  became  residents  of  Kane  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  the  father  engaged  in  farming 
many  years,  and  both  died  in  Elgin  in  1895. 
They  were  earnest  and  faithful  members  of 
the  Methodist  church.  Of  their  five  chil- 
dren, John  is  now  a  resident  of  Osawatomie 
county,  Kansas;  Sarah,  born  in  1832,  mar- 
ried Edwin  Stowe,  and  both  died  leaving 
two  sons,  Sherman  and  Warren,  residents 
of  Elgin;  Mrs.  Betsy  Stowe  is  next  in  order 


of  birth ;  George  is  a  resident  of  Osawatomie, 
Kansas;  and  Jane  is  the  wife  of  Milton 
Townsend. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Stowe  is  a 
Republican,  and  has  ever  taken  a  deep  and 
commendable  interest  in  public  affairs,  giv- 
ing his  support  to  all  measures  which  he  be- 
lieves calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit. 
He  is  one  of  the  few  early  merchants  of  El- 
gin now  living,  and  with  the  growth  and  up- 
building of  the  place  he  has  been  prominent- 
ly identified.  His  wife  holds  membership 
in  the  Congregational  church,  and  they  have 
the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  who  know 
them. 

HENRY  J.  GAHAGAN,  M.  D. ,  is  a  skilled 
physician  and  surgeon  of  Elgin,  whose 
knowledge  of  the  science  of  medicine  is 
broad  and  comprehensive,  and  whose  ability 
in  applying  its  principles  to  the  needs  of 
suffering  humanity  has  gained  him  an  envi- 
able prestige  in  professional  circles.  A  na- 
tive of  Grafton,  Illinois,  born  December  27, 
1866,  he  is  of  Irish  lineage.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle, 
having  emigrated  to  America,  died  in  New 
York  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  four 
years.  His  wife  passed  away  in  Ireland  at 
the  age  of  seventy. 

The  Doctor's  father,  Bernard  Gahagan, 
was  born  in  County  Sligo,  Ireland,  and  on 
coming  to  America  located  near  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  New  York,  whence  he  afterward  re- 
moved to  Minneapolis,  Minnesota.  Later 
he  floated  down  the  Mississippi  river  on  a 
raft  and  became  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  Jersey  county,  Illinois,  locating  at  Graf- 
ton,  where  he  lived  for  many  years.  He 
was  a  contractor  and  builder  by  occupation. 
He  married  Ellen  Armstrong,  also  a  native 
of  County  Sligo,  Ireland,  as  was  her  father, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


219 


who  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America  in  an 
early  day,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life  in  Minneapolis,  Minnesota.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Gahagan  became  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  four 
of  whom  are  now  living:  Michael,  of  Tus- 
can, Arizona;  Bernard,  who  is  living  in  New 
York  city;  Henry  J. ;  and  Kate,  wife  of 
Simon  Conroy,  of  Grafton,  Illinois.  The 
father  of  this  family  passed  away  in  1881 
at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years,  and  the  mother's 
death  occurred  several  years  before.  Both 
were  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church. 

The  Doctor  was  reared  in  his  native 
town,  was  graduated  in  the  high  school 
there,  and  later  attended  a  private  school  in 
Chicago.  He  also  pursued  a  private  course 
in  medicine  for  two  years,  and  in  1890 
matriculated  in  the  Rush  Medical  College 
of  that  city,  in  which  institution  he  was 
graduated  in  1893.  During  that  time  he 
had  charge  of  the  surgical  instruments  de- 
partment of  the  Cook  county  hospital. 

On  leaving  Chicago  Dr.  Gahagan  ac- 
cepted the  position  of  assistant  physician  in 
the  Eastern  Illinois  Hospital  for  the  Insane, 
at  Kankakee,  and  a  few  months  later,  at  his 
own  request,  was  transferred  to  the  North- 
ern Illinois  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  at  Elgin, 
having  charge  of  the  annex  building  until 
April  i,  1897.  He  then  opened  an  office  in 
Elgin  for  private  practice  and  has  already 
succeeded  in  establishing  a  good  business. 
On  the  2Oth  of  May,  1897,  he  was  appointed 
city  physician.  He  is  already  popular  with 
Elgin's  citizens  as  an  able  physician  and  his 
practice  is  constantly  increasing  in  volume 
and  importance.  As  he  is  yet  a  young  man 
and  possesses  enterprise  and  laudable  ambi- 
tion, a  successful  future  is  undoubtedly  be- 
fore him. 


The  Doctor  was  married  August  12, 
1893,  to  Miss  Delia  Cullen,  daughter  of 
William  and  Ellen  (Conners)  Cullen.  They 
have  one  child,  Edna.  The  parents  are 
members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church, 
and  the  Doctor  is  a  valued  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity  of  Elgin,  in 
which  he  is  now  serving  as  chancellor  com- 
mander. He  is  a  medical  examiner  of  the 
male  and  female  Catholic  Order  of  Forest- 
ers, Elgin  court  No.  137,  St.  Regina  court 
No.  92,  and  of  courts  located  at  Elburn, 
Batavia,  St.  Charles,  Huntley  and  Rutland, 
and  belongs  to  Silver  Leaf  camp,  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America;  the  Columbus  Club, 
of  Chicago;  the  Fox  River  Valley  Medical 
Association,  being  chairman  of  its  executive 
committee;  the  Illinois  Medical  Society  and 
a  charter  member  of  the  Association  of  As- 
sistant Physicians  of  Hospitals  for  the  In- 
sane. In  his  political  predilections  he  is  a 
Democrat,  but  has  never  sought  official 
preferment,  desiring  rather  to  give  his  en- 
tire time  and  attention  to  his  profession,  in 
which  he  is  winning  a  desirable  reputation. 


JUDGE  JOHN  W.  RANSTEAD,  who  has 
attained  distinctive  prestige  at  the  bar  of 
Kane  county,  was  born  in  Udina,  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  June  14,  1843,  and  is  a 
representative  of  one  of  the  most  prominent 
and  honored  old  families  in  this  section  of 
the  state.  His  great-grandfather  was  one 
of  the  heroes  of  the  Revolution  and  fell  at  the 
battle  of  Bennington,  giving  his  life  for  the 
cause  of  his  country.  The  grandfather  of 
the  Judge  was  John  Ranstead,  a  native  of 
New  Hampshire,  and  his  son  John  was  also 
born  in  the  Granite  state.  The  latter  mar- 
ried Mercy  West,  a  native  of  Vermont,  and 
a  daughter  of  Albert  West,  whose  birth  also 


22O 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


occurred  there.  He  studied  for  the  medical 
profession  but  died  in  early  life.  In  1837, 
John  Ranstead,  father  of  the  Judge,  came 
with  his  family  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  lo- 
cating in  Udina,  where  he  carried  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  His  ability  for  leadership 
made  him  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of 
the  community  and  he  was  honored  by  an 
election  to  the  state  legislature,  serving  in 
the  years  1852  and  1853.  He  died  in  1868 
at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  and  his  wife, 
who  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church, 
passed  away  in  1895,  a*  the  advanced  age 
of  seventy-eight  years.  Their  family  num- 
bered one  son  and  two  daughters,  the  latter 
being  Julia  W.,  now  deceased,  and  Sarah, 
wife  of  G.  H.  Britton,  of  Udina. 

Judge  Ranstead  was  reared  on  his  father's 
farm  in  Kane  county,  and  in  early  life  at- 
tended an  old-time  subscription  school.  He 
afterward  pursued  his  studies  in  the  public 
schools  and  Elgin  Academy,  leaving  the  last 
named  institution  in  1858  to  enter  Lombard 
University  at  Galesburg,  Illinois,  where  he 
continued  his  studies  until  1863.  Having 
determined  to  enter  the  legal  profession  he 
matriculated  in  the  law  department  of  Mich- 
igan University  and  was  graduated  in  the 
class  of  1866. 

In  1868  Mr.  Ranstead  came  to  Elgin, 
where  he  opened  a  law  office.  His  success 
at  the  bar  was  marked  and  immediate,  and 
the  confidence  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow- 
townsmen  was  indicated  in  1873  by  his 
election  to  the  office  of  county  judge,  in 
which  capacity  he  served  for  nine  consecu- 
tive years,  discharging  his  duties  with  marked 
fairness  and  displaying  in  his  decisions  a 
comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  science  of 
jurisprudence.  Since  his  retirement  from 
the  bench  he  has  engaged  in  private  practice 
and  has  an  extensive  clientage  which  has 


connected  him  with  much  of  the  important 
litigation  of  the  district  during  his  affiliation 
with  the  Elgin  bar.  He  is  also  a  director 
in  the  Home  Savings  Bank  and  is  the  presi- 
dent of  the  Home  National  Bank. 

On  the  2nd  of  April,  1867,  the  Judge 
wedded  Miss  Eugenia  A.  Fuller,  a  daughter 
of  Rev.  J.  P.  and  Adeline  (Cady)  Fuller,  of 
Galesburg,  Illinois,  both  natives  of  Con- 
necticut. One  child  graces  this  union — 
Janet  M.  The  Judge  and  his  wife  attend 
the  Universalist  church,  and  in  his  social 
relations  he  is  a  Master  Mason  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Elgin  Waltonian  Club  and  the 
Black  Hawk  Club.  His  political  support 
has  always  been  given  the  Democracy,  and 
of  the  principles  of  the  party  he  is  a  stanch 
advocate.  His  entire  life  has  been  passed 
in  Kane  county,  and  his  useful  and  honor- 
able career  commends  him  to  the  confidence 
of  all.  In  his  profession  he  has  won  the 
success  which  only  close  application  and 
earnest  purpose  can  bring,  and  in  private 
life  he  has  gained  the  respect  which  is  ever 
accorded  genuine  worth. 


ANTON  F.  SCHADER.— Germany  has 
furnished  to  the  New  World  many  of 
her  best  and  most  useful  citizens.  It  has 
furnished  not  only  needed  workmen,  skilled 
and  unskilled,  but  enterprising  merchants, 
manufacturers,  artists  and  apt  dealers  upon 
our  marts  of  trade.  It  has  also  naturally 
embraced  the  various  professions,  where 
these  German-Americans  prove  themselves 
useful,  talented  and  influential.  Among 
Elgin's  leading  citizens  is  Anton  F.  Schader, 
native  of  the  Fatherland,  who  is  now  the 
well-known  and  populareditorof  the  "Week- 
ly Herald,"  and  the  "  Germania. " 

He  was  born  April  24,  1868,  in  Mayence, 


A.  F,  SCHADER, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


223 


Hessen-Darmstadt,  Germany,  of  which  place 
his  parents,  Frank  and  Anna  (Haas) 
Schader,  are  still  residents.  The  father  was 
born  in  Worms,  Germany,  in  1 844,  a  son 
of  Frank  Schader,  Sr.,  while  the  mother 
was  born  in  Bodenheim,  Germany,  in  1846, 
a  daughter  of  Anton  Haas,  a  school  teacher, 
whose  father,  who  was  also  a  school  teacher, 
bore  the  same  name.  The  father  of  our 
subject  is  a  well  educated  man,  of  scholarly 
tastes,  who  has  for  many  years  been  profes- 
sor of  mathematics  in  the  schools  of  May- 
ence.  Anton  F.  is  the  oldest  of  his  four 
children,  the  others  being  Frank,  who  is 
with  his  brother  and  is  now  serving  as  assist- 
ant editor;  Lina,  wife  of  Jacob  Wollweberi 
of  Mayence,  Germany,  and  Elizabeth,  who 
is  still  with  her  parents. 

Anton  F.  Schader  began  "his  education 
in  a  private  school,  later  attended  the 
gymnasium  at  Mayence,  and  also  took  up 
the  study  of  languages.  After  leaving  col- 
lege he  studied  pharmacy  and  chemistry  at 
a  pharmaceutical  institution,  and  then  went 
to  Darmstadt  with  the  view  of  preparing  for 
that  profession,  but  was  obliged  to  give  up 
his  plans  on  account  of  ill  health.  In  1887 
he  entered  the  German  army  after  having 
passed  an  examination  which  required  of  him 
to  serve  only  one  year.  He  entered  the 
artillery  service  as  a  private,  but  at  the  end 
of  six  months  was  promoted  to  assistant 
corporal,  and  before  the  end  of  his  year  was 
made  a  non-commissioned  officer.  He  suc- 
cessfully passed  an  examination  for  the  rank 
of  lieutenant,  but  at  the  end  of  his  time, 
resigned  his  position  in  the  army. 

In  the  fall  of  1888  Mr.  Schader  began 
traveling  over  Europe  for  pleasure  and  in- 
struction, and  in  April,  1889,  sailed  for  the 
United  States,  arriving  in  New  York  on  the 
24th  of  that  month.  He  remained  in  that 


city  until  May,  1891,  and  then  came  to 
Elgin,  Illinois,  accepting  the  position  of 
editor  of  the  Elgin  "Deutsche  Zeitung. " 
About  two  months  after  his  arrival  the 
proprietor,  Mr.  Kramer,  went  to  Europe, 
leaving  him  in  charge.  Upon  his  return 
Mr.  Schader,  in  connection  with  Otto  May, 
started  a  paper  of  his  own — "  The  Herold  " 
— which  he  has  successfully  published  since 
1891..  They  began  in  a  small  way,  at  first 
having  the  paper  printed  in  Chicago,  but 
meeting  with  success  they  enlarged  the  busi- 
ness, and  in  1895  Mr.  Schader  purchased 
his  partner's  interest,  being  now  sole  pro- 
prietor. "  The  Herold  "  is  now  home-print- 
,,ed,  and  is  a  seven-column  quarto  published 
every  Saturday,  while  the  "  Germania  "  is 
issued  on  Wednesday.  Both  papers  have  a 
very  good  circulation,  and  are  proving  quite 
profitable.  They  have  a  better  advertising 
patronage  than  any  weekly  in  the  county.  In 
connection  with  the  regular  plant  Mr.  Scha- 
der has  a  job  printing  office,  where  first-class 
work  is  done  in  both  German  and  English. 
There  are  now  seven  employees  in  the 
office. 

On  the  29th  of  September,  1892,  in 
Elgin,  Mr.  Schader  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Anna  M.  Muetterries,  a  native  of 
Westphalia,  Germany,  who,  when  a  little 
child,  was  brought  to  the  United  States  by 
her  parents,  Conrad  and  Catherine  Muetter- 
ries. Two  children  grace  this  union,  namely, 
Anna  and  May. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Schader  is  a 
Republican,  and  gives  his  personal  influence 
and  support  of  his  papers  to  the  financial 
policy  of  that  party.  Being  a  young  man 
of  excellent  education,  he  is  well  fitted  for 
the  profession  he  now  follows,  and  is  most 
ably  conducting  his  journals.  He  is  also 
serving  as  notary  public.  Socially  he  is  a 


224 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  the  Knights 
of  the  Maccabees,  the  Foresters,  and  the 
Order  of  Mutual  Protection,  being  president 
of  the  last  named.  In  1897  he  returned  to 
Germany,  visiting  his  old  home,  relatives 
and  friends. 


AMASA  WIGHTMAN  LOOMIS,  residing 
on  section  29,  Elgin  township,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Sangerfield,  Oneida 
county,  New  York,  May  12,  1818,  and  is 
the  son  of  Alvin  and  Wealthy  (Wightman) 
Loomis,  the  former  a  native  of  Wethers- 
field,  Connecticut,  and  the  latter  of  the 
town  of  New  Berlin,  Ottego  county,  New 
York.  Alvin  Loomis  was  born  in  August, 
1781,  and  lived  in  Connecticut  until  the  age 
of  twenty-five  years,  when  he  emigrated  to 
the  wilds  of  central  New  York,  locating  in 
Oneida  county.  In  his  youth  he  served  as 
a  sailor  for  a  time  and  was  once  taken 
prisoner  by  the  French,  then  fighting  under 
the  great  Napoleon.  In  Oneida  county  he 
purchased  a  farm  and  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  dying  there  in  1856,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-six  years. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
Stephen  Loomis,  served  through  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  as  teamster.  He  furnished  his 
own  teams  and  hauled  provisions  to  the 
various  camps  of  American  soldiers.  During 
the  winter,  when  nothing  could  be  done,  he 
returned  to  his  home  in  Connecticut,  and  in 
the  early  spring  again  engaged  in  transport- 
ing provisions.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he 
was  paid  in  continental  money,  which  de- 
preciated until  it  became  utterly  worthless. 
He  died  at  an  advanced  age.  The  Loomis 
family  were  among  the  first  to  settle  in 
Connecticut. 

The    subject    of    this    sketch    remained 


upon  the  home  farm  until  the  age  of 
eighteen  years,  assisting  in  its  cultivation, 
and  as  the  opportunity  was  afforded  him 
attended  the  Waterville  Academy.  On 
leaving  home  he  worked  by  the  month  on 
farms  in  New  York,  until  coming  west  in 
1846.  Previous  to  this  time  his  brothers, 
Hemen  and  Amenzo,  came  west,  the  former 
locating  in  Burlington,  Wisconsin,  and  the 
latter  at  Half  Bay,  Lake  county,  Illinois. 
In  1842  Amenzo  took  up  a  claim  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  for  our  subject 
near  Half  Bay,  and  land  was  inspected  by 
him  in  the  fall  of  1844,  when  he  came  west 
and  remained  one  month.  In  1846  he 
located  upon  his  farm  at  Half  Bay  where 
he  resided  until  1850,  when  he  went  to 
California,  taking  passage  on  the  steamer 
Illinois  at  New  York  city,  for  Aspinwall.  At 
Panama  he  found  all  passage  by  steamer 
engaged  many  months  ahead.  Securing 
passage  in  a  schooner  he  sailed  for  San 
Francisco,  but  the  vessel  was  driven  far  out 
of  its  course  and  very  nearly  wrecked  on  a 
sharp  needle  of  rock,  rising  from  the  ocean. 
He  reached  San  Francisco  July  i,  being 
nearly  two  months  in  making  the  voyage. 
During  the  first  year  of  his  stay  in  Cali- 
fornia, he  prospected  with  varying  success. 
In  1851  he  did  much  better,  and  continued 
to  do  fairly  well  until  1853,  when  he  re- 
turned home  with  some  "dust,"  though  not 
a  fortune. 

In  1854  Mr.  Loomis  sold  the  Half  Bay 
farm  and  purchased  two  hundred  and  forty- 
seven  acres  of  G.  W.  Raymond,  in  Han- 
over township,  Cook  county.  In  1864,  he 
bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Plato 
township,  near  Plato  Centre,  which  he  sold 
in  1882,  and  bought  his  present  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  ninety  acres  in  sections  29,  32 
and  33,  Elgin  township.  The  farm  is  de- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


225 


voted  to  grain  and  dairying  purposes,  on 
which  he  raises  about  two  thousand  bush- 
els of  corn  each  year.  He  usually  keeps 
about  thirty-three  head  of  milk  cows.  Fire 
destroyed  all  his  farm  buildings,  November 
5,  1893,  since  which  time  he  has  erected 
all  the  buildings  on  the  place,  which, 
though  not  large,  are  well  adapted  to  the 
purposes  for  which  they  are  used. 

Mr.  Loomis  was  married,  October  18, 
1859,  to  Mrs.  Julia  A.  Jones,  widow  of 
William  Jones,  whom  she  married  in  1845, 
and  who  died  in  1856,  leaving  four  chil- 
dren, only  one  of  whom  is  now  living, 
Franklin  Jones,  superintendent  of  the  Ter- 
minal Railroad  in  Missouri.  Mrs.  Loomis 
was  born  October  2,  1824,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  Judge  Joshua  Carmen  and 
Almeda  (Moore)  Morgan,  natives  of  Con- 
necticut. 

Judge  Morgan  was  the  son  of  Isaac  Mor- 
gan, a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  war, 
and  a  pensioner  of  that  war,  and  who  died 
at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  Isaac 
Morgan  married  Margaret  Carmen,  a 
daughter  of  Rev.  Joshua  Carmen,  a  pio- 
neer Baptist  preacher.  The  Morgans  are 
of  Welsh  descent.  In  early  life  Judge 
Morgan  moved  to  Ohio,  and,  later,  to  San- 
gamon  county,  Illinois,  where  he  served  as 
county  judge.  He  also  held  that  position 
until  his  death,  after  removal  to  Tremont, 
Tazewell  county.  He  served  in  the  Black 
Hawk  war,  and  at  Starved  Rock  found  a 
tomahawk,  which  was  probably  left  by  one 
of  the  Illini  Indians  starved  there.  The 
relic  was  preserved  in  the  family  for  many 
years. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Loomis  six  children 
were  born,  as  follows:  Elizabeth,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  two  years;  Elmer  Ellsworth, 
who  died  aged  one  year;  Grant,  who  died 


when  three  months  old;  Amasa  Sherman, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  six  years;  Alvin,  who 
married  Rose  Emory,  of  St.  Louis,  by 
whom  he  has  two  children,  Edna  Belle  and 
Lilian  Jennett;  and  Benjamin  Franklin, 
who  married  Ellen .  Suttle,  of  Evansville, 
Indiana,  by  whom  he,  has  one  child,  Mabel 
Julia. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Loomis  are  members  of 
the  Congregational  church,  in  the  work  of 
which  they  are  much  interested.  Politic- 
ally, he  is  a  Republican,  with  which  party 
he  has  been  connected  ever  since  its  organ- 
ization. While  taking  an  interest  in  polit- 
ical affairs  it  has  never  run  in  the  direction 
of  office  seeking,  and  he  has  held  but  one 
local  office,  that  of  school  director.  A 
man  of  the  strictest  honor  and  integrity,  he 
is  esteemed  for  his  many  excellent  traits  of 
character. 


/CHARLES  A.  GRONBERG,  of  Aurora, 
V->  Illinois,  is  a  representative  of  the 
Swedish-Americans  of  Kane  county,  which 
has  been  his  home  since  1854.  He  is  a  na- 
tive of  Sweden,  born  May  23,  1837,  and  is 
the  son  of  Charles  P.  and  Johanna  (Hem- 
ming) Gronberg,  both  of  whom  were  also 
natives  of  Sweden,  and  who  emigrated  to 
this  country  in  1853,  locating  first  in  Chi- 
cago. The  father  was  a  machinist  by  trade, 
and  in  1854  moved  to  Geneva,  and  found 
employment  in  the  reaper  factory,  at  that 
place.  Three  years  later  he  moved  to  Au- 
rora, started  a  factory,  and  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  reapers.  He  carried  on 
business  in  Aurora,  until  1872,  when  he 
moved  to  Elgin,  and  there  engaged  in  the 
same  business.  His  death  occurred  in  El- 
gin about  1 88 1,  his  good  wife  dying  some 
twenty  years  previously.  Of  their  family 


226 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  five  sons  and  one  daughter,  John  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Thirty-sixth  Regiment,  Illi- 
nois Volunteer  Infantry,  and  now  resides  in 
Evanston,  Illinois;  Otto  was  a  member  of 
the  Fifty-second  Regiment,  Illinois  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  and  after  the  war  served  for 
years  as  chief  engineer  at  the  asylum  at 
Elgin,  but  is  now  deceased;  Christine,  wife 
of  Charles  Barlow,  a  merchant  tailor  of 
Aurora;  Oscar,  an  employee  of  the  Elgin 
Watch  Factory;  and  Gustave,  also  in  the 
watch  factory  at  Elgin. 

The  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject 
were  spent  in  his  native  land,  and  when 
about  sixteen  years  old,  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  America.  In  the  old  country  he 
had  good  educational  advantages  in  his  own 
language,  and  also  in  the  German  tongue. 
On  coming  to  this  country,  he  attended 
school  at  Geneva  and  Montgomery,  that  he 
might  acquire  the  English  language.  With 
his  father  he  learned  the  trade,  and  also 
drawing,  becoming  a  superior  draughtsman. 
He  worked  in  the  factory  with  his  father, 
and  also  in  the  shops  in  Aurora  with  him, 
and  later  in  the  car  shops  at  Aurora.  In 
1886  he  went  to  Pullman,  Illinois,  as  fore- 
man in  the  machine  shops  at  that  place, 
continuing  there  until  1893,  since  which 
time  he  has  lived  retired.  While  in  Pull- 
man he  still  maintained  his  residence  in 
Aurora. 

Mr.  Gronberg  was  married  in  Rockford, 
Illinois,  in  1862,  to  Miss  Charlotte  Lin- 
guist, a  native  of  Sweden,  where  she  was 
reared  and  educated.  By  this  union  were 
two  daughters,  Alma  and  Esther  Iliana. 
The  former  holds  a  position  with  the  Prang 
Educational  Company,  of  Chicago.  The 
latter  also  holds  a  position  in  a  business 
house  in  Chicago.  Immediately  after  mar- 
riage, Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gronberg  located  in 


Aurora,  and  two  years  later  he  built  a  resi- 
dence on  River  street,  where  they  resided 
about  eighteen  years.  He  then  erected  his 
present  residence  on  233  West  Park  avenue, 
and  since  1882  it  has  been  their  home. 

Politically  Mr.  Gronberg  is  a  steadfast 
Republican,  with  which  party  he  has  been 
identified  since  casting  his  first  presidential 
ballot  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  in  1860.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
church,  of  which  body  his  wife  is  also  a 
member.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Master  Mason. 
As  a  citizen  he  has  ever  been  willing  to  do 
his  part,  to  advance  the  material  interests 
of  his  adopted  city  and  county.  For  forty- 
four  years  he  has  gone  in  and  out  among 
the  people  of  Kane  county,  with  whom  he 
is  held  in  the  highest  respect. 


FRED  R.  BRILL,  the  efficient  postmas- 
ter of  Hampshire,  Kane  county,  Illi- 
nois, was  born  in  Shaumburg,  Cook  county, 
Illinois,  January  5,  1870,  and  with  his  par- 
ents came  to  Hampshire  in  1876.  Here  he 
attended  the  village  school  until  the  age 
of  fourteen,  then  worked  in  a  grist-mill 
for  his  father  for  three  years,  and  then 
he  entered  the  office  of  the  Hampshire 
"Register,"  under  the  control  of  G.  E. 
Sisley,  and  after  thoroughly  mastering 
the  trade  and  having  also  considerable  ex- 
perience in  editorial  work,  in  1889,  in  part- 
nership with  C.  H.  Backus,  they  purchased 
the  plant  and  continued  the  publication  of 
the  paper,  with  our  subject  as  editor  until 
1892,  when  he  purchased  Mr.  Backus'  in- 
terest and  alone  continued  its  publication. 
Having  received  the  appointment  as  post- 
master of  Hampshire,  on  July  i,  1897,  he 
took  his  brother,  William  C.  Brill,  into 
partnership,  and  the  duties  of  editor  and 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


227 


manager  devolved  upon  the  junior  member. 
One  year  later  the  plant  was  leased  to  Will- 
iam C.  Brill,  who  is  now  in  full  control  of 
the  paper. 

Mr.  Brill  was  married  in  Hampshire,  to 
Miss  Nellie  M.  Backus,  a  native  of  Chap- 
lain, Connecticut,  and  a  daughter  of  Jirah 
L.  Backus,  of  which  further  mention  is 
made  in  the  sketch  of  C.  H.  Backus,  found 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  Although  deprived 
of  as  extensive  schooling  as  he  desired,  Mr. 
Brill  through  the  educational  advantages  of 
his  profession,  made  up  that  deficiency,  and 
ambitious  of  learning,  has  completed  the 
Chautauqua  course  and  pursued  independ- 
ent study,  until  he  is  possessed  of  a  liberal 
education,  which  is  above  the  average.  He 
is  fond  of  good  books  and  knows  how  to  use 
them. 

In  politics  Mr.  Brill  is  a  stanch  Republic- 
an and  is  a  local  leader  in  politics.  He 
has  attended  various  county,  district,  state 
and  national  conventions  of  his  party,  and 
in  the  great  convention  at  St.  Louis  in 
1896,  in  which  William  McKinley  was  nom- 
inated for  President,  he  served  as  assistant 
sergeant-at-artns.  For  six  years  prior  to 
his  appointment  as  postmaster  he  served  as 
clerk  of  the  village  and  township.  Frater- 
nally he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Knights  of  the 
Globe,  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and 
Royal  Neighbors.  In  each  of  these  orders 
he  has  filled  nearly  ail  the  official  chairs. 

John  Brill,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  the  village  of  Abterote,  Hessen 
Cassel,  Germany,  April  27,  1831.  He  is 
the  son  of  Martin  Brill,  also  a  native  of 
Germany,  who  followed  farming  and  lime 
burning  in  the  old  country,  where  his  entire 
life  was  spent,  he  dying  in  1849,  at  the  age 
of  about  fifty  years.  John  Brill  attended 


the  common  and  Latin  schools  in  Germany, 
until  the  age  of  fourteen.  For  some  years 
he  lived  in  Albungen,  where  he  married 
Martha  Seppel,  a  native  of  that  city,  and  in 
1851  they  emigrated  to  America,  sailing 
March  i  from  Bremen,  on  the  sailing  vessel 
Victoria,  and  after  a  voyage  of  six  weeks 
landed  at  Baltimore.  From  that  city  he 
came  west  to  Chicago,  where  he  lived  one 
month,  and  then  located  at  Hoosier  Grove, 
Cook  county,  where  he  followed  his  trade  of 
shoemaking  six  years.  In  1875,  he  moved 
to  Hampshire,  followed  his  trade  a  short 
time,  and  then  engaged  in  other  lines  of 
business  for  six  years.  In  1883  he  bought 
the  mill  at  Hampshire,  and  ran  the  same 
until  1896,  when  he  sold  out  and  retired, 
and  is  now  living  in  a  comfortable  home  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  village. 

William  C.  Brill,  the  brother  and  part- 
ner of  our  subject  in  1897-8,  was  born  in 
Hampshire,  April  24,  1875,  and  received  his 
education  in  the  village  schools,  graduating 
from  the  high  school  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen. Since  boyhood  he  worked  in  his 
father's  mill  during  vacation,  and  when  out 
of  school.  He  became  an  expert  engineer, 
and  passed  the  state  examination  for  an  en- 
gineer's certificate,  before  attaining  the  age 
required  for  such  certificate.  Having  also 
spent  much  spare  time  in  his  brother's 
printing  office,  he  learned  type-setting  and 
press  work,  so  when  his  father  sold  his  mill 
in  1895,  William  C.  entered  the  printing 
office,  and,  as  Before  stated,  became  a  part- 
ner in  the  publication  of  the  paper  in  1897. 

In  addition  to  the  work  in  the  office  of 
the  "Register,"  he  had  some  experience  in 
editorial  work  elsewhere.  While  Mr.  G.  E. 
Sisley,  of  the  "  Genoa  Issue,"  was  absent, 
attending  to  his  duties  as  clerk  of  the  state 
senate,  he  did  editorial  work  on  his  paper. 


228 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


He  was  also  employed  three  or  four  months 
on  the  "  Harvard  Herald."  A  ready  and 
fluent  writer,  he  is  making  of  the  "  Regi- 
ter"  a  No.  i  home  paper.  Fraternally  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  the  Globe, 
and  politically  he  is  a  Republican. 


SIMON  P.  BROWN,  M.  D.,  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  leading  physicians 
of  Kane  county.  His  office  is  room  18, 
Spurling  Block,  Elgin,  and  he  has  been  a 
resident  of  the  city  since  1874,  during  which 
time  he  has  built  up  an  extensive  practice. 
He  is  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  born  in 
Concord,  June  11,  1832,  and  is  a  son  of 
Manley  H.  and  Hannah  (Martin)  Brown, 
the  former  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  the 
latter  of  New  Hampshire. 

The  Browns  are  of  English  descent,  the 
first  representative  of  the  family  coming  to 
this  country  early  in  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, locating  in  Providence,  Rhode  Island. 
Rudolphus  Brown,  the  paternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Orange  coun- 
ty, Vermont,  and  died  at  the  place  where 
he  was  born  and  reared.  By  occupation  he 
was  a  farmer.  Of  his  family  of  fifteen  chil- 
dren, Manly  H.,  our  subject's  father,  was 
the  youngest.  Jacob  Martin,  the  maternal 
grandfather,  was  a  native  of  Scotland.  On 
coming  to  this  country  he  located  in  New 
Hampshire,  and  on  the  farm  selected  on  his 
arrival  lived,  and  died  at  the  age  of  about 
seventy-six  years. 

Manley  H.  Brown  grew  to  manhood  in 
his  native  state,  and  there  learned  the  tan- 
ner and  currier  trade.  He  was  a  man  of 
more  than  ordinary  ability,  and  while  living 
in  the  east  served  as  captain  of  a  company 
in  the  state  militia,  and  also  served  as 
justice  of  the  peace.  His  marriage  with 


Hannah  Martin  was  celebrated  while  living 
in  New  Hampshire  in  1831.  With  a  laud- 
able desire  to  better  himself  and  give  his 
children  better  opportunities  to  advance  in 
this  world,  he  came  west  with  his  family  in 
1843,  ar"d  located  on  a  farm  in  Du  Page 
county.  His  ability  was  soon  recognized  by 
his  neighbors,  and  in  1846  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  legislature  from  Du  Page 
county,  but  died  the  same  year  before  tak- 
ing his  seat,  while  in  his  thirty-seventh  year. 
His  wife  died  in  1840.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  four  sons  and  one  daughter,  of  whom 
our  subject  is  the  oldest. 

Simon  Preston  Brown  was  eleven  years 
of  age  when  he  accompanied  his  parents 
west.  While  in  his  native  state  he  attended 
the  public  schools,  and  on  coming  to  Illi- 
nois he  attended  first  the  Warrenville  Acad- 
emy and  later  entered  Wheaton  College, 
where  he  pursued  his  studies  about  two 
years.  In  1856  he  began  studying  medicine 
at  Danby,  Illinois,  with  Drs.  Newton  and 
Potter,  and  in  1860  entered  Rush  Medical 
College,  Chicago,  graduating  from  that  in- 
stitution in  the  spring  of  1868. 

On  receiving  his  diploma  Dr.  Brown 
went  to  Arlington  Heights,  Illinois,  where 
he  opened  an  office  and  commenced  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  He  continued 
there  with  good  success  for  eight  years, 
and  then  went  to  Polatine  where  he  re- 
mained two  years.  Desiring  a  more  ex- 
tended field  he  came  to  Elgin,  where  he 
has  now  been  some  twenty-four  years. 
While  engaged  in  general  practice,  he  has 
made  a  specialty  of  diseases  of  Women, 
and  on  that  subject  is  an  acknowledged 
authority.  His  practice  has  been  for  years 
a  large  and  extensive  one,  and  his  success 
has  been  such  as  to  warrant  it. 

On  the    isth    of    October,     1863,    Dr. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


229 


Brown  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Mary  Hitchcock,  of  DuPage  county,  daugh- 
ter of  Earl  and  Mary  (Miller)  Hitchcock. 
By  this  union  seven  children  have  been  born, 
namely:  Frank  died  June  3,  1892;  Kate 
died  November  15,  1894;  Harriet  Ann  is 
now  the  wife  of  George  E.  Haskell,  of 
Grand  Junction,  Colorado;  William  is  at 
home;  Georgia  and  Mary  Jeannette  both 
died  in  infancy;  and  Cora  J.  is  at  home. 

The  Doctor  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Universalist  church,  of  Elgin,  and  fra- 
ternally he  is  a  member  of  Palatine  lodge, 
F.  &  A.  M.;  Palatine  chapter,  R.  A.  M.; 
and  Chicago  consistory.  Politically  he  is 
a  Democrat,  and  while  he  takes  that  inter- 
est in  political  affairs  that  all  patriotic 
American  citizens  should  take,  he  has  never 
sought  official  position,  perferring  to  give 
his  time  to  his  professional  duties.  Profes- 
sionally he  is  a  member  of  the  Fox  River 
Medical  Association,  and  in  its  work  has 
taken  an  active  interest. 

The  Doctor  resides  with  his  family  in  a 
comfortable  home  at  No.  402  North  Spring 
street,  Elgin.  He  has  been  prospered  in  a 
financial  way,  and  in  addition  to  his  city 
residence  has  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  thirty-four  acres  five  miles  south  of 
Elgin,  and  one  near  Palatine,  Cook  county, 
of  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  A  resi- 
dent of  the  state  a  period  of  fifty-five  long 
years,  and  a  practitioner  of  thirty  years,  he 
has  been  brought  in  contact  with  the  best 
people  of  Cook,  DuPage  and  Kane  counties, 
and  his  friends  are  numerous  in  each.  By 
all  who  know  him  he  is  held  in  the  highest 
esteem. 


SAMUEL    SWITZER,    section    15,    St. 
Charles  township,    is   actively  engaged 
in  farming  and  in  dairying,  two  and  a  half 


miles  north  of  the  city  of  St.  Charles.  He  is 
numbered  among  the  settlers  of  1 849,  and  is  a 
native  of  Canada,  born  near  Toronto,  May  8, 
1829.  He  is  the  son  of  Joseph  Switzer,  a 
native  of  Ireland,  who  went  to  Canada  a 
young  man,  with  his  father,  Samuel  Switzer, 
who  settled  near  Toronto.  He  there  mar- 
ried Selina  Switzer,  a  native  of  New  Jersey, 
but  reared  in  Canada.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  ten  children,  all  of  whom  grew  to 
mature  years,  save  one.  In  order  of  birth 
they  are  as  follows:  Samuel,  of  this  review; 
Martin,  a  farmer  residing  in  St.  Charles 
township;  Charles,  of  St.  Charles;  Sarah, 
wife  of  E.  W.  Blackman,  of  Elgin;  Mary 
Ann,  wife  of  I.  C.  Towner,  of  Elgin;  Eliza- 
beth, who  married  Stephen  Gates,  is  now 
deceased;  Russell,  who  resides  with  our 
subject;  William  H.,  a  farmer  residing  in 
California;  and  Jabez,  who  resides  in  Pin- 
gree  Grove,  Illinois. 

In  1849,  Joseph  Switzer  came  to  Illi- 
nois, and  located  in  St.  Charles  township, 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  where  he  purchased 
a  farm  of  over  four  hundred  acres,  and  here 
died  in  1853.  His  wife  died  in  Canada, 
just  previous  to  his  removal  to  the  States. 
Samuel  Switzer,  our  subject,  was  twenty 
years  old  when  he  came  with  the  family  to 
Kane  county  In  his  native  country,  he  re- 
ceived a  fairly  good  education  in  the 
Churchville  Academy.  He  remained  on  the 
farm  with  his  father,  until  the  latter's  death. 
On  the  sixteenth  of  June,  1853,  in  Kane 
county,  he  married  Harriet  Louisa  Towner, 
a  native  of  Lower  Canada,  born  near  Mont- 
real, where  she  remained  until  sixteen  years 
of  age,  when  she  came  to  Kane  county,  her 
father,  William  A.  Towner,  and  family 
coining  several  years  after  her  arrival.  His 
last  days  were  spent  at  the  residence  of 
his  son  in  Elgin.  By  this  union  are  six 


230 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


living  children  as  follows:  Philene  M.,  wife 
of  M.  W.  Stanhope,  of  Elgin;  Joseph  E. , 
married  and  is  a  contractor  residing  in  St. 
Charles;  Florilla,  wife  of  Walter  Hare,  of 
St.  Charles,  Illinois;  Mary  S.,  wife  of 
Donald  McDonald,  of  Brookwalter,  Pawnee 
county,  Nebraska;  Hattie  M.,  wife  of  C. 
Arthur  Purcell,  of  New  Haven,  Connecticut; 
and  Nellie  M.,  wife  of  George  Simmons, 
who  is  assisting  in  managing  the  home 
farm.  They  have  lost  three  sons  and  two 
daughters — Henry  C. ,  who  grew  to  the  age 
of  twenty-two  years;  I.  C. ,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  eighteen;  Grant,  who  died  in  child- 
hood; Kate  C. ,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen years;  and  Alice.  Belle,  who  died  in 
childhood.  They  are  also  the  grandparents 
of  ten  children. 

Soon  after  marriage,  Mr.  Switzer  located 
on  a  part  of  the  old  homestead,  having  suc- 
ceeded to  one  hundred  acres.  After  re- 
maining upon  that  place  three  years,  he  sold 
out  and  moved  to  Palatine,  Cook  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  and 
there  remained  twelve  years.  About  1867, 
he  came  back  to  Kane  county,  and  purchased 
the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  which  since 
coming  into  his  possession  has  been  greatly 
improved.  Since  residing  here  he  has  built 
a  large  residence,  three  good  barns,  erected 
a  pump  and  wind  mill  for  grinding  feed,  and 
otherwise  improved  the  place,  making  it  one 
of  the  best  farms  on  Fox  River,  on  which  it 
is  located.  For  some  years  he  has  been 
principally  engaged  in  dairying  and  has  kept 
on  an  average  about  thirty  cows. 

Since  1856,  when  he  gave  his  support  to 
John  C.  Fremont,  he  has  voted  the  Repub- 
lican ticket  at  every  presidential  election. 
While  always  interested  in  political  affairs, 
he  has  never  held  office.  For  forty-eight  long 
years  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Kane  coun- 


ty, and  in  that  time  he  has  done  much 
towards  its  growth  and  development.  On 
the  2  ist  of  March,  1889,  he  lost  his  resi- 
dence and  household  effects  by  fire,  which 
was  a  very  severe  loss.  With  characteristic 
energy,  he  rebuilt  better  than  ever.  Mr. 
Switzer  is  well  known  in  Kane  county,  and 
he  and  his  estimable  wife  are  honored  and 
respected  by  all  who  know  them. 


PERSONS  C.  GILBERT,  deceased,  was 
for  many  years  one  of  the  leading  agri- 
culturists and  representative  citizens  of  El- 
gin township,  Kane  county,  but  spent  his 
last  years  in  retirement  in  the  city  of  Elgin, 
where  he  was  also  numbered  among  the 
valued  and  highly  respected  citizens.  He 
was  born  in  Cassanovia,  New  York,  Octo- 
ber 23,  1812,  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Sarah 
(Wells)  Gilbert.  The  father,  born  August 
29,  '789.  died  in  1816,  and  the  mother, 
born  March  25,  1790,  departed  this  life  in 
1889,  when  in  her  one  hundredth  year.  At 
the  age  of  eighty-four  she  came  from  the 
east  all  alone  to  visit  friends  in  Elgin.  She 
was  a  cultured  and  refined  lady  of  pleasing 
presence  and  was  always  very  active.  Our 
subject  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth  in 
the  family  of  three  children,  the  others  be- 
ing George,  a  farmer,  who  died  in  New 
York  state;  and  Mary  Ann,  who  married 
Gardner  Wescote  and  both  are  now  de- 
ceased. 

Being  only  four  years  old  at  the  time  of 
his  father's  death,  Persons  C.  Gilbert  was 
reared  by  his  grandparents,  Theodore  and 
Lydia  (Albard)  Gilbert,  of  Cassanovia,  New 
York,  remainingwith  them  until  he  attained 
his  fifteenth  year,  and  acquiring  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools.  Twice  he  un- 


Of 


Of 


PERSONS  C.  GILBERT. 


MRS.   P.  C.  GILBERT. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


233 


dertook  to  learn  a  trade,  but  was  obliged  to 
give  it  up  owing  to  ill  health. 

In  his  native  state  Mr.  Gilbert  worked  at 
farm  labor  until  twenty-three  years  of  age, 
when,  in  1835,  he  came  to  Illinois  with  two 
aunts — Fannie,  wife  of  Dr.  Nathan  Collins, 
who  settled  at  St.  Charles;  and  Emeline, 
wife  of  Dr.  Joseph  Tefft,  who  located  in 
Elgin.  The  journey  was  made  in  two 
wagons,  each  drawn  by  three  horses,  one 
wagon  containing  Dr.  Collins'  family,  and 
also  Dr.  Tefft's.  They  were  accompanied 
by  Jonathan  Tefft  and  family  in  the  other 
wagon.  These  physicians  were  important 
factors  in  the  new  settlement,  where  fever 
and  ague  held  sway,  and  at  an  early  day 
their  practice  extended  over  a  wide  territory. 
Dr.  Tefft  was  the  first  physician  to  locate  in 
Elgin,  and  for  many  years  was  its  most 
prominent  one.  Later  he  was  elected  pres- 
ident of  the  Elgin  Academy  and  served  in 
that  capacity  until  his  death.  He  was  wide- 
ly and  favorably  known  both  as  a  physician 
and  educator,  was  president  of  the  Scientific 
Society,  and  was  the  first  mayor  of  Elgin, 
serving  as  such  two  terms.  He  was  born 
August  29,  1812,  and  died  in  1888,  being 
buried  on  the  seventy-sixth  anniversary  of 
his  birth.  His  first  wife,  Mrs.  Emeline 
(Gilbert)  Tefft,  died  August  18,  1844,  and 
the  two  children  born  to  them  are  also  de- 
ceased. For  his  second  wife  Dr.  Tefft 
married  Mrs.  Lavina  Ormsby,  who  died  in 
July,  1897,  whenever  eighty  years  of  age, 
and  to  them  was  born  a  son,  Dr.  L.  E. 
Tefft.  The  mother  had  a  daughter  by  her 
first  marriage,  Cornelia  Ormsby,  now  Mrs. 
Strothers,  of  Texas. 

After  coming  to  Kane  county,  Mr.  Gil- 
bert took  up  a  tract  of  government  land  and 
subsequently  purchased  a  claim,  the  first 

tract  being  the  present  site  of  the  shoe  fac- 
11 


tory  in  Elgin.  He  was  a  very  successful 
farmer,  owning  at  one  time  several  fine 
farms,  including  the  old  homestead,  which 
originally  contained  two  hundred  and  twelve 
acres,  and  after  selling  a  right  of  way  to  a 
railroad  company  still  comprised  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres.  He  continued  to  re- 
side upon  that  place  until  1843,  when  they 
removed  to  the  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
seventy-six  acres  on  the  St.  Charles  road, 
adjoining  the  city  limits  of  Elgin,  where 
they  resided  until  their  removal  to  the  city 
of  Elgin  in  1 869,  locating  on  the  lot  where 
his  widow  still  lives.  His  fellow-citizens 
recognizing  his  worth  and  ability,  offered 
him  the  nomination  of  mayor  of  the  city, 
but  he  refused  all  public  positions,  only 
serving  as  a  member  of  the  school  board,  as 
he  always-  topk  a  deep  interest  in  educational 
affairs.  Politically  he  was  first  a  Whig  and 
later  a  Republican.  He  was  a  man  of  ex- 
cellent business  qualifications,  was  enter- 
prising and  industrious,  and  was  justly  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  valued  and  useful  citi- 
zens of  his  community.  Wherever  he  went 
he  commanded  the  respect  and  confidence 
of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  He 
died  April  22,  1895. 

On  the  30th  of  September,  1840,  Mr. 
Gilbert  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Louisa  Tefft,  who  was  born  in  New  York,  a 
daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Elizabeth  (Col- 
lins) Tefft,  the  former  a  native  of  Rhode 
Island,  the  latter  of  Poughkeepsie,  New 
York.  Her  paternal  grandparents  were 
Jeremiah  and  Rhoda  (Hoxie)  Tefft,  also  na- 
tives of  Rhode  Island,  and  they  died  in  1823 
and  1832,  respectively.  The  maternal  grand- 
parents were  Solomon  and  Sarah  (Perry) 
Collins,  the  latter  a  cousin  of  Commodore 
Perry.  Mrs.  Gilbert  still  lives  at  the  old 
home  in  Elgin,  where  she  is  surrounded  by 


234 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


many  warm  friends  and  acquaintances  who 
appreciate  her  sterling  worth  and  many  ex- 
cellencies of  character. 

The  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gil- 
bert were  as  follows:  (i)  George  P.,  born 
August  20,  1841,  began  his  education  in  a 
private  school  and  later  became  one  of  the 
first  students  in  the  Elgin  Academy.  He 
was  a  bright  young  man  and  was  his  father's 
able  assistant  on  the  farm  until  July,  1861, 
when  he  responded  to  President  Lincoln's 
first  call  for  three  hundred  thousand  volun- 
teers, being  one  of  the  first  of  the  town  to 
enlist.  As  a  member  of  Company  A,  Sev- 
enth Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  he  went  to 
the  front  and  assisted  in  the  destruction  of 
a  railroad.  While  thus  employed  he  was 
drenched  by  a  cold  rain,  from  the  effects  of 
which  he  took  a  violent  cold  which  settled 
on  his  lungs,  causing  his  death.  He  died 
on  his  way  back  to  Cairo,  Illinois,  February 
4,  1862,  and  while  on  this  journey  his  regi- 
ment took  part  in  their  first  battle,  that  of 
Fort  Henry,  Tennessee.  (2)  Melissa,  born 
August  i,  1843,  died  August  25,  1844.  (3) 
Mary  G.  is  now  the  widow  of  A.  D.  Martin, 
of  Elgin,  by  whom  she  had  two  children: 
Percy  G.  and  Alia  May.  Percy  married 
Leah  McComb  and  has  two  children,  Earl 
G.  and  Harry  P.  (4)  Ada  H.  Baird,  an 
adopted  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gilbert, 
always  found  a  happy  home  with  them. 
She  is  now  the  wife  of  George  W.  Hinsdale, 
of  Elgin,  and  has  two  children,  Lillian  and 
Ray  W. 


JAMES  WALKER,  ex-mayor  of  Aurora, 
and  for  forty-one  years  foreman  of  the 
blacksmith    department    of    the    Chicago, 
Burlington    &   Quincy    railroad   at    Aurora, 
was  born  in  Wilmington,  Delaware,  Novem- 


ber 20,  1834,  and  is  the  son  of  William  and 
Demaris  (Patchet)  Walker.  Early  in  1841 
the  family  emigrated  from  Delaware  to  De- 
troit, Michigan,  and  while  en  route,  at  Har- 
risburg,  Pennsylvania,  they  received  the 
news  of  the  sudden  death  of  President  Har- 
rison. Soon  after  their  arrival  in  Detroit 
the  father  was  taken  down  with  typhoid 
fever,  from  which  he  never  recovered.  The 
mother  long  survived  him,  dying  at  the  age 
of  eighty-four  years.  They  were  both  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  church,  and  lived  and 
died  in  the  faith.  Of  their  family  of  seven 
children  our  subject  was  second  in  order  of 
birth,  and  of  the  number  six  are  still  liv- 
ing, and  all  save  our  subject  reside  in  Mich- 
igan. 

James  Walker  was  but  seven  years  old 
when  his  parents  settled  at  Detroit,  Michi- 
gan. He  there  grew  to  manhood,  and  in 
his  youth  began  to  learn  the  blacksmith  and 
machinist  trade,  which  he  has  followed 
throughout  life.  After  obtaining  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  his  trade,  when  but 
nineteen  years  of  age,  he  was  chosen  to 
take  charge  of  the  blacksmithing  depart- 
ment of  the  Chicago  Steam  Engine  Works, 
in  Chicago.  This  responsible  position  he 
held  until  chosen  to  hold  a  position  with 
what  is  now  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern 
Railroad  Company.  On  the  ist  of  June, 
1857,  he  accepted  a  position  with  the  Chi- 
cago, Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  Com- 
pany as  foreman  of  their  blacksmith  shop 
at  Aurora,  with  which  corporation -he  has 
since  been  connected,  a  term  of  service 
which  is  without  a  parallel  in  the  state  for 
long,  efficient  and  satisfactory  service.  He 
has  from  sixty  to  one  hundred  men  under 
his  supervision. 

Mr.  Walker  was  married  in  1856  to  Miss 
Jane  Ann  Atkinson,  of  Chicago,  daughter  of 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


235 


William  and  Hannah  Atkinson,  the  latter 
still  residing  in  Chicago,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
six  years,  with  mind  as  clear  as  ever.  By 
this  union  there  has  been  one  child,  Alice, 
now  the  wife  of  C.  C.  Nichols,  of  Aurora. 
Mrs.  Walker  is  an  active  and  honored  mem- 
ber of  the  Eastern  Star,  and  is  a  past  grand 
matron  of  the  state  of  Illinois.  She  is  a 
lady  of  culture  and  refinement,  and  in  every 
way  worthy  to  fill  the  high  position  in  the 
state  to  which  she  has  been  chosen.  At 
present  she  is  president  of  the  board  of 
trustees  of  the  Masonic  and  Eastern  Star 
Home  of  Illinois,  located  at  Macon.  Her 
daughter,  Mrs.  Nichols,  is  a  co-worker  with 
her  in  the  order,  while  Mr.  Nichols  takes 
high  rank  with  the  brethren,  at  present  hold- 
ing the  position  of  grand  lecturer  of  Royal 
Arch  Masonry  of  Illinois. 

In  politics  Mr.  Walker  is  a  Republican 
and  has  been  honored  by  the  citizens  of 
Aurora  with  the  highest  office  in  their  gift, 
being  unanimously  elected  as  mayor  in 
1870,  and  serving  one  term  with  credit  to 
all  concerned,  While  serving  as  mayor, 
great  improvement  was  made  in  the  streets 
by  graveling.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  order,  having  obtained  the 
thirty-second  degree.  He  is  deeply  inter- 
ested yet,  as  he  always  has  been,  in  public 
affairs  and  the  good  of  the  community  where 
he  has  so  long  resided.  He  is  genial,  court- 
eous, enterprising  and  progressive,  of  com- 
mendable public  spirit,  and  the  highest  in- 
tegrity, and  reflects  credit  on  the  commun- 
ity which  has  honored  him  in  the  highest 
office.  His  practical  knowledge  of  all  the 
details  of  his  business,  as  well  as  his  ac- 
quaintance with  men,  renders  him  a  most 
valuable  employee,  as  is  evinced  by  his  long 
continuance  in  so  important  a  position  in 
one  of  the  leading  railroad  companies  of  the 


Union.  When  the  dark  cloud  of  war  arose, 
Mr.  Walker  rendered  a  very  valuable  serv- 
ice in  raising  means  for  the  support  of  the 
soldiers  at  the  front,  and  their  families  at 
home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walker  are  highly 
respected  citizens,  and  are  justly  entitled  to 
the  high  social  position  they  now  occupy. 


JUDGE  HENRY  B.  WILLIS.— Illinois 
has  always  been  distinguished  for  the 
high  rank  of  her  bench  and  bar.  None  of 
the  western  states  can,  justly  boast  of  abler 
jurists  or  attorneys.  Many  of  them  have 
been  men  of  national  fame,  and  among 
those  whose  lives  have  been  passed  on  a 
quieter  plane  there  is  scarcely  a  town  or 
village  in  the  state  but  can  boast  of  one  or 
more  lawyers  capable  of  crossing  swords  in 
forensic  combat  with  any  of  the  distin- 
guished legal  lights  in  the  United  States.  In 
Judge  Willis  we  find  united  many  of  the 
rare  qualities  which  go  to  make  up  the  suc- 
cessful lawyer  and  jurist.  His  home  is  at 
No.  503  Prospect  street,  Elgin,  and  he  is 
now  serving  his  second  term  as  judge  of  the 
sixteenth  judicial  circuit. 

The  Judge  was  born  in  Bennington,  Ver- 
mont, May  8,  1849,  an<^  's  a  son  °f  David 
W.  and  Laura  (Haliday)  Willis,  also  natives 
of  the  Green  Mountain  state.  Four  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them,  but  two  died  in  in- 
fancy. The  only  brother  of  our  subject, 
Seneca  Willis,  is  now  a  farmer  of  Sycamore, 
Illinois.  The  father,  who  was  an  agricult- 
uralist, came  to  Illinois  in  1852  and  located 
in  Genoa,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  and 
reared  his  family.  In  1877  he  removed  to 
Sycamore,  where  he  died  September  23, 

1896,  when    past  the  age  of  seventy-nine 
years,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in   March, 

1897,  aged  seventy-two.      She  was  a  faith- 


236 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ful  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  Her 
father,  Joseph  Haliday,  also  a  native  of 
Vermont,  and  a  farmer  by  occupation,  came 
to  this  state  in  1855  and  located  in  Genoa, 
where  he  died  at  about  the  age  of  seventy- 
four.  In  his  family  were  six  children  who 
reached  years  of  maturity. 

Judge  Willis  was  reared  like  most  farmer 
boys  upon  the  home  farm  in  Genoa  town- 
ship, De  Kalb  county,  and  in  the  district 
schools  of  the  locality  he  began  his  educa- 
tion. Later  he  attended  Clark  Seminary 
at  Aurora,  Illinois,  and  Hillsdale  College  at 
Hillsdale,  Michigan.  In  1869  he  entered 
the  Albany  Law  School  of  Albany,  New 
York,  and  after  completing  the  prescribed 
course,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  that 
state  in  1870.  The  following  year  he  was 
granted  a  license  to  practice  in  the  courts 
of  Illinois,  and  in  1872  opened  an  office  in 
Elgin,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 

In  October,  1874,  Judge  Willis  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lucy,  daughter 
of  John  and  Betsy  (Hammond)  Wait,  and 
they  have  become  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren— Oliver  P.  and  Meribah  T.  The  Judge 
is  a  prominent  member  of  a  number  of  civic 
societies,  including  Monitor  lodge,  No.  522, 
F.  &  A.  M.;  Loyal  L.  Munn  chapter,  No. 
96,  R.  A.  M. ;  Everet  commandery,  K.  T. ; 
and  Medinah  Temple.  He  also  belongs 
to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  the 
Royal  Arcanum,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest 
members  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen  in  Elgin.  His  political  support  is 
given  the  Republican  party. 

After  four  years  of  successful  practice  in 
Elgin,  Judge  Willis  was  elected  state's  attor- 
ney of  Kane  county,  serving  in  that  posi- 
tion from  1876  until  1880.  He  also  filled 
the  office  of  mayor  of  Elgin  for  one  term 
and  during  that  time  was  instrumental  in 


securing  the  city  water  works.  In  June, 
1891,  he  was  first  selected  judge  of  the  cir- 
cuit court,  and  in  June,  1897,  was  re-elected 
to  that  position  which  he  had  so  capably 
and  satisfactorily  filled.  His  mind  is  ana- 
lytical, logical  and  inductive.  With  a  thor- 
ough and  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the 
fundamental  principles  of  law,  he  combines 
a  familiarity  with  statutory  law  and  a  sober, 
clear  judgment,  which  makes  him  not  only 
a  formidable  adversary  in  legal  combat,  but 
has  given  him  the  distinction  of  being  one 
of  the  ablest  jurists  of  the  state. 


HARRISON  H.  REAMS.— The  Reams 
family  originally  was  from  Alsace  or 
Loraine  in  the  valley  of  the  Rhine.  The 
earliest  ancestor  of  whom  anything  definite 
is  known  is  Henry  Reams,  a  native  of  Berks 
county,  Pennsylvania.  His  son,  Benjamin, 
born  in  Berks  county,  Pennsylvania,  moved 
to  Union  county  in  the  same  state,  where 
Levi,  the  father  of  our  subject  was  born. 
Benjamin  Reams  was  born  August  8,  1797, 
and  died  in  June,  1847.  He  married  Su- 
sanna Aurand,  a  native  of  Union  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  a  descendant  of  General 
Aurand,  who  was  an  officer  during  the  Revo- 
lutionary war  and  who  came  from  England 
prior  to  that  conflict. 

Levi  Reams  was  born  in  Buffalo  Valley, 
Union  county,  Pennsylvania,  June  1 1,  1826, 
and  with  his  parents  moved  to  Ohio  in  1832. 
In  1846  they  carne  further  west  to  Kane 
county,  Levi  having  preceded  the  family 
two  years.  Levi  worked  three  years  for  an 
uncle,  Henry  Decker,  then  married  and  be- 
gan life  for  himself.  Having  learned  the 
carpenter's  trade,  he  secured  remunerative 
employment,  saved  his  money  and  pur- 
chased land.  He  bought  and  sold  several 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


237 


tracts,  each  time  bettering  himself.  During 
the  war  for  the  Union  he  enlisted,  and  after 
serving  his  term  returned  and  purchased 
one  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Hampshire 
township,  near  Harmony,  McHenry  county, 
which  he  cultivated  ten  years,  sold  and 
bought  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  acres 
two  miles  from  Harmony,  which  he  owned 
until  1884,  when  he  sold  and  moved  to  Chi- 
cago, lived  there  six  months,  then  came  to 
the  village  of  Hampshire,  built  his  present 
house  and  has  lived  there  since. 

Levi  Reams  has  a  creditable  record  in 
the  army.  He  enlisted  February  i,  1864, 
and  served  faithfully  until  July  6,  1865. 
He  was  sent  first  to  Pulaski,  Tennessee, 
thence  to  Atlanta,  his  first  battle  being  at 
Dallas,  which  was  followed  by  Resaca,  Buz- 
zard's Roost,  and  ten  other  battles  of  the 
campaign  around  Atlanta.  He  was  on  the 
famous  march  to  the  sea.  He  received  his 
first  mail  for  many  weeks  at  Cape  Fear 
River.  At  Rossville,  North  Carolina,  he 
first  heard  of  Lee's  surrender.  With  his 
regiment  he  later  participated  in  the  grand 
review  at  Washington.  He  returned  through 
Wheeling,  West  Virginia,  and  Louisville, 
Kentucky,  to  Chicago,  where  he  was  finally 
discharged.  Of  his  father's  family,  he  and 
his  brother  Thomas  alone  survive.  His  eld- 
est brother,  John,  died  in  service  during  the 
Mexican  war.  His  brother  Samuel,  who 
recently  died  in  Hampshire,  also  served 
with  credit  through  the  Civil  war. 

Levi  Reams  first  married  Magdalena 
Schoemaker,  a  native  of  Alsace,  born  in 
1827,  and  who  came  to  America  in  1829, 
with  her  father,  Peter  Schoemaker,  who  was 
by  occupation  a  farmer.  She  died  June  6V 
1884.  By  this  marriage  there  were  nine 
children,  as  follows:  Louise,  wife  of  Charles 
Wiedmeyer,  of  Jacksonville,  Illinois;  George, 


who  lives  in  Hageman,  New  Mexico;  Israel, 
in  business  in  the  village  of  Hampshire; 
Lydia,  who  married  Frank  Nichols,  of  Chi- 
cago; Matilda,  who  married  Ernest  Wied- 
meyer, of  Virginia  City,  Illinois;  Harrison 
H.,  our  subject;  Jane,  who  married  Will- 
iam Daum,  a  farmer  in  Hampshire  town- 
ship; William,  a  minister  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  at  Cumberland,  Wisconsin; 
and  Emma,  at  present  making  her  home 
with  her  brother  George,  in  New  Mexico. 

Harrison  H.  Reams  was  born  in  Hamp- 
shire township,  July  26,  1860,  and  attended 
the  district  schools  until  the  age  of  twenty, 
in  the  meantime  assisting  in  the  cultivation 
of  the  home  farm.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
one,  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  he 
bought  one  hundred  and  twenty- four  acres  of 
land  in  Hampshire  township,  farmed  seven 
years,  sold  out  and  moved  to  the  village  of 
Hampshire,  in  1888,  where  he  began  the 
livery  and  transfer  business,  in  which  he  is 
meeting  with  good  success.  He  is  also  en- 
gaged in  feeding  and  dealing  in  thoroughbred 
horses,  French  Coach  and  Percheron.  He 
married  Lydia  Detmer,  of  Kane  county,  and 
a  daughter  of  A.  H.  Detmer.  In  politics 
Mr.  Reams  is  a  Republican,  and  for  nine 
years  served  as  highway  commissioner,  was 
six  years  a  member  of  the  village  board  of 
trustees,  and  is  at  present  deputy  sheriff  of 
Kane  county.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  and  of  lodge  No. 
730,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  at  Hampshire,  Illinois. 


DANIEL  B.   WATERMAN,  of  Aurora, 
Illinois,  is  numbered  among  the  pio- 
neers of  1843,  and  in  the  fifty-five  years  of 
his  residence  here  has  been  a  most  impor- 
tant factor  in  the  development  and  improve- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ment  of  the  place.  Not  alone  in  Aurora  has 
his  influence  for  good  been  felt,  but  through- 
out all  northern  Illinois.  He  was  born  in 
Rochester,  Monroe  county,  New  York,  and 
traces  his  ancestry  back  to  Richard  Water- 
man, who  emigrated  from  England  with 
Roger  Williams  in  the  ship  Lion,  and  who 
married  his  daughter,  Mary  Williams.  They 
first  settled  in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  from 
which  they  were  driven  out  on  account  of 
their  being  of  the  Quaker  faith.  Resolved 
Waterman,  the  son  of  Richard  and  Mary 
"(Williams)  Waterman,  was  born  in  Rhode 
Island,  and  his  son,  John  Waterman,  born 
in  Rhode  Island  in  1730,  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,  holding  a  colonel's  com- 
mission. His  son,  Benjamin  Waterman, 
was  the  father  of  Daniel  Waterman,  also 
a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  born  July  15, 

1789- 

Daniel  Waterm  in  grew  to  manhood  in 
Rhode  Island,  and  engaged  extensively  in 
the  manufacture  of  cotton  goods,  having 
three  large  mills.  Soon  after  the  close  of 
the  war  of  1812  he  moved  with  his  family 
to  Rochester,  New  York,  where  he  estab- 
lished himself  in  business,  and  a  little  later 
read  medicine,  and  engaged  in  practice  until 
his  death.  He  married  in  Rhode  Island, 
Sabra  Pierce,  a  native  of  Coventry,  Rhode 
Island,  born  September  7,  1785,  and  a 
daughter  of  Wheeler  Pierce,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  who  spent  the  last  years  of 
his  life  in  Rochester,  New  York,  dying  in 
January,  1858.  His  wife  died  many  years 
previously,  passingaway  in  1833.  To  Daniel 
and  Sabra  Waterman  six  children  were  born, 
who  grew  to  mature  years,  of  whom  our 
subject  is  the  oldest.  Hiram  M. ,  next  in 
order  of  birth,  is  a  farmer  and  printer  re- 
siding in  Orleans  county,  Nebraska;  Mrs. 
Dr.  A.  K.  Smith  resides  in  Chicago;  George 


G.,  for  many  years  a  prominent  man  and 
merchant  of  Aurora,  is  now  deceased;  Ann 
Eliza,  located  in  Waterloo,  New  York,  but 
died  at  the  residence  of  her  sister  at  Bridge- 
port, Connecticut;  and  Sabra  Caroline,  now 
deceased,  married  D.  S.  Thorpe,  and  lo- 
cated at  Bridgeoprt,  Connecticut. 

Daniel  B.  Waterman  was  born  April  2 1 , 
1821,  and  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  in 
Rochester.  New  York,  and  was  educated  in  its 
common  schools  and  Yates  County  Academy. 
In  1842,  after  reaching  his  majority,  he 
came  west  to  Indiana,  and  spent  one  sea- 
son, earning  sufficient  to  purchase  eighty 
acres  of  timber  land,  in  Whiteley  county. 
He  returned  to  Rochester,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1843  came  to  Aurora,  where  he  joined 
his  brother,  George  G.  Waterman,  who  had 
located  here  in  1837,  and  was  engaged  in 
the  hardware  trade  on  the  east  side.  He 
commenced  clerking  for  his  brother,  and  a 
little  later  purchased  an  interest  in  the  es- 
tablishment. In  the  fall  of  1849,  he  started 
in  business  alone,  on  the  west  side  in  a  very 
small  way,  putting  in  a  stock  of  sheet  iron, 
stoves,  etc.,  to  which  was  added  hardware 
the  following  year.  As  his  trade  increased 
he  added  to  his  stock  from  year  to  year, 
building  up  a  very  extensive  business,  which 
he  continued  until  about  1866,  when  he  sold 
out  to  engage  in  railroading.  Through  his 
personal  influence,  there  was  raised  about 
eight  hundred  thousand  dollars,  with  which 
to  build  the  Chicago  &  Iowa  railroad.  By 
the  governor  he  was  appointed  a  director  to 
represent  the  cities  and  townships  that  had 
subscribed  to  the  capital  stock.  The  city 
of  Aurora  subscribed  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars  to  the  stock  of  the  road,  issuing 
bonds  for  the  same  bearing  ten  per  cent  in- 
terest, taking  certified  stock  for  the  amount. 
Mr.  Waterman  continued  to  serve  as  a 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


239 


member  of  the  board  of  directors  until  1877. 
In  1870  the  people  of  Clinton,  DeKalb 
county,  along  the  line  of  said  road,  named 
the  station  Waterman  in  recognition  of  his 
service  in  the  completion  of  the  road,  at 
which  time,  owing  to  the  mismanagement 
of  its  president,  it  was  placed  in  the  hands 
of  a  receiver.  Previous  to  this  a  line  of 
road  had  been  completed  from  Rochelle  to 
Rockford,  of  which  Mr.  Waterman  was 
made  president,  and  it  was  later  leased  to 
the  Chicago  &  Iowa  railroad  as  a  feeder  to 
that  road.  In  1870  he  was  appointed  by 
Governor  Palmer  to  represent  the  stock 
subscribed  by  cities,  towns  and  counties 
under  the  law  existing  at  that  time,  and 
subsequently  Mr.  Waterman  was  elected  by 
the  directors  president  of  the  Chicago  & 
Iowa  railroad,  in  which  capacity  he 
continued  to  serve  for  six  or  seven 
years.  While  connected  with  the  road,  it" 
was  decided  by  the  people  of  Aurora  to  dis- 
pose of  the  stock  it  held  at  public  sale. 
Through  the  influence  of  Mr.  Waterman  it 
was  sold  for  one  hundred  and  thirty  thou- 
sand two  hundred  dollars.  With  the  pro- 
ceeds of  this  sale,  the  public  roads  of  Aurora 
were  graveled,  and  bridges  constructed  over 
Fox  river.  Mr.  Waterman  has  also  been 
connected  with  other  important  railroad 
enterprises  in  Illinois  and  Minnesota,  in- 
cluding the  -Chicago  &  Northwestern  rail- 
road. He  was  with  the  Northwestern  while 
it  was  being  built  through  Minnesota  and 
Dakota,  and  for  it  purchased  the  land,  se- 
cured the  right  of  way  and  located  the 
stations. 

Mr.  Waterman  was  married  in  Aurora, 
February  17,  1852,  to  Miss  Ann  White,  a 
native  of  Jefferson  county,  New  York,  and 
the  daughter  of  Harry  White,  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Blackberry  township,  where 


he  opened  up  a  farm  of  four  hundred  and 
twenty  acres.  By  this  union  there  was  one 
daughter,  Emma  Sabra,  who  grew  to  ma- 
ture years  and  died  February  4,  1875,  when 
in  her  twenty-second  year. 

Politically  Mr.  Waterman  was  originally 
a  Whig.and  beinga  strong  anti-slavery  man, 
he  later  identified  himself  with  the  Free-soil 
party,  and  was  a  delegate  to  the  convention 
that  nominated  James  H.  Woodruff,  of  Chi- 
cago, to  congress,  to  which  office  he  was 
elected.  On  the  organization  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  he  became  identified  with  it, 
and  has  since  been  a  stanch  advocate  of  its 
principles.  He  has  served  as  delegate  to 
various  state  and  county  conventions,  as  a 
Whig  and  Republican,  and  early  in  the 
fifties  was  a  Whig  candidate  for  the  legisla- 
ture. For  ten  years  he  served  as  alderman 
and  one  term  as  mayor  of  the  city.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  a  Mason,  and  member  of  the 
blue  lodge  and  chapter  of  Aurora.  As  a 
citizen  none  stands  higher  in  the  estimation 
of  his  fellow-men,  and  no  man  has  done 
more  for  the  material  interests  of  Aurora, 
than  has  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 


DANIEL  M.  McKINDLEY,  who  owns 
and  operates  a  valuable  and  well-im- 
proved farm  of  two  hundred  and  twelve 
acres,  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of  the  city  of 
St.  Charles,  and  which  is  known  as  the 
Glenmona  farm,  dates  his  residence  in  Illi- 
nois since  August,  1872,  and  in  Kane  coun- 
ty since  1 894.  He  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Belfast,  Ireland,  February  2,  1850,  where 
he  remained  until  thirteen  years  of  age. 
His  father,  Hugh  McKindley,  died  in  Bel- 
fast, and,  being  thrown  on  his  own  re- 
sources, Daniel  determined  to  come  to 
America  that  he  might  better  himself  in' 


240 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


life.  He  was  a  young  man  of  seventeen 
years,  and,  with  the  buoyancy  of  youth,  de- 
termined to  succeed  in  life.  Landing  in 
New  York  city,  he  remained  there  about 
one  year  and  then  went  to  Canada,  and 
there  worked  for  a  farmer  for  a  short  time, 
near  Montreal.  In  August,  1872,  he  came 
west  to  Chicago,  and  run  on  the  lakes  for 
one  season.  He  then  attended  the  Bryant 
&  Stratton  Commercial  College,  and  re- 
ceived a  fair  business  education.  For  a 
few  years  following  he  worked  in  a  grocery 
store,  and  then  engaged  in  the  coal  busi- 
ness, which  he  operated  with  success  for 
some  years.  In  1894  he  came  to  Raife 
county  and  bought  the  farm  where  he  has 
since  resided.  He  is  now  regarded  as  one 
of  the  active  and  enterprising  farmers  of 
the  county,  and  is  also  engaged  in  the  dairy 
business.  Since  coming  here  he  has  made 
some  substantial  improvements  on  the 
farm,  erecting  a  large  barn,  54x116  feet, 
with  a  basement,  a  large  carriage  house 
and  horse  barn,  put  in  a  wind  pump  and 
water  works,  both  for  his  residence  and 
barn,  and  it  is  now  one  of  the  most  valu- 
able places  in  the  township. 

Mr.  McKindley  married,  in  the  city  of 
Chicago,  December  29,  1886,  Miss  Hannah 
Carbine,  a  lady  of  fine  education,  and  a 
graduate  of  the  old  Chicago  Normal,  in  the 
class  of  '76.  Later  she  was  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful teachers  in  the  Chicago  schools, 
where  she  was  engaged  for  a  period  of  ten 
years.  She  was  born  and  reared  in  Chi- 
cago, and  is  the  daughter  of  James  Carbine, 
now  deceased.  She  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  board  of  directors  of  District  No.  6, 
St.  Charles  township,  the  first  lady  elected 
to  that  position,  and  being  a  practical 
teacher,  she  was  enabled  to  discharge  her 
duties  of  the  office  in  a  most  satisfactory 


manner.  She  later  resigned.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  McKindley  six  children  have  been  born, 
as  follows:  Daniel,  Hugh,  Innoc,  Virginia, 
Leo  and  Adelaide. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  McKindley  and  their  fam- 
ily are  members  of  the  Catholic  church  of 
St.  Charles.  Politically  he  is  an  independent, 
voting  for  men,  not  party.  Although  they 
have  resided  here  but  a  few  years,  they  have 
made  many  friends  in  that  time,  and  are 
held  in  high  esteem  because  of  their  many 
excellent  traits  of  character. 


WILLIAM  E.  MARSHALL,  one  of  the 
substantial  and  wide-awake  farmers 
of  Plato  township,  residing  on  section  25,  is 
the  son  of  George  P.  and  Mary  (Burton) 
Marshall,  the  former  a  native  of  Yorkshire, 
England,  born  May  9,  1817,  and  the  latter 
near  Montreal,  Canada,  in  the  town  of  Shar- 
rington,  August  14,  1825. 

The  boyhood  and  youth  of  George  P. 
Marshall  were  spent  in  his  native  land  and 
he  there  learned  the  carpenter's  trade, 
which  occupation  he  followed  for  some 
years.  In  1842  he  crossed  the  Atlantic,  lo- 
cating near  Montreal,  Canada,  where  his 
marriage  occurred.  In  1844  he  came  to 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  rented  a  farm  in 
Plato  township  for  two  years,  then  pur- 
chased seventy-seven  acres  in  sections  27 
and  28,  where  he  continued  to  farm  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  October  3,  1881. 
While  residing  in  England  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Odd  Fellows,  but  did  not  affiliate 
with  the  order  after  coming  to  America. 
A  man  of  unblemished  character,  he  com- 
manded the  highest  respect  of  all  who  knew 
him.  He  was  a  man  of  his  word  and  up- 
right in  his  dealings  with  his  fellowmen. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 


WILLIAM   E.   MARSHALL. 


MRS.  W.   E.   MARSHALL. 


0* 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


243 


James  Marshall,  married  Ann  Parker,  and 
lived  and  died  in  Yorkshire,  England.  The 
maternal  grandfather,  John  Burton,  was 
born  at  North  Burton,  Yorkshire,  England, 
a  town  named  for  one  of  his  ancestors.  He 
was  a  son  of  Richard  and  Mary  Burton. 
While  yet  residing  in  England  he  married 
Jane  Stringer,  born  in  Hull,  Yorkshire, 
England,  in  1794,  and  daughter  of  Richard 
and  Hannah  (Garbutt)  Stringer,  both  of 
Yorkshire,  England.  Her  death  occurred 
at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years.  In  1818 
John  Burton  emigrated  to  Canada  and  was 
killed  in  battle  during  the  Canadian  rebel- 
lion, while  in  the  service  of  the  crown. 

William  E.  Marshall  was  born  in  Elgin 
township,  December  25,  1847.  He  at- 
tended the  district  school  until  about  eight- 
een years  of  age,  and  remained  at  home  un- 
til thirty  years  old,  working  for  and  with  his 
father.  In  1878  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Agnes.  McKinnell,  daughter  of 
Peter  and  Jessie  (McDowell)  McKinnell. 
She  was  the  second  in  a  family  of  seven 
children  born  to  her  parents.  Her  father 
was  born  in  the  parish  of  Kirk  Kinner.Wig- 
tonshire,  Scotland,  June  26,  1825.  He 
was  the  son  of  James  McKinnell,  of  the 
same  parish,  who  married  Janet  Hawthorn, 
daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Cleave) 
Hawthorn.  Jessie  McDowell  was  born  in 
the  parish  of  Kirk  Kinner,  February  2, 
1834,  and  her  marriage  with  Peter  Mc- 
Kinnell occurred  in  that  parish  April  20, 
1854.  In  the  winter  of  1854-5  they  came 
to  America.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
Charles  McDowell,  who  married  Ellen  Pat- 
terson, of  the  same  parish,  and  a  daughter 
of  James  and  Janet  (McHarg)  Patterson. 
To  our  subject  and  his  wife  six  children 
.have  been  born — Charles  H.,  Jessie  May, 
Lucy,  Mary,  Hattie  and  Willie. 


Soon  after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Marshall 
rented  eighty  acres  in  Elgin  township,  for 
two  years,  then  rented  the  Sargent  farm 
two  years,  in  Plato  township,  and  the 
Roseburough  farm,  near  Udina,  one  year. 
He  then  went  to  DuPage  county,  and  lived 
upon  a  rented  farm,  near  Wayne,  one  year, 
when  he  returned  to  Elgin  township  and 
rented  the  George  Stringer  farm,  upon  which 
he  resided  seven  years.  In  1890  he  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  thirty  acres,  upon  which  he  has  since 
continued  to  reside,  and  for  some  years  has 
engaged  in  dairying,  usually  keeping  about 
sixty  head  of  cows,  and  shipping  the  product 
to  Chicago.  For  some  time  he  engaged  in 
raising  driving  horses,  principally  the  Ham- 
bletonian  stock.  His  farm  is  in  a  good  state 
of  cultivation,  having  on  it  a  good  dwelling 
house,  a  large  barn  and  various  outbuild- 
ings. Fraternally  Mr.  Marshall  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Silver  Leaf  camp,  No.  60,  M.  W.  A. 
Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  and  has  ac- 
ceptably filled  several  minor  official  positions 
in  his  township.  He  is  a  man  well  esteemed 
throughout  the  community  and  has  many 
warm  friends. 


f->EORGE  S.  CHISHOLM,  of  Elgin, 
\-t  residing  at  No.  306  Spring  street,  was 
born  in  La  Fayette  county,  Wisconsin, 
February  13,  1845,  a  son  °f  Robert  S.  and 
Sarah  (Van  Vaulkenburgh)  Chisholm,  in 
whose  family  were  the  following  named 
children:  One  daughter,  Frances,  died  at 
the  age  of  nine  years.  William  W.  is  a 
resident  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  and  is 
president  of  the  Bank  of  Commerce  there. 
O.  P.  was  formerly  an  attorney  of  Elgin 
and  represented  this  district  in  the  Illinois 
legislature,  but  is  now  a  resident  of  Boze- 


244 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


man,  Montana.  George  S.  is  next  in  order 
of  birth.  Robert  B.,  Jr.,  lives  in  Manhat- 
tan, Montana.  Mary  Emma  is  the  wife  of 
George  Bennett,  of  Geneva,  Illinois. 

The  father  was  a  man  of  marked  busi- 
ness ability,  was  the  discoverer  of  the  Emma 
mine,  named  in  honor  of  his  daughter,  and 
was  eminently  successful  in  his  mining  oper- 
ations, that  mine  alone  yielding  from  five 
to  six  hundred  thousand  dollars,  principally 
in  gold  and  silver.  It  is  located  twenty- 
seven  miles  southeast  of  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah,  in  the  Little  Cottonwood  district  in 
the  Wausatch  range  of  mountains.  At  an 
early  day  he  became  interested  in  lead  min- 
ing at  a  place  called  Benton,  twelve  miles 
east  of  Galena,  Illinois,  and  here  also  met 
with  success.  In  1851  with  an  ox  team  he 
crossed  the  plains  to  California  and  Nevada, 
where  he  engaged  in  mining  with  Captain 
Day,  of  Galena,  Illinois,  who  died  in  Ga- 
lena in  1895.  The  original  owners  of  the 
Emma  mine  were  Robert  B.  Chisholm, 
Captain  Day,  Captain  James  Smith,  of 
Chicago,  and  J.  F.  Woodman,  now  the 
president  of  the  Centennial  Eureka  mine, 
located  at  Eureka,  Utah,  eighty  miles  south 
of  Salt  Lake  City.  With  the  exception  of 
Captain  Smith,  the  others  were  associated 
in  the  mining  business  from  boyhood.  The 
father  of  our  subject  died  in  Oakland,  Cali- 
fornia, June  30,  1893,  at  the  age  of  seven- 
ty-eight years,  and  his  remains  were  brought 
back  to  Elgin  for  interment.  He  was  a 
Knight  Templar  Mason,  and  was  honored 
and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  His 
wife  died  in  1882  aged  fifty-two  years. 

George  S.  Chisholm  was  reared  princi- 
pally in  Elgin,  and  in  the  Elgin  Academy 
completed  his  literary  education.  For  some 
years  he  successfully  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  in  Du  Page  county,  Illinois,  where 


he  owned  a  fine  farm  of  four  hundred  acres, 
which  he  sold  about  ten  years  ago.  In 
connection  with  general  farming  he  was  also 
extensively  engaged  in  the  raising  of  fine 
stock,  making  a  specialty  of  Norman  horses, 
shorthorn  and  Durham  cattle  and  Poland 
China  hogs,  getting  his  stock  from  Ohio; 
but  in  1887  he  disposed  of  that  business  and 
has  since  devoted  his  time  and  attention  to 
his  mining  and  real-estate  interests.  The 
shares  of  the  Eureka  mine,  above  referred 
to,  are  owned  by  Mr.  Woodman,  George  S. 
Chisholm,  his  brothers,  William  W.,  O.  P., 
Robert  B.,  and  their  sister,  Mrs.  Bennett, 
William  W.  being  the  secretary  and  treas- 
urer of  the  company.  The  mine  has  now 
been  in  successful  operation  for  twenty 
years,  and  up  to  April  15,  1897,  had  paid 
in  the  way  of  dividends  two  million  and  ten 
thousand  dollars.  The  company  is  now 
testing  a  new  process  of  treating  ores  from 
this  property,  which,  if  successful,  a  plant 
will  be  erected  abundantly  large  enough  to 
care  for  all  the  ores  taken  from  the  mine. 
Both  gold  and  silver  are  here  mined  and 
also  a  certain  per  cent  of  copper. 

In  1872,  Mr.  Chisholm,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  was  married  to  Miss  Angeline 
Hatch,  a  daughter  of  James  C.  Hatch,  who 
is  now  ninety-four  years  of  age,  and  is  still 
well  preserved  both  physically  and  mental- 
ly. Her  mother  died  in  1877,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-five  years.  The  children  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chisholm  are:  Cora  May, 
Marie  Louise,  Archie  S.,  James  Harold, 
William  Wallace,  Olive  Edith,  and  George 
Edward,  who  are  all  living,  except  Cora 
May,  who  died  October  15,  1878,  and  Olive 
Edith,  who  died  on  the  ist  day  of  August, 
1896,  at  the  age  of  four  years. 

Mr.  Chisholm  takes  some  interest  in  po- 
litical affairs,  but  votes  rather  for  the  man 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


245 


than  for  the  party  which  he  represents. 
Socially,  he  is  a  prominent  Mason,  belong- 
ing to  Monitor  lodge,  No.  522,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  the  consistory  and  Medinah  Temple  of 
the  Mystic  Shrine  of  Chicago.  He  also 
belongs  to  the  Uniformed  Rank,  Knights  of 
Pythias.  He  takes  a  deep  interest  in  every- 
thing pertaining  to  the  public  welfare  of  his 
adopted  city,  and  withholds  his  support 
from  no  enterprise  calculated  to  prove  of 
public  benefit.  His  wife  is  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  church,  also  a  member 
of  the  Elgin  Woman's  Club  and  the  Elgin 
Philharmonic  Society,  and  in  the  social 
circles  of  Elgin  they  occupy  an  enviable  po- 
sition. 


HON.  SILVANUS  WILCOX,  ex-judge 
of  the  twenty-seventh  judicial  circuit 
of  Illinois,  now  residing  on  the  corner  of 
Bridge  and  West  Chicago  streets,  Elgin,  is 
one  of  the  best-known  and  most  distin- 
guished citizens  of  Kane  county.  He  was 
born  in  Charleston,  Montgomery  county, 
New  York,  September  30,  1818,  and  is  a 
son  of  Elijah  and  Sally  (Shuler)  Wilcox, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  New  York, 
the  former  born  in  Charles,  and  the  latter 
in  the  town  of  Florida,  Montgomery  county. 
Of  their  ten  children,  eight  grew  to  manhood 
and  womanhood,  and  five  are  yet  living — 
Silvanus,  our  subject;  Hannah  Maria,  wife 
of  Charles  R.  Collins,  of  Elgin;  Edward 
Sanford,  of  Cloud  Chief,  Oklahoma;  John 
S.,  of  Elgin;  and  Captain  William  H.,  also 
of  Elgin. 

Elijah  Wilcox  was  a  man  of  marked 
ability,  and  in  his  native  state  was  duly 
honored  by  his  fellowmen.  For  some  years 
he  served  as  county  commissioner  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  was  collector  of  toll  on  the 


Erie  canal,  and  held  various  town  offices. 
He  also  served  as  general  in  the  state 
militia.  By  occupation  he  was  a  farmer. 
In  1842  he  came  to  Illinois,  bringing  his 
family  with  him,  and  located  on  a  farm  of 
three  hundred  acres  two  and  a  half  miles 
west  of  Elgin.  Three  years  later  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  state  senate,  the 
duties  of  which  office  he  discharged  in  a 
most  satisfactory  manner.  The  farm  on 
which  he  settled  was  in  an  almost  primitive 
condition,  and  he  at  once  began  its  improve- 
ment. His  death  occurred  there  in  1862  at 
the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  His  wife  sur- 
vived him  some  years,  dying  at  the  age  of 
eighty- five.  In  early  life  she  was  a  Pres- 
byterian, but  later  in  life  became  a  Univer- 
salist,  accepting  the  faith  of  her  husband, 
who  was  steadfast  in  that  belief. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
Silvanus  Wilcox,  was  a  native  of  Dutchess 
county,  New  York,  of  Welsh  origin.  He 
was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  was  one 
of  the  guard  at  Tarrytown  when  Major  An- 
dre was  captured,  and  was  present  at  the 
execution.  His  death  occurred  at  Fulton- 
ville,  Montgomery  county,  New  York,  when 
he  was  eighty-seven  years  old. 

The  maternal  grandfather,  John  Shuler, 
was  also  a  native  of  New  York,  born  near 
Catskill,  of  German  parents.  For  years  he 
served  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  held  other 
minor  offices  in  the  town  of  Florida,  Mont- 
gomery county.  He  was  a  very  able  man 
and  one  of  strong  intellect.  He  was  eighty- 
six  years  old  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in 
his  native  county,  and  received  his  primary 
education  in  the  common  schools  of  the 
town  in  which  the  family  resided.  Later 
he  attended  the  academy  at  Amsterdam, 
and  in  July,  1836,  was  appointed  a  cadet  at 


246 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


West  Point,  his  examination  giving  dim 
fifth  place  in  a  class  of  fifty.  On  account 
of  failing  health  he  resigned  August  15, 
1839.  His  room  mates  were  H.  W.  Hal- 
leek,  R.  Q.  Butler,  Stewart  Van  Vliet  and 
Schuyler  Hamilton,  all  of  whom  are  dead 
except  Van  Vliet.  In  1861,  at  the  Planters 
House  in  St.  Louis,  he  met  Hamilton  going 
up  the  stairs  and  accompanied  him  to  Hal- 
leek's  room.  He  was  a  great  friend  of 
these  gentlemen,  and  on  meeting  them  Hal- 
leek  exclaimed  "Wilcox,  I  thought  you 
were  dead."  He  corresponded  with  them 
all  through  the  war.  Besides  those  men- 
tioned, William  T.  Sherman  and  George  H. 
Thomas,  both  famous  generals  of  the  Civil 
war,  were  his  classmates.  The  following 
is  a  letter  to  Mr.  Wilcox  from  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  military  academy  at  West 
Point: 

MILITARY  ACADEMY,  ) 

WEST  POINT,   December  4,  1839.  j 
Mr.    S.    Wilcox: 

SIR:  Your'friend,  Cadet  Van  Vliet,  has 
requested  me  in  your  behalf  for  such  a  state- 
ment of  standing  and  merit  in  your  studies 
and  character  relative  to  conduct,  as  the 
records  of  this  institution  will  enable  me  to 
give. 

It  appears  that  you  joined  the  Academy 
as  a  cadet  in  July,  1836,  and  that,  at  the 
last  examination  at  which  you  were  present, 
the  Academic  staff  pronounced  you  the 
fourth  in  order  of  merit  in  mathematics,  the 
ninth  in  French,  and  the  thirteenth  in  draw- 
ing; which,  when  compared  with  the  rest  of 
your  class,  then  consisting  of  fifty  members, 
secured  you  the  fifth  place  in  general  merit. 
It  also  appears  from  the  records  of  the  In- 
stitution that  you  left  here  in  bad  health, 
and  that,  after  a  protracted  illness  of  more 
than  a  year,  you  tendered  your  resignation, 


which  was  accepted  by  the  secretary  of  war, 
to  take  effect  the  I5th  of  August,   1839. 

It  gives  me  much  pleasure  to  have  it  in 
my  power  to  put  you  in  possession  of  such 
highly  favorable  testimonials  of  your  con- 
'duct  and  talents  when  a  member  of  this  In- 
stitution. 

Respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

RICHARD  DELAFIELD. 
Major  of  Engineers,  Superintendent  of  Mili- 

itary  Academy. 

For  over  two  years  after  his  resignation 
from  West  Point  Mr.  Wilcox  was  an  in- 
valid, but  in  1840  he  came  west  to  Elgin, 
and  located  some  land  in  that  vicinity.  Re- 
turning to  New  York  for  a  time,  he  acted 
as  agent  for  his  father  for  a  line  of  boats 
running  from  New  York  City  to  Utica. 

On  the  27th  of  August,  1840,  Mr.  Wil- 
cox was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Jane 
Mallory,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Polly  Bent 
Mallory,  of  Yankee  Hill,  town  of  Florida, 
Montgomery  county,  New  York.  One  son 
was  born  to  this  union,  Silvanus  Marcus, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years. 
Mrs.  Wilcox  died  in  Elgin  April  24,  1884. 
Religiously  she  was  a  Universalist,  as  is 
also  the  Judge.  She  was  a  woman  of  do- 
mestic tastes  and  habits,  one  who  tried  to 
make  a  happy  home,  and  in  this  she  suc- 
ceeded admirably. 

In  May,  1844,  Mr.  Wilcox  came  with 
his  family  to  Elgin,  and  here  has  since 
made  his  home.  Since  1845  he  has  lived 
upon  the  site  of  his  present  home,  except 
five  years,  when  he  resided  upon  his  farm 
near  Elgin.  About  the  time  he  came  here 
he  commenced  the  study  of  law,  and  in 
1846  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  at  once 
commenced  an  active  practice.  His  success 
was  assured  from  the  very  start,  and  it  was 
not  long  before  he  secured  recognition  as 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


247 


one  of  the  most  active  practitioners  in  his 
circuit.  His  standing  among  the  legal  fra- 
ternity was  such  that  in  1867  he  was  nomi- 
nated and  elected  circuit  judge,  and  served 
the  full  term  of  six  years.  In  the  spring  of 
1873  he  was  re-elected  for  another  term, 
but  in  the  fall  of  1874  he  was  compelled  to 
resign  on  account  of  ill  health.  The  im- 
partiality displayed  as  a  judge,  and  the  just- 
ness of  his  decisions,  is  well  known  and  duly 
acknowledged  by  all  his  circuit. 

For  some  two  or  three  years  after  his 
resignation  from  the  bench,  Judge  Wilcox 
devoted  his  time  principally  to  regaining  his 
health  and  looking  after  his  private  business 
interests.  In  1891  he  platted  a  part  of  a 
farm,  and  for  a  time  was  engaged  in  the  dis- 
posal of  town  lots,  with  which  he  combined 
other  real  estate  business,  greatly  to  his 
profit.  In  addition  to  his  other  private 
business,  he  was  a  stockholder  in  the  Elgin 
Condensed  Milk  Company,  and  was  its 
president  for  three  years.  In  every  enter- 
prise in  which  he  engaged  he  brought  to 
bear  a  well-trained  and  well-balanced  mind, 
and  was  therefore  greatly  relied  on  by  his 
business  associates. 

The  Judge  has  traveled  extensively  for 
business  and  pleasure,  and  has  visited  every 
state  and  territory  in  the  United  States.  In 
1891  he  went  to  the  Pacific  coast,  and  on 
this  trip  visited  Salt  Lake  City,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Portland,  Tacoma,  Seattle  and  Yel- 
lowstone Park.  His  next  trip  was  from 
Portland,  Oregon,  thence  to  Tacoma,  then 
to  Sitka,  Alaska.  His  third  long  trip  was 
to  Mexico,  at  which  time  he  visited  nearly 
every  city  of  any  note  in  that  country. 

Politically  the  Judge  is  a  gold  Demo- 
crat, from  the  fact  that  in  order  to  have 
genuine  prosperity  in  the  country  its  cur- 
rency must  have  stability  and  be  accepted  at 


its  face  in  any  country  in  the  civilized  world. 
He  has  never  cared  lor  political  office,  and 
has  held  but  few.  In  1844  he  was  appoint- 
ed and  served  as  postmaster  of  Elgin  until 
1849.  As  a  citizen  he  is  honored  and  es- 
teemed by  all.  The  Judge,  B.  F.  Law- 
rence, Walter  Pease  and  Henry  Sherman 
were  instrumental  in  locating  the  Elgin 
watch  factory  in  this  city;  was  also  identi- 
fied in  locating  the  Elgin  Packing  Company. 


JOHN  GUSTAVUS  LINDGREN,  a  re- 
tired mechanic,  who  for  thirty-five 
years  was  a  trusted  employe  of  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  railroad  shops  at 
Aurora,  dates  his  residence  in  Kane  county 
from  1854.  He  is  a  native  of  Sweden, 
born  March  18,  1826,  and  in  his  native 
country  grew  to  manhood,  and  received  a 
common-school  education.  His  knowledge 
of  the  English  language  was  obtained  after 
coming  to  this  country.  In  Sweden  he 
learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  and  joiner, 
serving  a  regular  apprenticeship.  The 
chance  for  advancement  in  the  countries  of 
the  old  world  are  very  limited,  and  the  as- 
piring young  man  usually  thinks  very 
seriously  of  emigrating  to  the  United 
States,  where  golden  opportunities  are 
offered  to  every  one.  Our  subject  had 
heard  much  of  this  country  and  here  deter- 
mined to  make  his  home.  Accordingly  in 
June,  1854,  he  took  a  sailing  vessel  at.  Gut- 
tenberg,  for  Boston,  and  was  six  weeks  on 
the  Atlantic,  making  landing  July  24,  and 
coming  direct  to  Chicago,  and  thence  to 
Geneva,  where  friends  had  previously 
settled.  He  immediately  began  work  at  his 
trade,  and  soon  engaged  in  contracting  and 
building. 

On  the  6th  of  May,  1855,  Mr.  Lindgren 


248 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary 
Olson,  a  Swedish  lady,  born  in  1822,  in  the 
same  neighborhood  as  her  husband,  and  who 
came  with  him  on  the  same  vessel  to  the 
new  world.  By  this  union  there  are  three 
children — Charles  John,  married  and  re- 
siding in  Aurora,  and  employed  as  foreman 
in  the  foundry  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington 
&  Quincy  railroad;  Christine,  wife  of  Ed- 
ward Lundgren,  a  machinist  residing  in 
Aurora;  and  F.  W.,  married,  and  who  is 
also  a  machinist  in  the  employ  of  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  railroad. 
In  1860  Mr.  Lindgren  began  work  at  the 
reaper  shops  in  Geneva,  and  in  December 
of  that  year  moved  to  Aurora,  and  com- 
menced work  in  the  railroad  shops,  doing 
the  wood  work  for  the  locomotives.  He  re- 
mained in  the  employ  of  the  company  for 
thirty-five  years,  a  length  of  time  which 
tested  his  ability,  and  showed  the  estimation 
in  which  he  was  held  by  the  Company. 
Soon  after  coming  to  Aurora,  Mr.  Lindgren 
erected  a  neat  residence  and  is  now  the 
owner  of  another  which  he  rents.  Both 
himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Swedish  Lutheran  church.  Politically  he 
is  a  Republican,  with  which  party  he  has 
been  identified  since  becoming  a  naturalized 
citizen.  While  Swedish  born,  he  is  a 
thorough  American,  and  has  great  love  for 
the  country  of  his  adoption.  A  man  of  ex- 
emplary habits,  and  upright  character,  he 
has  many  friends  in  Aurora  and  Kane 
county. 


MAJOR  J.  S.  VAN  PATTEN  is  a  well- 
known  business  man  and  the  present 
efficient  postmaster  of  St.  Charles.      He  has 
been    a   resident  of  the  city  since    1854,  a 
period  of  forty-four  years,  and  in  that  time 


has  built  up  a  reputation  and  established  a 
character  which  will  be  as  enduring  as  time. 
He  is  a  native  of  the  grand  old  Empire  state, 
born  in  Preble,  Cortland  county,  July  23, 
1823,  and  is  a  son  of  Ryer  and  Mary 
(Spence)Van  Patten,  nativesofSchenectady 
county,  New  York,  and  County  Down,  near 
Belfast,  Ireland,  respectively. 

The  Van  Pattens  are  of  Holland  de- 
scent, the  grandfather  of  our  subject  being  a 
native  of  that  country,  from  which  he  emi- 
grated at  a  very  early  day.  A  year  or  two 
prior  to  the  opening  of  the  present  century 
he  located  in  Schenectady  county.  New 
York,  and  was  one  of  its  pioneers.  Ryer 
Van  Patten,  his  son,  and  the  father  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Schenectady  county,  in 
1789,  but  in  1809  removed  to  Cortland 
county,  where  he  opened  up  a  farm,  mar- 
ried Mary  Spencer,  who  was  born  near  Bel- 
fast, County  Down,  Ireland,  of  Scotch  par- 
ents, and  reared  his  family  of  two  sons  and 
seven  daughters.  His  death  occurred  there 
in  1874  at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years.  John 
R.  Van  Patten,  his  son,  yet  occupies  the  old 
homestead,  which  comprises  about  three 
hundred  and  fifty  acres,  but  he  owns  adjoin- 
ing lands  sufficient  to  make  in  all  twelve 
hundred  acres,  and  which  is  a  most  valua- 
ble property. 

On  the  home  farm  in  Cortland  county, 
New  York,  our  subject  spent  his  boyhood 
and  youth.  His  education,  begun  in  the 
common  schools,  was  completed  in  Cort- 
land Academy.  Like  the  average  farmer 
boy,  he  did  his  sharein  the  work  of  cultivat- 
ing the  soil,  but  his  tastes  were  not  in  that 
direction.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  com- 
menced teaching  and  for  three  winter  terms 
was  in  charge  of  the  same  school.  How- 
ever, he  commenced  farming  on  his  own  ac- 
count in  his  native  county,  and  continued  in 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


249 


that  line  until  his  removal  west  to  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  in  1854. 

In  December,  1847,  Mr.  Van  Patten  was 
married  in  Cortland  county,  New  York,  to 
Louisa  R.  Bacon,  who  died  six  years  later 
in  1853,  leaving  one  son,  Dr.  Louis  Van 
Patten,  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of  St. 
Charles.  The  following  year  Mr.  Van  Pat- 
ten took  up  his  residence  in  St.  Charles, 
purchasing  the  drug  business  which  was  es- 
tablished in  1842  by  Elisha  Freeman,  and 
which  was  then  enjoying  a  good  patronage. 
This  business  he  yet  continues,  and  it  is  one 
of  the  oldest  establishments  in  the  city. 

After  residing  in  St.  Charles  about  two 
years,  Mr.  Van  Patten  was  again  married, 
his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Jane  A. 
Clark,  a  native  of  Green  Oak,  Michigan, 
where  she  was  reared  and  educated.  She 
removed  with  her  parents  to  Chicago,  where 
she  was  married  December  18,  1856.  By 
this  union  two  daughters  were  born:  Eve- 
line, now  the  wife  of  Lorenzo  Van  Patten, 
of  Cortland  county,  New  York;  and  Mabel, 
wife  of  Frank  Rockwell,  assistant  postmas- 
ter of  St.  Charles,  by  whom  she  has  three 
sons. 

The  first  seven  years  of  Mr.  Van  Pat- 
ten's stay  in  St.  Charles  covered  a  very  try- 
ing period  in  the  history  of  the  country.  In 
that  time  occurred  the  financial  panic  of 
1857,  which  destroyed  many  valuable  busi- 
ness concerns  in  all  parts  of  the  country, 
but  which  was  particularly  severe  upon  the 
west,  which  was  flooded  with  worthless  Ne- 
braska currency.  This  panic  he  passed 
through  safely  with  well-established  credit. 

But  a  mote  trying  period  was  close  at 
hand.  The  war  cloud  which  commenced 
forming  about  this  time  continued  to  grow 
in  size,  and  notwithstanding  the  heroic 
efforts  of  the  lamented  Stephen  A.  Douglas 


and  others  to  prevent  the  calamity,  it  broke 
upon  the  country  in  1861,  upon  the  inaugu- 
ration of  President  Lincoln.  The  southern 
states,  restive  for  some  years,  committed 
the  overt  act,  firing  upon  Fort  Sumter  in 
April  of  that  year.  A  call  was  immediately 
made  by  the  president  for  troops  to  put 
down  the  rebellion.  The  first  call  was  fol- 
lowed by  others  until  soon  the  armies 
ranged  upon  either  side  were  greater  than 
those  in  any  modern  war. 

Through  the  stirring  scenes  of  those 
first  days  of  the  war  our  subject  was  not  an 
unconcerned  witness.  As  soon  as  possible 
he  offered  his  services  to  his  country  and 
was  commissioned  quartermaster  of  the 
first  battalion  of  the  Eighth  Illinois  Volun- 
teer Cavalry,  with  rank  of  first  lieutenant. 
In  "February,  1862,  he  was  promoted  regi- 
mental quartermaster  and  served  in  that 
capacity  until  November,  1862,  when  he 
resigned.  He  was  at  once,  however,  com- 
missioned first  lieutenant  of  Company  M, 
and  was  detailed  April,  1863,  as  acting  com- 
missary of  subsistence  of  the  cavalry  divis- 
ion, Army  of  the  Potomac,  Major-General 
A.  Pleasanton  commanding,  when  he  re- 
turned home. 

Nine  months  later,  Mr.  Van  Patten  again 
re-enlisted  in  the  Eighth  Cavalry,  and  in 
February,  1864,  was  appointed  quarter- 
master in  the  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry.  In 
May,  1864,  he  was  commissioned  captain 
and  assistant  quartermaster  United  States 
Volunteers,  and  was  assigned  to  Vicksburg, 
where  he  remained  as  post  quartermaster 
until  November  3,  1865,  when  he  resigned 
and  again  returned  home  in  March,  1866, 
when  he  was  breveted  major  by  President 
Johnson,  and  as  such  was  mustered  out  of 
service. 

On  his  return  to  St.  Charles,  Major  Van 


250 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Patten  again  resumed  the  drug  business, 
and  in  1872  was  elected  cashier  of  the  Kane 
County  National  Bank  and  served  in  that 
capacity  for  six  years.  During  all  the  time, 
either  in  the  military  service  or  in  the  bank, 
he  retained  his  interest  in  the  drug  store, 
and  when  released  from  the  latter  duties 
again  took  his  place  in  the  store.  He  has 
always  enjoyed  a  good  trade. 

Politically  Major  Van  Patten  has  always 
been  a  Democrat,  having  an  abiding  faith 
in  the  principles  of  that  party  as  best  calcu- 
lated to  subserve  the  best  interests  of  the 
people.  In  1894  he  was  commissioned 
postmaster  of  St.  Charles,  and  yet  fills  that 
position  acceptably  to  the  people.  In  the 
great  campaign  of  1896  he  espoused  the 
gold  wing  side  of  his  party.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  Master  Mason.  As  a  citizen  he  is 
greatly  esteemed  and  his  friends  are  numer- 
ous throughout  the  entire  county. 


PHILIP  FREILER,  the  leading  whole- 
sale liquor  dealer  of  Elgin,  was  born  in 
Hartford,  Connecticut,  April  3,  1860,  his 
parents  being  Joseph  and  Mary  (Bachrach) 
Freiler.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Austria, 
born  near  Prague  in  1833.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  about  1850,  locating  in  Hart- 
ford, where  he  engaged  in  the  wholesale 
meat  business.  About  1863  he  removed  to 
New  York  city,  where  he  conducted  a  hotel 
until  1867,  when  he  went  to  Chicago.  He 
engaged  in  the  wholesale  liquor  business  in 
that  city  until  1878,  when  he  removed  to 
Elgin,  carying  on  business  along  the  same 
line  and  at  the  same  time  retaining  his  busi- 
ness interests  in  Chicago.  In  1883,  owing 
to  failing  health,  he  sold  out  to  his  son 
Philip  and  went  abroad,  remaining  in 
Europe  for  about  six  months,  after  which 


he  returned  to  this  country.  He  died  on 
the  6th  of  August,  1884.  He  was  a  man 
five  feet,  eight  inches  in  height,  solidly 
built,  and  of  genial  temperament.  In  his 
political  views  he  was  a  Democrat.  His 
wife  was  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Bachrach,  who 
was  born  near  Frankfort-on-the-Rhine. 
Crossing  the  Atlantic,  he  located  at  Hart- 
lord  in  1860,  having  a  daughter  living  in 
that  city.  Later  he  took  up  his  residence 
in  Chicago,  where  he  died  in  1884,  at  the 
age  of  ninety-seven  years. 

Joseph  and  Mary  Freiler  had  a  family  of 
seven  children,  namely:  Emma,  wife  of 
Adolph  Stein,  of  Chicago;  Philip;  Frances, 
wife  of  Lewis  Kuhn,  now  deceased;  Moses 
J.,  a  resident  of  Chicago;  Benjamin,  de- 
ceased; and  Julia,  wife  of  Bernard  Stein; 
and  Harriet,  wife  of  Nathan  Herzog,  of 
Chicago.  The  mother  is  still  living  and 
makes  her  home  with  her  daughter  Frances. 

Philip  Freiler  spent  the  first  five  years 
of  his  life  at  Hartford  and  afterward  at- 
tended school  during  a  three-years  residence 
in  New  York.  He  then  removed  with  his 
parents  to  Chicago,  where  he  continued  his 
studies  in  the  German  high  school,  later 
pursuing  a  course  in  the  Dryenfurth  Educa- 
tional and  Business  College.  He  entered 
upon  his  business  career  in  connection  with 
his  father  and  his  brother-in-law,  Adolph 
Stein,  who  were  at  that  time  in  partnership. 
Later  Mr.  Stein  purchased  his  partner's  in- 
terest and  our  subject  continued  with  his 
brother-in-law  until  1883,  when  he  came  to 
Elgin.  Here  he  began  business  on  his  own 
account  as  a  wholesale  liquor  dealer  on 
River  street,  near  his  present  location  and 
from  the  beginning  he  prospered  in  his 
undertakings,  his  trade  constantly  extending 
until  it  covers  the  territory  embraced  within 
the  Dakotas,  Nebraska,  Minnesota,  Wis- 


PHILIP  FREILER. 


***** 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


253 


consin,  Iowa,  Indiana  and  Missouri.  He 
has  the  largest  jobbing  trade  of  any  dealer 
in  the  west  outside  of  Chicago,  and  his  ex- 
tensive patronage  has  brought  to  him  a 
handsome  competence.  As  his  financial  re- 
sources have  increased  he  has  made  judi- 
cious investments  in  real  estate  and  is  also 
a  stockholder  in  banking  institutions  and  in 
city  railway  lines. 

Mr.  Freiler  was  married  July  8,  1883, 
in  Elgin,  to  Miss  Lizzie  Ehrlich,  daughter 
of  Joseph  and  Kate  (Smith)  Ehrlich,  the 
former  a  native  of  Austria  and  the  latter  of 
Frankfort,  Germany.  Mr.  Ehrlich  is  now 
deceased,  but  the  mother  is  still  living. 
Mrs.  Freiler  is  a  native  of  New  York  city, 
and  by  her  marriage  she  has  become  the 
mother  of  four  children;  Florence,  who  is 
attending  school:  Helen,  deceased;  Hilda, 
who  is  also  in  school;  and  Ruth. 

•In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Freiler  is 
a  Democrat.  He  held  the  office  of  treasurer 
of  the  Insane  Hospital  for  four  years  under 
Governor  Altgeld,  but  has  never  been  a  poli- 
tician in  the  sense  of  office  seeking,  prefer- 
ring to  devote  his  energies  to  his  business 
interests,  in  which  he  has  met  with  signal 
success.  He  is  a  prominent  Mason,  holding 
membership  in  the  blue  lodge  of  Chicago, 
the  chapter  of  Elgin,  and  the  consistory 
and  mystic  shrine  of  Chicago.  He  is  also 
connected  through  membership  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  Korassin,  Foresters, 
Red  Men  and  the  Free  Sons  of  Israel  of 
Chicago.  He  is  a  man  of  sound  judgment 
in  business  affairs,  reliable  and  trustworthy, 
and  is  very  popular  with  all  who  know  him. 


/->APTAIN  A.  C.  GRAVES,  a  veteran  of 
\~J  the  war  of  the  Union,  and  a  pioneer  of 
the  state  of  1834,  but  now  living  a  retired 


18 


life    in  the   city  of   Aurora,    is  well    known 
throughout   Kane,    Du   Page  and  adjoining 
counties.      He  was  born  in  Cortland  county, 
New  York,   February  15,  1825,   and  is  the 
son  of  Phineas  and  Anna  (Kendall)  Graves, 
the  former  a  native  of  Cortland  county,  New 
York,  and  the  latter  of  Vermont.      Phineas 
Graves  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  state, 
where   his  marriage  with  Ann  Kendall  oc- 
curred.     By  occupation  he   was  a  farmer, 
and  with  that  laudable  desire  to  better  him- 
self he  determined  to  come  west.     Accord- 
ingly on  the   loth  of  February,  1834,  with 
his  family,    accompanied  by   his   brothers, 
Amos  and  Jesse,  he  left  his  old  home  and 
drove  through  with  teams,  being  thirty-one 
days  on  the  road.     He  first  located  in  Will 
county,  three  miles  from  the  present  village 
of  Lockport,  where  he  bought  a  claim,  on 
which  was  a  log  house,  and  which  had  eight 
or  ten  acres  broken.     This  was  known  as 
canal   land.     Three  years  later  he  sold  out 
and  moved  to  Du  Page  county,  located  mear 
Warrensville,  taking  up  a  claim  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  which  he  improved  and 
made  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  county. 
He    later   sold    that    farm    and    purchased 
another  in  the  same  township,  where  he  re- 
resided  a   number  of  years  and  reared  his 
family.      He   subsequently   sold    the  farm, 
and  moved   to  Aurora,  where  he  died  De- 
cember 24,  1889,  in  his  ninetieth  year.    His 
wife  passed  away  February   8,    1887,    and 
they  were  laid  to  rest  side   by  side  in  the 
west    side  cemetery,    where    a    substantial 
monument  marks  their  last  resting  place. 

Captain  Graves  is  the  oldest  son  and 
second  in  order  of  birth  of  the  family  of 
eleven  children  born  to  Phineas  and  Anna 
Graves.  The  others  are  Lucy  Ann,  wife 
of  Samuel  Bartholomew,  who  resides  near 
Turner  Junction,  Du  Page  county;  Capt. 


254 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


A.  C. ;  Mary,  widow  of  Lucius  Bartholo- 
mew, residing  in  Batavia,  Illinois;  Juliet, 
widow  of  Richard  S.  Reynolds,  residing  in 
Iowa;  Betsy,  widow  of  Orlando  Stolp,  re- 
siding in  Missouri;  Ellen  S.,  wife  of  James 
Vallett,  of  Naperville;  Martha,  now  de- 
ceased, was  the  wife  of  Norman  T.  Gaz- 
ette, of  Chicago;  Emma,  wife  of  Samuel 
Wright,  of  Denver,  Colorado;  Addison  B., 
of  Lament,  Will  county,  Illinois;  James  D., 
of  Chicago;  and  A.  Judson,  of  Calhoun 
county,  Iowa. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  Illi- 
nois with  his  parents,  a  lad  of  nine  years, 
and  was  twelve  years  old  when  the  family 
moved  to  Du  Page  county.  He  there  as- 
sisted his  father  in  opening  up,  and  carrying 
on  the  home  farm.  His  educational  advan- 
tages were  very  limited,  and  were  confined 
to  the  country  district  schools.  After  arriv- 
ing at  mature  years,  he  settled  on  a  farm  of 
sixty  acres  adjoining  that  of  his  father, 
which  he  operated  for  some  years,  then  sold 
out  and  moved  to  Naperville. 

Mr.  Graves  was  married  in  Du  Page  coun- 
ty, December  3,  1847,  to  Mary  A.  Buck,  a 
native  of  Erie  county,  New  York,  and  a 
daughter  of  Stephen  Buck,  who  was  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  Du  Page  county.  She  was 
reared  and  educated  in  her  native  state,  and 
previous  to  her  marriage  was  a  teacher  in 
the  public  schools  of  Du  Page  county.  By 
this  union  are  four  daughters:  Julia  E. , 
wife  of  Judge  Gary,  of  Wheaton,  Illinois; 
Anna  P.,  wife  of  William  Judd,  of  Aurora; 
Eva  Viola,  wife  of  Oscar  Hamilton,  of  Au- 
rora; and  Bertha,  wife  of  Lemuel  Northam, 
of  Joliet,  Illinois. 

In  1862,  Mr.  Graves  raised  a  company, 
and  was  commissioned  captain  of  Company 
D,  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Regiment,  Illi- 
nois Volunteer  Infantry,  and  with  his  regi- 


ment went  immediately  to  the  front.  He 
served  on  detached  duty,  and  was  in  charge 
of  a  company  of  mounted  scouts,  having 
under  him  when  he  first  started  about 
seventy-three  men  when  considered  neces- 
sary. After  serving  through  the  winter  of 
1862-3,  he  was  compelled  to  abandon  act- 
ive duty  on  account  of  ill  health,  having 
been  taken  down  with  typhoid  fever.  After 
he  had  somewhat  recovered,  he  was  placed 
on  duty  in  the  spring  of  1863,  on  the  staff 
of  General  Granger  at  Nashville.  Pre- 
vious to  his  being  assigned  to  the  staff  of 
General  Granger  he  had  been  home  on  sick 
furlough,  and  returned  to  the  front,  ac- 
companying Col.  Hammond,  of  the  One 
Hundredth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  with 
a  large  body  of  recruits.  Joining  his  own 
command,  he  was  in  various  engagements, 
including  Dalton,  Burnt  Hickory,  Kene- 
saw  Mountain,  New  Hope  Church,  Big 
Shanty,  Peach  Tree  Creek,  and  a  number 
of  lesser  fights  and  engagements.  After  the 
Atlanta  campaign,  he  was  ordered  back  to 
Lookout  Mountain,  and  reporting  to  the 
medical  board,  was  sent  to  the  hospital. 
Feeling  that  he  could  no  longer  remain  in 
the  service  on  account  of  his  health,  his  res- 
ignation was  accepted,  March  8,  1865. 

Returning  home,  he  again  commenced 
farming,  at  which  he  continued  two  years, 
when  he  moved  to  Aurora,  and  has  since 
been  a  resident  of  this  city.  He  lately  sold 
his  original  farm  but  still  has  other  farms 
and  some  Iowa  land.  He  has  always  been 
quite  active  in  political  affairs,  and  since  the 
organization  of  the  party  has  been  quite 
active  in  political  affairs,  and  since  the  or- 
ganization of  the  party,  has  been  a  stanch 
Republican.  While  yet  residing  in  Du  Page 
county,  he  was  honored  by  his  fellow  citi- 
zens, with  various  official  positions.  For 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


255 


three  years  he  served  as  collector  of  his 
township,  and  in  1855,  was  elected  sheriff 
of  the  county,  and  moved  to  Napersville. 
After  filling  out  his  official  term,  he  engaged 
in  merchandising  in  Naperville  and  served 
as  deputy  sheriff  two  years.  He  was  then 
re-elected  sheriff  and  served  another  term. 
He  also  served  his  township  as  a  member 
of  the  board  of  supervisors  several  terms; 
since  coming  to  Aurora  he  served  as  city 
marshal  four  terms  in  succession.  In  what 
ever  position  held,  he  discharged  its  duties 
faithfully  and  well. 

Captain  Graves  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Aurora  Baptist  church.  For 
some  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
lodge  at  Naperville,  but  is  now  a  dimitted 
member.  For  sixty-four  years  he  has  been 
a  resident  of  the  Prairie  state.  On  his  ar- 
rival here,  Chicago  was  an  insignifigant  vil- 
lage, which  he  has  lived  to  see  become  the 
second  city  in  the  union.  Northern  Illinois 
was  then  a  vast  wilderness,  while  to-day  it  is 
acknowledged  to  be  the  garden  spot  of  the 
Northwest.  In  its  transformation  Captain 
Graves  has  borne  no  inconsiderable  part. 


A  BRAHAM  P.  SHERWOOD,  who  for 
r\  many  years  was  actively  identified  with 
the  agricultural  interests  of  Kane  county, 
but- is  now  living  retired  at  No.  226  Hamil- 
ton avenue,  Elgin,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Sweden,  Erie  county,  New  York,  July  5, 
1827.  His  father,  John  Sherwood,  was  a 
native  of  the  same  state,  born  April  6,  1790, 
and  was  a  son  of  Hezekiah  Sherwood.  In 
1836  John  Sherwood,  who  was  a  carpenter 
by  trade  left  New  York  and  removed  to 
Canada,  but  ten  years  later  came  to  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  making  the  journey  by  boat 
from  Chatham,  Canada,  to  Detroit,  and 


thence  overland  to  Chicago  and  Kane  coun- 
ty, being  twenty-two  days  en  route.  On 
his  arrival  his  cash  capital  consisted  of 
about  ten  dollars,  but  he  rented  a  farm  in 
Plato  and  Campton  townships,  and  began 
life  in  earnest  on  the  western  frontier.  A 
year  later  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land 
on  section  19,  Plato  township,  and  to  the 
cultivation  and  improvement  of  his  place 
he  devoted  his  energies  until  called  to  his 
final  rest  on  the  2oth  of  May,  1879.  He 
was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812,  and  at 
the  battle  of  King's  Mountains  was  taken 
prisoner,  but  was  soon  paroled  and  sent 
home.  In  early  life  he  was  a  Democrat, 
but  being  a  strong  Union  man  he  joined  the 
Republican  party  about  the  time  of  its  or- 
ganization, and  continued  one  of  its  stanch 
supporters.  In  religious  belief  he  was  a 
Methodist. 

John  Sherwood  was  twice  married,  his 
first  union  being  with  Sybil  Jeffords,  by 
whom  he  had  three  children.  For  his  sec- 
ond wife  he  married  Sarah  Pease,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Abraham  and  Sarah  (Dunham)  Pease, 
and  to  them  were  born  six  children,  namely: 
Seth,  who  was  for  many  years  a  partner  of 
our  subject  in  business;  Abraham  P.,  of  this 
sketch;  Melton,  a  resident  of  California; 
Martha,  wife  of  Charles  Harvey,  of  the 
same  state;  John,  a  resident  of  Nebraska; 
and  Mary,  deceased. 

Mr.  Sherwood,  of  this  review,  began  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  New  York, 
later  attended  the  subscription  schools  of 
Canada,  but  as  his  father  was  in  rather  lim- 
ited circumstances  his  school  privileges  were 
meager,  and  he  is  almost  wholly  self-edu- 
cated. At  the  age  of  nineteen  years  he  ac- 
companied the  family  on  their  emigration 
to  Kane  county,  and  he  and  his  oldest 
brother  assisted  the  father  in  paying  for  his 


256 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


eighty-acre  farm.  Later  the  sons  embarked 
in  business  on  their  own  account,  at  first 
renting  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  which  they  successfully  operated. 
Meeting  with  success  in  this  undertaking, 
they  purchased  land,  and  being  thrifty, 
energetic  and  of  good  business  ability,  they 
were  soon  able  to  add  to  their  original  pur- 
chase, increasing  the  boundaries  of  their 
land  from  time  to  time  until  they  had  nearly 
two  thousand  acres  at  the  time  of  the  divis- 
ion of  the  property.  Their  success  was 
marvelous  when  compared  with  the  careers 
of  others  who  began  life  with  them  under 
far  more  advantageous  conditions.  Besides 
general  farming,  Abraham  P.  Sherwood  was 
interested  in  dairying,  and  also  in  buying, 
feeding  and  shipping  cattle.  He  continued 
to  engage  in  active  business  until  1891, 
when,  having  secured  a  comfortable  com- 
petence, he  laid  aside  business  cares,  leas- 
ing some  of  his  land,  while  other  tracts  he 
gave  to  his  sons.  Since  then  he  has  lived 
retired  at  his  pleasant  home  at  No.  226 
Hamilton  avenue,  Elgin. 

On  November  11,  1852,  Mr.  Sherwood 
was  married  in  Plato  township,  to  Miss 
Phoebe  Ann  Wright,  a  native  of  New  York 
state,  and  a  daughter  of  E.  Baldwin  and 
Eliza  (Foster)  Wright.  Her  father,  who 
was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812,  was  a  son 
of  Solomon  and  Zelpha  Wright.  Her  ma- 
ternal grandparents  were  James  and  Phoebe 
Foster.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sherwood  were 
born  six  children,  as  follows:  George  W. 
married  Lillie  Warner  and  is  engaged  in 
farming  on  section  30,  Plato  township;  John 
B. ,  who  is  also  engaged  in  farming  on  the 
same  section,  married  Jennie  McKellar  and 
has  two  children — John  Leroy  and  Harry; 
Margaret  is  the  wife  of  A.  M.  Chapman,  of 
Elgin;  Lewis  H.  married  Etta  Haygreen 


and  lives  in  Elgin;  Benjamin  A.,  a  farmer 
on  section  25,  Burlington  township,  married 
Etta  Cripps  and  has  two  children — Dewitt 
and  Gracie;  and  Elizabeth  Ann  died  at  the 
age  of  two  years. 

Although  an  ardent  Republican  in  pol- 
itics, Mr.  Sherwood  has  always  refused  to 
accept  office  of  any  kind,  preferring  to  give 
his  entire  time  and  attention  to  his  exten- 
sive business  interests.  His  life  record  is 
one  well  worthy  of  emulation  and  contains 
many  valuable  lessons  of  incentive,  showing 
the  possibilities  that  are  open  to  young 
men  who  wish  to  improve  every  opportu- 
nity for  advancement.  Upright  and  hon- 
orable in  all  the  relations  of  life,  he  merits 
and  receives  the  respect  and  confidence  of 
all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  Mrs. 
Sherwood  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church. 


ERASTUS  W.  BLACKMAN.— Canada 
has  furnished  to  the  United  States 
many  bright,  enterprising  young  men  who 
have  left  the  Dominion  to  enter  the  business 
circles  of  this  country  with  its  more  pro- 
gressive methods,  livelier  competition  and 
advancement  more  quickly  secured.  Among 
this  number  is  Mr.  Blackman,  who  was  for 
many  years  successfully  engaged  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits  in  Kane  county,  but  is  now 
living  retired  at  No.  610  West  Chicago 
street,  Elgin. 

He  was  born  in  Toronto,  Canada,  June 
1 8,  1825,  a  son  of  Zenas  and  Elvira  (Mitch- 
ell) Blackman,  the  former  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont, the  latter  of  Canada.  In  early  life 
the  father  emigrated  to  Lower  Canada,  and 
from  there  to  Upper  Canada,  where  he 
opened  up  a  farm.  He  was  born  in  1795, 
and,  although  quite  young,  he  participated 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


257 


in  the  latter  part  of  the  war  of  1812,  receiv- 
ing for  his  service  a  land  warrant,  which  he 
traded  for  land  in  Canada  without  seeing 
the  tract.  In  1848  he  came  to  Kane  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  and  first  located  at  St.  Charles, 
but  removed  to  Wheeling,  Cook  county,  in 
1868.  He  died  in  1878,  and  his  wife  in 
1896,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  Both 
were  devout  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  took  an  active  part  in 
its  work. 

Our  subject  is  the  oldest  of  their  ten 
children,  of  whom  eight  are  still  living. 
Three  of  the  sons  were  soldiers  of  the  Civil 
war.  At  President  Lincoln's  first  call  for 
two  hundred  thousand  volunteers,  Ephraim 
enlisted  in  Dodson's  Cavalry  and  served 
three  years  in  the  Western  army,  during 
which  time  he  was  never  wounded  or  taken 
prisoner.  He  is  married  and  resides  in 
Arkansas.  George  enlisted  in  the  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-seventh  Illinois  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  which  was  also  assigned  to 
the  Western  army,  and  he  -participated  in 
many  important  battles.  His  arduous  serv- 
ice broke  down  his  health,  and  he  died  at 
his  home  in  Kansas,  leaving  a  widow  and 
one  child.  As  soon  as  old  enough  Emer- 
son A.  enlisted  in  the  ajtillery  service  as  a 
private,  and  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
took  part  in  some  hotly  contested  engage- 
ments, including  the  battle  of  Gettysburg, 
where  he  was  the  last  one  to  leave  a  gun 
which  was  captured  by  the  Rebels.  He  was 
never  wounded.  Our  subject's  sisters  are 
Matilda,  wife  of  William  Comfort,  a  farmer 
of  Independence,  Iowa;  Eliza  J.,  widow  of 
Lucian  Scott,  of  Elburn,  Kane  county;  Ada- 
line,  deceased  wife  of  Walter  Sutherland,  a 
farmer  of  Kansas;  Adalaide,  wife  of  Nelson 
Sales,  of  Nebraska;  and  Laura,  wife  of 
Herbert  Johnson,  a  farmer  of  Kansas. 


In  the  schools  of  Canada  Erastus  W. 
Blackman  obtained  his  education.  Through- 
out his  business  career  he  successfully  en- 
gaged in  farming,  and  on  coming  from 
Canada  to  Illinois,  in  1848,  he  purchased 
one  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Wheeling 
township,  Cook  county,  twenty-two  miles 
northwest  of  Chicago,  between  Arlington 
Heights  and  Palatine.  Subsequently  he 
traded  that  place  for  two  hundred  acres  in 
Kane  county,  five  miles  'northwest  of  St. 
Charles,  to  the  cultivation  and  improvement 
of  which  he  devoted  his  time  and  attention 
for  twenty  years.  On  selling  out  to  his  son, 
he  bought  his  present  comfortable  home  in 
Elgin,  where  he  now  enjoys  a  well-earned 
rest. 

Mr.  Blackman  was  married  May  2,  1852, 
to  Miss  Sarah  Jane  Switzer,  a  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Salina  Switzer,  natives  of  Can- 
ada, where  Mrs.  Blackman  was  also  born. 
Her  mother  died  in  that  country  at  the  age 
of  forty-three  years,  and  the  father  after- 
ward married  Catherine  Robinson,  by  whom 
he  had  one  daughter,  Amelia,  who  is  now 
the  wife  of  Jacob  Miller,  of  St.  Paul,  Min- 
nesota, by  whom  she  had  seven  children. 
He  came  with  his  family  to  Illinois  in  1849. 
Both  the  mother  and  daughter  are  still  liv- 
ing but  Mr.  Switzer  died  in  1855,  aged 
fifty-three  years.  By  his  first  marriage  he 
had  ten  children,  eight  of  whom  still  sur- 
vive, namely:  Samuel;  Martin;  Charles; 
Mrs.  Blackman;  Lizzie,  who  married 
Stephen  Gates  and  died  about  1857,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two  years;  Mary  A.,  wife  of 
I.  C.  Towner,  of  Elgin;  Joseph  Russell,  a 
resident  of  St.  Charles,  Kane  county;  Will- 
iam Henry,  of  California;  Jabez,  a  farmer 
of  Kane  county;  Emma,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blackman  have  seven  chil- 


258 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


dren:  Salina  is  the  wife  of  L.  A.  Hovey,  a 
railroad  man  residing  in  Elgin,  and  they 
have  three  children — Lucia,  Julia  and  Vine; 
Frank  M.,  who  has  been  a  policeman  in 
Aurora  for  many  years,  wedded  Mary  Fish 
and  has  two  children — Claud  M.  and  May; 
Emma  M.  is  the  wife  of  Bela  Ward,  a 
farmer  of  Campton  township,  Kane  county, 
and  has  two  children — Pearl  and  Ruby; 
Mary  E.  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Searles,  of 
Freeport,  Illinois,  and  has  three  children — 
Earl,  Paul  and  Charles  Raphael;  Ray  Allen, 
of  St.  Charles,  married  Ella  Shaw  and  has 
one  child,  Myrl;  Amelia  is  the  wife  of 
Arthur  Bullock,  who  is  employed  in  the 
watch  factory  at  Elgin;  and  Philo  M.  is  a 
machinist,  residing  with  his  parents. 

In  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Blackman  and  several  of  their 
children  hold  membership,  while  he  has 
served  as  steward  and  filled  other  offices  in 
the  same.  For  thirty-eight  years  he  has 
been  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school,  and 
for  many  years  was  superintendent,  always 
taking  an  active  and  prominent  part  in  all 
church  work.  He  is  a  grand,  good  man, 
upright  and  honorable  in  all  his  dealings, 
and  commands  the  confidence  and  respect 
of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  For 
many  years  he  served  as  school  director  in 
his  township. 


HERMAN  F.  DEMMER,  chief  of  police 
of  Aurora,  was  born  in  Germany,  and 
with  his  parents  started  for  America,  when 
about  two  months  of  age.  Soon  after  their 
arrival,  the  mother  died  in  St.  Louis,  with 
cholera  during  the  great  epidemic  of  that 
disease  in  that  city.  The  father  died  about 
one  year  later  in  Buffalo,  Iowa.  In  their 
fa/nily  were  four  children,  Herman  F.,  our 


subject;  Lena,  now  the  wife  of  B.  F. 
Stevens,  of  Orion,  Henry  county,  Illinois; 
Anna,  widow  of  Andrew  Bolden,  now  resid- 
ing in  Chicago;  and  Ida,  wife  of  George  E. 
Hampson,  a  retired  farmer  of  Millford, 
Illinois. 

After  the  father's  death,  Herman  was 
bound  out  to  a  Mr.  Dodge,  in  Buffalo, 
Iowa,  with  whom  he  remained  a  number  of 
years.  He  was  educated  in  Moline,  Illinois, 
where  he  resided  after  leaving  Iowa.  In 
1 86 1  he  came  to  Aurora,  which  has  since 
been  his  home  with  the  exception  of  about 
six  years.  During  the  late  war  he  enlisted 
and  served  about  five  months  and  on  his  re- 
turn went  to  railroading  for  the  Chicago, 
.Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  Company, 
until  1868,  when  he  left  the  service  of  that 
company  and  was  engaged  with  the  Hanni- 
bal &  St.  Joseph  Railroad  Company.  At 
Davenport,  Iowa,  January  5,  1870,  he  en- 
listed in  the  regular  army,  and  was  sent  to 
Fort  Leavenworth,  where  he  remained  a 
month.  He  was  then  sent  west  and  served 
on  the  plains  for  two  and  a  half  years.  He 
was  then  sent  to  Mt.  Sterling,  Kentucky, 
thence  to  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  from 
which  place  he  was  again  sent  west  to  en- 
gaged in  the  Modoc  war,  but  order  counter- 
manded before  they  got  to  Council  Bluffs. 
He  was  next  stationed  at  Fort  D.  A.  Rus- 
sell, and  later  at  Fort  Laramie.  He  was 
discharged  at  the  latter  place,  having  served 
five  years,  lacking  five  days.  His  record 
was  an  excellent  one. 

Returning  to  Aurora,  Mr.  Demmer  again 
began  railroading,  first  as  brakeman,  and 
then  conductor.  After  about  four  years 
spent  in  that  service,  he  again  left  the 
road,  and  for  a  time  engaged  in  business. 
He  was  then  appointed  on  the  police  serv- 
ice, and  served  as  patrolman  two  years, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


259 


when  he  received  the  appointment  of  chief 
of  police,  which  position  he  yet  holds, 
making  eleven  years  continuous  service, 
which  is  the  longest  continuous  service 
of  any  chief  ever  having  been  employed  in 
this  city.  At  present  he  is  president  of  the 
Chief  of  Police  Union  of  the  state  of  Illinois, 
which  position  he  has  held  for  five  years. 
This  is  certainly  an  acknowledgment  of  his 
ability,  by  the  chiefs  throughout  the  state. 

On  the  I5th  of  January,  1881,  Mr. 
Demmer  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Alma  Steele,  of  Aurora,  and  a  daughter  of 
Catherine  Steele,  who  is  the  mother  of 
four  children — Dyer,  a  railway  brakeman, 
residing  in  Aurora;  Mary  A.,  who  married 
S.  M.  Farwell,  and  died  in  Aurora,  at  the 
age  of  forty-four  years;  Nelson,  deceased; 
and  Alma.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Demmer 
seven  children  have  been  born,  five  of  whom 
are  living — Daisy,  Mabel,  Nellie,  Anna,  and 
Lily.  Those  deceased  are  Frank  and 
George. 

In  politics  Mr.  Demmer  is  an  ardent  Re- 
publican, who  takes  pleasure  in  upholding 
the  platform  and  measures  of  his  party  on 
all  occasions.  He  is  one  of  the  reliable 
men  of  Aurora,  and  his  many  admirable 
qualities  have  tended  to  make  him  popular 
with  all  classes  with  whom  he  comes  in  con- 
tact. As  a  public  officer  he  has  given  the 
fullest  satisfaction  through  his  constituency. 
Socially  he  is  a  courteous  gentleman,  and  is 
a  man  whom  misfortunes  have  not  disheart- 
ened, nor  has  disaster  had  an  appalling 
effect.  He  was  nominated  by  the  Repub- 
lican party  for  sheriff  in  1898. 


MANLEY    P.   TREADWELL,    residing 
on  section    10,    Elgin   township,  was 
born  on    the   farm  where   he   now   resides. 


His  father,  William  Treadwell,  was  born 
July  22,  1823,  in  Almyr,  Ontario,  Canada, 
and  came  west  in  1840,  and  later  purchased 
a  farm  on  section  10,  Elgin  township,  where 
he  resided  for  many  years.  He  was  the 
son  of  Anson  and  Nancy  (Sorners)  Tread- 
well,  natives  of  Canada  and  New  York,  re- 
spectively. Martha  A.  Adams  was  the 
daughter  of  Edward  and  Abigail  (Padel- 
ford)  Adams.  To  William  M.  and  Martha 
A.  Treadwell  three  children  were  born,  as 
follows:  William  E. ,  a  physician  and  sur- 
geon at  Maple  Park;  one  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; and  Manley  P.,  our  subject. 

The  boyhood  and  youth  of  Manley  P. 
Treadwell  were  spent  upon  the  home  farm, 
and  his  education  was  obtained  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  and  Elgin  Academy.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  years  he  went  to  Chicago, 
and  was  there  engaged  in  the  milk  business 
one  year.  He  then  returned  and  farmed 
with  his  father  one  year,  after  which  he 
moved  to  Elgin,  and  for  one  year  was  en- 
gaged in  teaming,  and  in  the  watch  factory 
for  seven  years.  In  1886  he  again  returned 
to  the  farm,  which  consists  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  fine  arable  land,  and 
where  he  has  since  continued  to  reside.  He 
usually  keeps  about  fifty  head  of  cows,  the 
milk  from  which  he  sells  to  the  condensing 
factory  at  Elgin,  and  ships  to  Chicago. 

On  the  1 6th  of  February,  1882,  Mr. 
Treadwell  was  married  in  St.  Charles,  Illi- 
nois, to  Miss  Kate  Vanderwalker,  born  in 
Chester,  Warren  county,  New  York,  and 
eighth  in  a  family  of  nine  children  born  to 
William  and  Sophia  (Churchill)  Vander- 
walker, the  latter  a  daughter  of  Otis 
Churchill.  Her  father  did  good  service  in 
the  war  of  1812.  By  this  union  one  child 
has  been  born — Alice  M.,  who  yet  resides 
under  the  parental  roof. 


260 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mr.  Treadwell  in  politics  is  thoroughly 
independent,  voting  for  such  men  as  he 
thinks  best  qualified  for  the  office.  For 
many  years  he  served  as  clerk  of  the  board 
of  school  directors  of  his  district  and  was 
annually  re-elected,  until  he  refused  longer 
to  serve.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church,  of  which  body  his  wife  is  also  a 
member,  .and  was  one  of  the  main  pro- 
moters of  the  chapel  built  near  his  residence 
in  1896.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of 
Monitor  lodge,  No.  522,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  of  Silver  Leaf  camp,  No.  60,  M.  W.  A. 

For  some  years  the  family  has  been  ac- 
customed to  taking  long  trips  overland,  for 
health  and  pleasure.  A  number. gf  seasons 
they  drove  through  to  St.  Paul  and  back, 
returning  on  the  west  side  of  the  rivsr-^.and 
camping  by  the  way.  They  have  also  trav- 
eled east,  visiting  many  of  the  large  cities 
of  New  England  and  the  central  states.  As 
as  farmer,  Mr.  Treadwell  ranks  among  the 
best,  his  farm  being  well  supplied  with  sub- 
stantial buildings,  and  it  is  well  watered  by 
a  large  stream  which  flows  through  it.  The 
farm  lies  very  near  the  corporate  limits  of 
Elgin. 


•  EORGE  W.  L.  BROWN,  a  well-known 
real-estate  dealer  of  Elgin,  living  at 
158  North  Liberty  street,  is  proud  to  claim 
Illinois  as  his  native,  state,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Cook  county,  April  19,  1848.  He 
is  a  representative  of  one  of  its  old  and  highly 
respected  pioneer  families,  his  parents  being 
Schnyler  and  Mary  Ann  (Youngs)  Brown, 
the  former  a  native  of  New  York  and  the 
latter  of  Canada.  Of  their  seven  children, 
only  two  are  now  living — Charles  and  George 
W.  L.  The  father,  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
came  to  Illinois  as  early  as  1833,  with  a  Mr. 


Scuttler  and  located  at  old  Fort  Dearborn, 
now  Chicago.  He  carried  on  farming  seven 
miles  west  of  Blue  Island,  in  Cook  county, 
and  there  reared  his  family,  but  in  1856  he 
removed  to  Humbolt  county,  Iowa,  where 
he  engaged  in  his  chosen  calling  until  1887, 
when  he  returned  to  Genoa,  Illinois,  to  live 
with  our  subject.  His  wife,  who  was  a 
consistent  member  of  the  Methodist  church, 
had  died  in  1869,  at  the  age  of  fifty  years,  and 
his  death  occurred  in  Genoa,  in  1892,  when 
in  his  eighty-eighth  year.  During  his  early 
manhood  he  was  a  member  of  the  New  York 
State  Militia,  and  originally  he  was  a  Dem- 
ocrat in  politics,  but,  after  voting  for  Lin- 
coln in  1860,  he  continued  to  support  the 
Republican  party.  Wherever  known  he 
was  held  in  high  regard,  having  the  respect 
and  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact. 

Hugh  Brown,  our  subject's  paternal 
grandfather,  was  born  in  New  York  state, 
of  English  ancestry,  and  throughout  life 
principally  engaged  in  farming.  He  reared 
a  family  of  eleven  children,  was  a  soldier  in 
the  war  of  1812,  and  was  over  seventy  years 
of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death.  The  ma- 
ternal grandfather,  Jerry  Youngs,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Canada  and  died  at  an  advanced  age. 

Upon  his  father's  farm,  Mr.  Brown,  of 
this  review,  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth,  and  in  the  district  schools  of 
Cook  county  he  acquired  his  education.  At 
the  early  age  of  fifteen,  however,  he  laid 
aside  his  text  books  to  aid  his  country  in 
the  struggle  to  preserve  the  Union,  enlisting 
in  Company  G,  Thirty-ninth  Illinois  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  "  Yates'  Phalanx."  He  served 
a  little  less  than  two  years  and  during  that 
time  participated  in  the  battle  of  the  Wil- 
derness, the  siege  of  Washington,  the  bat- 
tles of  Hatchie's  Run,  Petersburg  and  many 


G.  W.  L.  BROWN. 


MRS.   G.  W.  L.    BROWN. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


265 


skirmishes.  He  had  entered  the  service  as 
a  private,  but  was  promoted  corporal  on  the 
day  he  was  shot,  but  did  not  hear  the  order 
of  promotion.  It  was  on  the  2nd  of  April, 
1865,  at  the  battle  of  Petersburg,  that  he 
was  wounded,  and,  being  sent  to  the  hos- 
pital at  Fortress  Monroe,  he  remained  there 
from  the  4th  of  that  month  until  July  19, 
when  he  was  honorably  discharged  and  re- 
turned to  his  home  in  Cook  county. 

Soon  after  the  war  Mr.  Brown  removed 
to  De  Kalb  county,  Illinois,  where  he  made 
his  home  for  three  years,  and  then  went  to 
Humbolt  county,  Iowa,  engaging  in  farming 
there  until  his  return  to  De  Kalb  county,  in 
1872.  On  the  ist  of  March,  1893,  he  came 
to  Elgin  and  has  since  successfully  engaged 
in  the  real  estate  business  in  this  city.  Be- 
ing an  honorable,  upright  business  man,  he 
has  met  with  a  well  deserved  success  in  his 
undertakings,  and  is  to-day  numbered  among 
the  leading  and  valued  citizens  of  the  place. 

On  the  I4thof  October,  1869,  Mr.  Brown 
married  Miss  Margaret  J.  Vote,  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Anna  Maria  (Karn)  Vote.  The 
children  born  to  them  areas  follows:  Charles 
Elmer,  who  died  in  infancy;  Clara  Belle, 
who  is  now  the  wife  of  G.  H.  Brown,  of 
Genoa,  Illinois,  and  has  three  children, 
Hazel  May,  Clayton  George  and  Floyd  Har- 
vey; Maggie  May,  who  is  the  wife  of  J.  B. 
Brown,  a  brother  of  George  H. ,  and  has 
one  child,  Raymond  Claire;  George  W.  L. , 
Jr.,  a  graduate  of  Callow's  Business  College; 
and  Charles  F.  and  Alta  Adell,  both  at 
home. 

Socially,  Mr.  Brown  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  and  -Genoa  post,  G.  A.  R. ;  while 
politically  he  has  always  been  an  uncom- 
promising Republican,  doing  all  in  his  power 
to  advance  the  interests  and  insure  the  suc- 


cess of  his  party.  For  about  thirteen  years 
he  served  as  school  director  in  New  Leb- 
anon, Illinois,  and  was  commissioner  of 
highways  for  the  same  length  of  time.  He 
is  a  man  of  recognized  ability  and,  with  his 
amiable  wife,  stands  high  in  the  communi- 
ties where  they  have  made  their  home. 
Those  who  know  them  best  are  numbered 
among  their  warmest  friends,  and  no  citi- 
zens in  Kane  county  are  more  honored  or 
highly  respected. 


AUGtJS"P  JAPP,  a  retired  farmer  living 
in  the  village  of  Hampshire,  is  a  rep- 
resentative of  the  German-American  citi- 
zens, who  by  their  industry  and  thrift,  have 
done  much  in  making  Kane  county  occupy 
its  proud  position  among  the  counties  of 
the  great  state  of  Illinois.  He  was  born  in 
the  village  of  Hanshagen,  province  of  Meck- 
lenberg  Schwerin,  Germany,  October  5, 
1847,  and  is  the  son  of  August  Japp,  Sr. , 
and  Dorothy  (Bottcher)  Japp,  the  former  a 
native  of  Jesse,  Mecklenberg  Schwerin, 
Germany,  born  in  1813,  and  is  yet  living  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-one  years.  His 
father  was  Hans  Japp,  a  native  of  the  same 
country.  Dorothy  Bottcher  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Hans  Bottcher,  who  lived  and  died  in 
Germany. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended  the 
parochial  schools  in  his  native  country  un- 
til the  age  of  fourteen,  when  he  engaged  in 
farm  work,  which  he  continued  until  his  re- 
moval to  America  in  1865.  He  was  then 
but  eighteen  years  of  age  and  left  just  be- 
fore he  would  have  been  called  into  the  serv- 
ice of  his  country  in  the  German  army. 
The  family  sailed  from  Hamburg,  October 
27,  1865,  on  the  steamer  Saxonia,  and 
after  being  twenty-two  days  upon  the  water 


266 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


la«ded  at  New  York.  They  came  at  once 
to  Cook  county,  Illinois,  and  located  at 
Shaumberg.  For  two  years  our  subject 
worked  as  a  day  laborer  at  anything  he 
could  find  to  do.  His  father  then  rented  a 
farm  and  for  the  four  succeeding  years  he 
worked  with  him,  giving  him  his  time  until 
twenty-five  years  of  age.  He  then  formed 
a  partnership  with  his  father,  which  was 
maintained  for  four  years. 

On  the  2  ist  of  September,  1872,  Mr. 
Japp  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Wil- 
helmina  Bredetneyer,  who  was  born  in  the 
village  of  Katherinshagen,  Hesse,  Germany, 
in  1852,  and  who  came  with  her  parents  to 
America  in  1853.  By  this  union  eight 
children  have  been  born,  Mina,  ist,  de- 
ceased; Lena,  who  married  Henry  Koerner, 
of  Genoa  township,  DeKalb  county,  Illinois; 
Mina,  who  married  John  Bottcher,  and 
lives  in  Genoa  township,  De  Kalb  county; 
Louisa,  deceased;  August,  John,  William, 
and  Henry  at  home. 

Immediately  after  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Japp  moved  with  his  young  bride  to  Hamp- 
shire township,  and  a  few  years  later  bought 
one  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  sections  18 
and  19,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres 
across  the  line  in  De  Kalb  county,  making 
him  a  fine  farm  of  three  hundred  and  ninety 
acres.  He  there  carried  on  mixed  farming, 
giving  special  attention  to  stock  and  grain 
and  making  many  improvements  upon  the 
place.  He  was  a  good  farmer,  industrious 
as  the  day  was  long,  and  success  crowned 
his  efforts  in  a  remarkable  degree,  enabling 
him  to  rent  the  place  and  in  the  spring  of 
1898  move  to  the  village  of  Hampshire, 
where  he  is  now  living  a  retired  life.  Po- 
litically Mr.-  Japp  is  a  Republican  and  for 
sixteen  years  was  school  director  of  his  dis- 
trict, and  served  as  road  commissioner  for 


two  terms.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Luth- 
eran church,  of  which  body  his  wife  is  also 
a  member,  and  was  the  first  to  suggest  the 
organization  of  a  church  of  that  denomina- 
tion in  Hampshire  township  in  1876.  Both 
are  held  in  the  highest  esteem  in  Hamp- 
shire township  and  wherever  known. 


OTIS  N.  SHEDD,  now  living  a  retired 
life  in  the  city  of  Aurora,  but  who  for 
years  was  one  of  the  active,  enterprising 
and  representive  business  men  of  the  city, 
is  numbered  among  the  settlers  of  1856. 
He  is  a  native  of  Maine,  born  in  Oxford 
county,  July  10,  1831,  and  is  the  son  of  Silas 
Shedd,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  born  Oc- 
tober 2,  1794.  His  father,  the  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  also  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts. Otis  N.  Shedd  is  the  seventh 
generation  from  Daniel  Shedd,  a  native  of 
England,  who  settled  in  Bramtree,  Massa- 
chusetts, in  1644. 

Silas  Shedd,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  state,  and 
served  in  the  war  of  1812,  for  which  he  drew 
a  pension  until  his  death  at  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety-one  years.  He  married  Miss 
Clarissa  Noyes,  a  native  of  New  England, 
born  in  1800,  and  a  daughter  of  Captain 
Ward  Noyes,  who  for  many  years  was  a 
captain  in  the  militia  of  his  native  state. 
Silas  Shedd  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  and  also 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  His  wife 
preceded  him  to  the  land  beyond,  dying  in 
1880.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren, of  whom  our  subject  was  third  in  order 
of  birth.  Of  the  others,  Calvin  married 
and  settled  on  the  old  homestead,  where  his 
death  occurred;  Alice  N.  married  Robert 
Frost,  and  they  reside  in  Norway,  Maine; 
and  Caroline,  who  married  Benjamin  Henry 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


267 


Noble,  and  after  making  their  home  in 
Maine  for  a  few  years,  removed  to  Cali- 
fornia, where  they  now  reside. 

In  his  native  county  and  state,  Otis  N. 
Shedd  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  on  the 
farm,  and  during  the  winter  months  attended- 
the  public  schools,  and  later  a  private 
school  taught  by  Samuel  Cobb,  a  brother  of 
Sylvanus  Cobb,  a  noted  educator  and  divine. 
Before  attaining  his  majority  he  taught  in 
his  home  district,  and  was  quite  successful. 
A  young  man,  he  removed  to  Lawrence, 
Massachusetts,  and  there  engaged  in  a 
woolen  mill,  now  known  as  the  Washington 
Mill.  Later  he  went  to  work  in  a  soap  fac- 
tory, where  he  continued  three  years,  and 
learned  the  business  of  soap  making.  While 
residing  in  Lawrence  he  was  married  August 
28,  1853,  to  Miss  T.  F.  Hawkins,  a  native 
of  Vermont,  reared  and  educated  in  Bruns- 
wick, that  state,  and  a  daughter  of  W.  W. 
and  Susannah  (Wait)  Hawkins,  of  Bruns- 
wick, Vermont.  By  this  union  are  five 
children,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy,  and 
Otis  N.,  who  died  in  his  sixth  year.  The 
living  are  Clara  A.,  wife  of  Dr.  S.  S.  De- 
lancy,  of  Williamsport,  Indiana,  and  they 
have  two  children,  Helen  Delancy  and 
Julius;  Isabella  F.  widow  of  Professor 
Stein,  of  Aurora,  by  whom  she  had  two 
children,  Alma  F. ,  and  Edwin  Arthur;  and 
Alma  E. ,  who  married  Mr.  Merrill,  moved 
to  Tacoma,  Washington,  and  there  died 
leaving  one  daughter,  Elizabeth. 

In  1855,  Mr.  Shedd  moved  west  to  Chi- 
cago, and  there  resided  one  winter.  In  the 
spring  of  1856,  in  company  with  Mr.  Beach, 
a  former  employer,  he  came  to  Aurora,  and 
bought  a  farm  of  one  hundred  acres,  which 
now  lies  within  the  city  limits.  On  that 
farm  he  located,  and  began  its  improve- 
ment, and  also  started  a  soap  factory  and 


engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  candles.  In 
the  same  spring  he  laid  out  Beach  &  Shedd's 
addition  to  the  city  of  Aurora.  He  later 
bought  thirty-seven  acres  more,  which  he 
platted  as  Shedd's  subdivision.  In  addition 
to  this,  he  purchased  another  tract  which 
was  laid  out  as  Shedd  &  Nobble's  subdivi- 
sion. He  also  had  charge  of  the  old  fair 
grounds,  and  with  Mr.  Dickinson  had  a  por- 
tion of  it  surveyed  and  platted,  and  it  is 
now  known  as  Dickinson  &  Shedd's  addition. 
Since  its  organization,  he  has  been  a  stock 
holder  in  the  Aurora  Silver  Plate  Manufact- 
uring Company,  and  was  a  director  in  it 
for  a  number  of  years.  He  also  owns  stock 
in  the  building  and  loan  association  and  in 
the  German  National  Bank. 

Politically  Mr.  Shedd  is  a  Republican, 
his  first  presidential  ballot  being  cast  for 
John  C.  Fremont,  and  from  that  time  to 
the  present,  he  has  never  faltered  in  the  sup- 
port of  the  men  and  measures  of  that  party. 
He  has  taken  quite  an  active  part  in  local 
politics,  and  has  served  four  years  as  alder- 
man, three  years  as  commissioner  of  high- 
ways, and  as  supervisor  of  the  town  two 
years  and  has  been  a  delegate  to  various 
county  and  congressional  conventions.  He 
is  a  man  of  good  business  ability,  and  in 
whatever  position  he  has  been  tested,  has 
proven  his  true  worth. 


CYRUS  H.  LARKIN,  a  farmer  and 
dairyman  residing  on  Larkin  avenue, 
Elgin,  Illinois,  has  made  his  home  in  Kane 
county  for  over  sixty  years,  and  his  name  is 
inseparably  connected'  with  its  agricultural 
and  business  interests.  His  thoroughly 
American  spirit  and  his  great  energy  have 
enabled  him  to  mount  from  a  lowly  posi- 
tion to  one  of  affluence.  One  of  his  lead- 


268 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ing  characteristics  in  business  affairs  is  his 
fine  sense  of  order  and  complete  system, 
and  the  habit  of  giving  careful  attention  to 
details  without  which  success  in  an  under- 
taking is  never  an  assured  fact. 

Mr.  Larkin  was  born  in  Waterville, 
Vermont,  May  20,  1830,  and  is  a  son  of 
Cyrus  and  Sarah  A.  (Homer)  Larkin,  also 
natives  of  that  state.  In  their  family  were 
only  two  children,  and  Emily  W.  is  now 
deceased.  The  father  was  a  woolen  manu- 
facturer in  early  life  and  later  a  farmer. 
On  coming  to  Illinois,  in  1837,  he  secured 
a  farm  in  Dundee  township,  Kane  county, 
five  miles  frbm  Elgin,  and  four  years  later 
he  removed  to  that  city.  As  he  was  in  poor 
health  our  subject  took  charge  of  the  farm 
at  the  age  of  nineteen,  and  in  1865  he  built 
his  present  commodious  residence,  his  par- 
ents living  with  him  until  called  to  the 
world  beyond.  The  father  died  June  17, 
1885,  aged  eighty-five  years,  and  the 
mother  November  n,  1887,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-two  years  and  three  months.  In  early 
life  they  were  members  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  but  later  joined  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  church,  and  died  in  that  faith. 
The  father  never  sought  office,  but  was  fre- 
quently called  upon  to  fill  some  local  posi- 
tions, the  duties  of  which  he  faithfully  and 
capably  discharged.  His  first  purchase  in 
Kane  county  consisted  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land,  but  this  he  sold,  and 
purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres, 
which  are  still  owned  by  our  subject. 

Joseph  Larkin,  the  paternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  a  son  of  Edward  Larkin, 
in  whose  family  were  several  sons,  Joshua 
and  Lorin  being  among  the  number.  Joseph 
was  a  lumber  manufacturer  and  was  killed 
in  the  mill  yard.  He  had  aided  the  colo- 
nies in  achieving  their  independence  during 


the  Revolutionary  war.  In  Brandon,  Ver- 
mont, March  24,  1785,  he  married  Miss 
Hannah  Winslow,  and  at  that  place  all  of 
their  children  were  born.  She  was  a  lineal 
descent  of  Edward  Winslow,  who  lived  in 
England  in  1560.  Among  his  sons  was 
Kenelm,  and  in  the  next  generation  two 
Kenelms.  Kenelm  Winslow,  of  this  third 
generation,  came  to  America  with  his  brother 
Josiah  on  the  Mayflower  in  1629,  but  pre- 
vious to  this  time  Edward  Winslow,  the 
second,  came  over  in  the  same  vessel,  ac- 
companied by  his  brother  Gilbert,  they  being 
among  the  first  detachment  of  Pilgrims  who 
landed  at  Plymouth  Rock,  May  20,  1620. 
Gilbert  afterward  returned  to  England  where 
he  died,  but  Edward  was  the  leader  of  the 
colony  from  the  beginning,  was  afterward 
chosen  governor  of  the  same,  and  possessed 
considerable  ability  as  a  statesman.  Jede- 
diah  Winslow,  the  father  of  Hannah,  was 
born  March  26,  1727,  in  Rochester,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  died  in  Brandon,  Vermont, 
April  5,  1794,  while  his  wife,  Elizabeth 
(Goodspeed)  Winslow,  was  born  in  Barn- 
stable,  Massachusetts,  in  March,  1750. 
They  had  a  family  of  ten  children. 

Cyrus  H.  Larkin  was  but  seven  years 
old  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Kane 
county,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 
His  early  education  was  received  under  the 
instruction  of  his  father,  but  he  afterward 
attended  school  in  Elgin,  and  later  was  a 
student  in  the  college  at  Beloit,  Wisconsin. 
For  five  years  he  successfully  engaged  in 
teaching,  but  since  that  time  has  devoted 
his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  his 
other  business  interests.  He  is  now  the 
owner  of  four  hundred  acres  of  valuable 
farming  land  adjoining  the  city  of  Elgin,  is 
a  stockholder  in  the  First  National  Bank  of 
that  place,  and  is  interested  in  a  large  mer- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


269 


cantile  establishment  in  Texas  and  also  in 
the  cattle  business  in  that  state. 

On  the  24th  of  August,  1854,  Mr. 
Larkin  married  Miss  Jane  E.  Johnson,  a 
daughter  of  Ashbel  Johnson,  and  to  them 
were  born  two  children,  (i)  May,  who  is 
now  the  wife  of  D.  B.  Hoornbeek,  of  Al- 
pine, Texas,  and  has  two  children — Brew- 
ster  and  Etta  May;  (2)  Fred  A.,  M.  D. ,  a 
physician  of  Englewood,  Illinois.  The 
mother  of  these  children,  who  was  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Methodist  church, 
died  May  2,  1874.  Mr.  Larkin  was  again 
married  December  27,  1888,  his  second 
union  being  with  Mrs.  Jeannette  Crane, 
widow  of  Franklin  Crane. 

Politically  Mr.  Larkin  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican, and  has  served  as  supervisor  several 
terms  and  also  town  treasurer.  He  is  justly 
regarded  as  one  of  the  most  progressive  and 
reliable  business  men  of  Elgin,  and  in  all 
life's  relations  merits  the  confidence  so 
freely  accorded  him.  His  residence  in  Kane 
county  covers  a  period  of  sixty  years,  during 
which  he  has  ever  borne  his  purt  in  the 
work  of  development  and  progress,  and  is 
therefore  deserving  of  honorable  mention 
among  the  pioneers. 


WILLIAM  E.  CONSTANT,  M.  D.,  a 
successful  and  popular  physician  and 
surgeon  of  St.  Charles,  is  a  native  son  of 
Illinois,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  San- 
gamon  county,  February  28,  1854.  The 
Constant  family  is  of  French  origin  and  was 
early  founded  in  Kentucky,  where  Isaac 
Constant,  our  subject's  grandfather,  was 
born.  The  Doctor's  father,  Dr.  Jacob 
Constant,  was  also  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
born  near  Winchester,  in  1826,  but  when 
only  a  year  old  was  brought  to  Sangamon 


county,  Illinois,  by  his  father,  being  num- 
bered among  the  pioneers  of  the  state.  The 
latter  pre-empted  land  in  Sangamon  county, 
near  Springfield,  and  from  the  wild  tract 
developed  a  good  farm,  upon  which  he 
reared  his  family. 

At  an  early  age  Dr.  Jacob  Constant  took 
up  the  study  of  medicine,  becoming  a  stud- 
ent of  the  great  Hahnemann,  and  later  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profes- 
sion, while  he  also  owned  and  operated  a 
farm.  In  Sangamon  county  he  married 
Miss  Lillian  Wilson,  a  native  of  Scotland, 
and  a  daughter  of  James  Wilson,  also  an 
early  settler  of  Sangamon  county.  Mrs. 
Constant  was  reared  and  educated  in  Edin- 
burg,  Scotland. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity,  Dr.  Will- 
iam E.  Constant  grew  to  manhood,  and  in 
its  public  and  high  schools  obtained  a  good 
practical  education.  Under  the  direction 
of  Dr.  Morgan,  a  leading  physician  of 
Springfield,  he  commenced  the  study  of 
medicine,  and  in  1881  entered  Hahnemann 
Medical  College,  of  Chicago,  where  he  grad- 
uated \vith  the  class  of  1883.  He  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Decatur, 
Illinois,  later  was  located  for  about  twenty 
months  in  Arcola,  Douglas  county,  and  for 
the  following  five  years  successfully  engaged 
in  practice  in  Rochelle.  On  selling  out 
there,  he  came  to  St.  Charles,  where  he 
soon  succeeded  in  building  up  a  large  and 
remunerative  practice.  He  keeps  abreast 
with  the  latest  discoveries  and  theories  in 
the  science  by  his  perusal  of  medical  jour- 
nals, and  his  skill  and  ability  is  attested  by 
the  liberal  patronage  he  enjoys. 

In  Rochelle,  on  the  28th  of  November, 
1888,  Dr.  Constant  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Belle  Ogden,  a  native  of  Ogle  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  who  completed  her  education  in 


2/0 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  high  school  of  Rochelle,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Ogden,  a  substantial  farmer  of 
Ogle  county.  Politically  the  Doctor  is  a 
stanch  Republican,  but  has  never  aspired 
to  office,  preferring  to  give  his  undivided  at- 
tention to  his  professional  duties.  Frater- 
nally he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge 
of  Rochelle,  and  also  belongs  to  the  Knights 
of  Pythias.  He  has  made  many  warm 
friends  since  coming  to  St.  Charles,  and  in 
social  as  well  as  professional  circles  occupies 
a  prominent  position. 


/CHARLES  MELMS,  SR.,  after  years  of 
\^  honest  toil,  is  now  living  a  retired  life 
in  the  village  of  Hampshire.  He  was  born 
in  the  village  of  Rostow,  Pomeramia,  Prus- 
sia, January  15,  1838,  and  is  the  son  of 
John  and  Christina  (Heckstadt)  Melms, 
both  of  whom  are  natives  of  the  same  coun- 
try, the  latter  dying  when  our  subject  was 
only  three  years  of  age,  and  the  former 
when  he  was  nineteen  years  old.  After  the 
death  of  his  mother,  he  lived  with  an  uncle 
until  fourteen  years  old,  and  then  with  a 
sister  until  he  attained  his  majority.  From 
the  time  he  was  seven  years  old,  until  the 
age  of  fourteen,  he  attended  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  land.  In  his  youth  he 
worked  on  the  farm  and  spent  one  year  at 
the  wagonmaker's  trade.  In  October, 
1862,  he  sailed  from  Hamburg,  in  the  two 
masted  sail  vessel,  Helena,  and  after  a  voy- 
age of  eight  weeks  and  two  days,  landed  at 
New  York.  He  came  west,  working  two 
years  at  Waukesha,  Wisconsin,  after  which 
he  spent  some  four  or  five  years  in  different 
states,  going  as  far  south  as  Helena,  Arkan- 
sas, and  points  in  Mississippi,  Kansas,  Mis- 
souri, Iowa,  Illinois  and  Wisconsin  as  far 
north  as  Lake  Superior,  working  at  what- 


ever he  could  find  to  do.  He  then  went  to 
Chicago,  and  on  the  I3th  of  May,  1867, 
married  Christina  Richter,  who  was  born  in 
TridelfiU,  the  province  of  Pomeramia, 
Prussia,  and  the  daughter  of  George  and 
Hannah  (Krumhorn)  Richter,  whose  lives 
were  spent  in  Germany.  She  came  to 
America  in  18^8  at  the  age  of  twenty-three 
years.  By  this  union  five  children  were 
born,  as  follows:  Charles,  Jr.,  and  Henry, 
of  whom  further  mention  is  made  in  this 
sketch;  William,  in  the  milk  business  in 
Chicago;  Bertha,  wife  of  Frank  Channing, 
a  conductor  on  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  & 
St.  Paul  road,  running  between  Hampshire 
and  Chicago,  and  Mary,  wife  of  John  F. 
Janeck,  Jr.,  a  prominent  young  business 
man  of  Hampshire,  whose  sketch  appears 
elsewhere  in  this  work. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Melms  settled 
down  to  business  and  for  a  time  was  em- 
ployed in  a  lumber  yard  and  on  vessels.  He 
then  ran  a  fruit  and  vegetable  wagon  two 
years  in  the  city,  saved  his  money  and  went 
into  the  wood  and  coal  business,  in  which 
he  was  engaged  seven  years.  In  the  mean- 
time he  invested  in  real  estate  in  Chicago, 
which  he  traded  for  land  in  Hampshire 
township,  on  closing  out  his  coal  business, 
and  here  moved  with  his  family  and  en- 
gaged in  farming.  He  secured  a  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  and  later  bought  a  farm  ad- 
joining consisting  of  one  hundred  and  three 
acres.  Subsequently  he  bought  another 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  a 
ten-acre  timber  tract,  in  all  four  hundred 
and  twenty-three  acres.  He  continued  to 
actively  engage  in  farming  until  March  i, 
1891,  when  he  leased  the  farms  to  his  sons, 
Henry  and  Charles,  removed  to  the  village 
of  Hampshire,  built  a  handsome  modern 
house  and  is  living  in  ease  and  comfort. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


271 


CHARLES  MELMS,  JR.,  the  son  of  Charles 
Melms,  Sr.,  and  Christina  (Richter)  Melms, 
was  born  in  Chicago,  April  28,  1868,  and 
came  to  Kane  county,  in  1876,  and  grew  to 
manhood  on  his  father's  farm  on  section 
14.  He  attended  school  in  the  Bean  dis- 
trict until  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  from 
the  time  he  was  old  enough  to  hold  a  plow 
assisted  in  the  cultivation  of  the  farm.  He 
remained  under  the  parental  roof  until 
February  24,  1891,  when  he  was  united  in 
marriage  at  Huntley,  Illinois,  with  Miss. 
Emma  Schrader,  who  was  born  in  Huntley, 
and  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Dora  (Dueses- 
ing)  Schrader,  the  former  a  native  of  Han- 
over, Germany,  and  now  residing  in  Hunt- 
ley,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years.  By 
this  union  are  two  sons — Glen,  born  January 
23,  1892,  and  Harry,  born  September  i, 
1894.  In  March,  following  his  marriage, 
he  began  farming  for  himself,  renting  the 
farm  of  his  father  on  section  14,  for  two 
years.  He  then  came  to  his  present  farm, 
which  is  a  well-improved  dairy  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  acres,  on  which  he  keeps 
thirty-five  head  of  cows,  and  is  meeting 
with  good  success.  In  politics  he  is  inde- 
pendent, and  fraternally  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 

HENRY  MELMS  was  born  in  Chicago,  De- 
cember 10,  1869,  and  came  to  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  in  1876,  with  his  parents,  Charles 
Melms,  Sr. ,  and  Christina  (Richter)  Melms. 
He  attended  school  in  the  Bean  district 
during  the  winter  months  until  fourteen 
years  of  age,  and  remained  at  home  assist- 
ing his  father  until  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
On  the  1 2th  of  April,  1891,  he  married  Lena 
Reinking,  who  was  born  in  Ontarioville, 
Illinois,  July  5,  1870,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Deitrich  and  Dora  (Fisher)  Reinking,  and  to 
them  have  been  born  four  children — Elma, 


Myrtle,  Frank  and  an  infant.  The  first 
named  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Melms  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church 
and  in  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 


ROMEO  W.  MARSHALL,  who  is  living 
retired  in  the  city  of  Aurora,  and  who 
came  west  in  1868,  was  born  in  Trenton 
Falls,  Oneida  county,  New  York,  January 
12,  1824.  His  father,  Romeo  W.  Marshall, 
Sr. ,  born  in  1787,  and  his  grandfather,  John 
Marshall,  were  natives  of  Connecticut.  The 
latter  served  as  a  teamster  in  the  Revolution- 
ary war.  The  Marshalls  are  of  Scotch  de- 
scent, but  came  to  this  country  from  Eng- 
land. There  were  two  brothers,  one  locat- 
ing in  Rhode  Island,  from  which  branch  of 
the  family  our  subject  was  descended,  while 
the  other  located  in  North  Carolina,  and 
was  an  ancestor  of  Chief  Justice  Marshall. 

When  a  young  man,  R.  W.  Marshall, 
Sr. ,  moved  from  Connecticut  to  New  York 
with  his  father,  first  locating  in  Herkimer 
county,  where  the  father  died  when  ninety- 
eight  years  old.  In  that  county  R.  W. 
Marshall,  Sr. ,  married  Harriet  Van  Antwert, 
a  daughter  of  Lewis  Van  Antwert,  a  native 
of  Holland.  Soon  after  their  marriage  they 
moved  to  Oneida  county,  New  York,  where 
they  resided  for  some  years,  and  then  re- 
moved to  Jefferson  county,  on  the  St.  Law- 
rence river.  In  the  vast  wilderness  he 
opened  up  a  farm  of  two  hundred  acres,  and 
there  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life,  dying 
in  1874.  His  wife  passed  away  three  years 
previous.  In  the  war  of  1812  he  served  for 
a  short  time,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
served  as  postmaster  in  both  Oneida  and 
Jefferson  counties.  Of  their  nine  children 
four  are  yet  living. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in 


272 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Jefferson  county,  New  York,  where  he  helped 
to  open  up  and  develop  the  farm.  His 
educational  advantages  were  very  limited, 
but  he  made  the  best  use  of  them,  and  in 
after  years  by  reading  and  observation  he 
has  become  a  well  informed  man.  He  re- 
mained on  the  home  farm  until  twenty-six 
years  of  age,  and  on  the  I3th  of  March, 
1850,  married  Mary  A.  Jewett,  of  Windsor, 
Vermont,  where  she  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated, and  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Jewett,  who 
died  when  she  was  a  mere  child.  He  was 
a  minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
For  some  years  previous  to  her  marriage 
she  was  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools.  By 
this  union  there  were  three  children:  Phila, 
who  resides  at  home;  C.  N.,  married  and 
engaged  in  merchandising  in  Aurora;  and 
Josephine,  wife  of  John  W.  Miller,  a  busi- 
ness man  of  Aurora,  by  whom  she  had  one 
child— Marshall  J. 

Soon  after  their  marriage  Mr.  Marshall 
bought  a  farm  in  Jefferson  county,  near  that 
of  his  father,  and  engaged  in  farming  and 
butter-making  for  some  years.  Selling  out 
the  farm  he  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  at 
Redwood,  Jefferson  county,  New  York, 
which  he  continued  for  five  years,  and  in 
the  fall  of  1868  came  to  Aurora,  and  located 
in  the  suburbs  of  the  city.  In  1875  he  en- 
gaged in  the  hotel  business,  and  for  thirteen 
years  was  proprietor  of  the  city  hotel,  where 
he  did  a  large  and  profitable  business,  hav- 
ing a  feed  barn  in  connection,  and  catering 
to  the  country  trade.  On  the  organization 
of  the  Merchants'  National  Bank  he  pur- 
chased some  stock,  and  is  now  one  of  the 
directors  of  that  financial  institution.  He 
is  now  residing  in  a  neat  and  attractive  home 
on  South  Lake  street,  where  he  delights  to 
entertain  his  many  friends. 

Politically  Mr.  Marshall  is  a  stanch  Re- 


publican, with  which  party  he  has  been 
identified  since  its  organization,  having  voted 
for  its  first  presidential  nominee,  General 
John  C.  Fremont.  He  has  voted  for  every 
presidential  candidate  of  that  party  up  to 
the  present  time,  with  one  exception.  He 
never  wanted  or  would  accept  official  posi- 
tion, giving  his  time  and  attention  to  his 
business  interests.  While  not  connected 
with  any  church  organization,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Marshall  attended  the  People's  church.  He 
is  a  man  of  exemplary  habits,  upright  char- 
acter, and  is  classed  among  the  representa- 
tive business  men  of  Aurora. 


WILLIAM  McCREDIE.— A  brilliant 
example  of  a  self-made  American 
citizen  and  a  grand  exemplification  of  the 
progress  that  an  ambitious  foreigner  can 
make  in  this  country  of  unbounded  oppor- 
tunities, is  shown  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Mc- 
Credie,  a  leading  business  man  of  Elgin, 
whose  home  is  at  No.  138  North  Gifford 
street.  His  wonderful  success  is  due  to  his 
own  energy  and  the  high  ideal  which  his 
lofty  and  laudable  ambition  placed  before 
him.  Success  in  any  walk  of  life  is  an  indi- 
cation of  earnest  endeavor  and  persevering 
effort — characteristics  that  he  possesses  in 
an  eminent  degree. 

Born  in  Scotland,  February  10,  1848, 
Mr.  McCredie  is  a  son  of  William  and  Mar- 
garet (Limmond)  McCredie,  also  natives  of 
that  country.  The  father  was  born  in  Wig- 
tonshire,  and  was  the  only  son  of  Peter  and 
Margaret  (Fraser)  McCredie,  farming  peo- 
ple, who  spent  their  entire  lives  in  Scotland, 
the  former  dying  at  the  age  of  sixty-two 
years,  the  latter  at  a  much  more  advanced 
age.  They  had  one  daughter,  Elizabeth, 
who  married  George  Jamieson  and  both  are 


WM.  McCREDIE. 


-Of 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


275 


now  deceased.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
was  one  of  a  large  family  of  children  whose 
parents  were  Quintin  and  Margaret  (Mc- 
Adam)  Limmond,  natives  of  Ayrshire,  Scot- 
land. 

William  McCredie,  Sr. ,  who,  born  in 
1806,  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  emi- 
grated to  Canada  in  1872,  but  after  residing 
there  for  seven  years,  he  returned  to  his 
native  land  in  1879,  on  a  visit,  and  died 
there.  While  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic 
he  visited  Illinois.  He  died  in  1880,  aged 
seventy-five  years,  a  faithful  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  and  a  most  excellent 
man.  His  widow,  who  is  also  a  member  of 
that  church,  now  lives  with  her  daughter, 
Jane,  in  Elgin.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
is  the  oldest  of  their  nine  children,  and,  like 
all  his  brothers,  is  engaged  in  the  creamery 
business.  Quintin,  who  was  engaged  in 
business  in  Huntley,  Illinois,  died  in  Mc- 
Henry  county,  in  1888,  aged  thirty-eight 
years.  Margaret  Ann  is  the  wife  of  James 
Campbell,  who  is  also  engaged  in  the  cream- 
ery business  in  Jefferson,  Wisconsin.  Eliza- 
beth is  the  widow  of  Robert  Marshall,  a 
Scotch-Canadian,  and  is  a  resident  of  Mar- 
shall, Wisconsin.  Jane  lives  with  her 
mother  in  Elgin.  Thomas  Limmond  is  a 
resident  of  Ohio,  Illinois.  James  makes 
his  home  in  Earlville,  this  state.  Robert 
Gumming  lives  in  Mt.  Morris,  Ogle  county, 
and  Edward  Limmond,  in  Ohio,  Bureau 
county,  this  state.  Our  subject  had  two  half 
brothers.  The  older,  Captain  Patrick  Mc- 
Credie, was  a  sea  captain,  and  was  in  sev- 
eral ship  wrecks.  While  commanding  the 
Greta,  he  saved  the  crew  of  the  ship  Great 
Britain,  which  was  destroyed  during  a  gale 
on  the  British  Channel,  March  u,  1876, 
and  for  his  bravery  displayed  by  this  act  he 
received  a  written  communication  from  the 

13 


committee  of  "  Liverpool  Shipwreck  and 
Humane  Society  "  commending  his  gallant 
service.  John  McCredie,  the  other  half 
brother,  was  also  a  sailor  for  twenty  years, 
but  when  the  family  came  to  America  he 
accompanied  them,  and  .now  lives  with  his 
widowed  sister,  Mrs.  Marshall,  in  Wis- 
consin. 

Reared  on  a  farm,  William  McCredie 
continued  to  engage  in  agricultural  pursuits 
until  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  when  he 
became  interested  in  the  creamery  business, 
working  for  the  firm  of  Braman,  Horr  & 
Warner,  >at.-Elyria,  Lorain  county,  Ohio, 
far  three  years.  He  then  came  to  Algon- 
quin, Illinois,  and  near  that  place  engaged 
in  the  same  business  with  Robert  McAdam 
until  1 88 1,  when  he  purchased  his  partner's 
interest  after  being  together  for  three  years. 
Since  then  he  has  carried  on  operations  at 
different  places,  including  Barrington  Sta- 
tion, Barrington  Center,  and  Elgin,  where 
he  still  resides  in  active  business.  He  owns 
one  creamery  in  Lee  county  which  is  under 
the  management  of  his  brother  James,  and 
is  also  interested  in  many  others.  For 
twenty  years  he  has  successfully  engaged 
in  this  business,  and  the  prosperity  that  has- 
crowned  his  efforts  is  certainly  well  de- 
served for  in  him  are  embraced  the  charac- 
teristics of  an  unbending  integrity  and  in- 
dustry that  never  flags. 

On  the  a'jd  of  January,  1884,  in  Halton 
county,  Ontario,  Mr.  McCredie  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Jane  Marshall, 
a  native  of  Canada  and  daughter  of  John 
and  Margaret  (Archibald)  Marshall,  who 
emigrated  from  Scotland  to  that  country  at 
an  early  day.  Her  parents  celebrated 
their  golden  wedding  in  1892,  at  which 
time  all  of  their  large  family  of  children 
were  present  as  well  as  many  other  gueets. 


276 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Since  then  the  father  has  passed  away,  dy- 
ing in  1896,  but  the  mother  is  still  living  on 
the  old  home  farm  in  Canada.  With  one 
exception  her  children  are  also  living. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCredie  have  three  children, 
namely:  Maggie  Jane,  William,  and  Mar- 
ian Elizabeth.  ' 

Politically  Mr.  McCredie  is  independent, 
generally  voting  for  the  man  rather  than 
the  party,  though  he  is  rather  inclined  to- 
ward Democracy.  He  is  a  prominent  Ma- 
son, belonging  to  the  blue  lodge  of  Barring- 
ton.  Illinois;  L.  L.  Munn  chapter;  Bethel 
commandery,  Elgin;  and  Medinah  Temple, 
Knights  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  of  Chicago. 
With  the  First  Congregational  church  of 
Elgin  he  and  his  wife  hold  membership  and 
by  all  who  know  them  they  are  held  in  high 
regard.  He  has  several  times  visited  his 
native  land,  but  has  no  desire  to  return 
there  to  live.  As  a  representative  business 
man  and  highly  respected  citizen  of  Elgin 
none  are  more  deserving  of  honorable  men- 
tion in  a  work  of  this  character  than  Will- 
iam McCredie. 


WILLIAM  BURTON  has  been  identi- 
fied with  Kane  county  for  more  than 
half  a  century,  and  has  contributed  his  share 
to  its  material  progress  and  prosperity,  but 
has  now  laid  aside  all  business  cares  and  is 
enjoying  a  well-earned  rest  at  'his  pleasant 
home  in  Elgin.  He  was  born  November 
26,  1821,  in  Sherrington,  Province  of  Que- 
bec, about  twenty-seven  miles  from  Mon- 
treal, and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Jane  (String- 
er) Burton. 

The  father  was  born  in  North  Burton, 
Yorkshire,  England,  in  1791,  and  in  1819 
emigrated  to  Canada,  locating  in  Sherring- 
ton, where  he  engaged  in  farming.  He  had 


three  brothers,  namely:  William,  Richard 
and  Francis.  He  was  short  of  stature,  of 
light  complexion,  of  positive  character,  but 
of  gentle  disposition.  In  religious  belief  he 
was  an  Episcopalian,  as  was  also  his  wife. 
In  manner  she  was  rather  firm,  and  was  char- 
itable to  an  eminent  degree.  She  was  born 
January  31,  1796,  in  Hunenby,  Yorkshire, 
England,  of  which  her  parents,  Richard  and 
Hannah  (Wallace)  Stringer,  were  also  na- 
tives. They  removed  to  Canada  in  1818, 
and  in  that  country  her  father  died,  but 
her  mother  spent  her  last  days  in  Kane 
county.  Besides  Mrs.  Burton,  they  had 
three  sons  and  one  daughter,  namely: 
Mark,  George,  John  and  Alice,  wife  of  Ar- 
thur Allison,  all  now  deceased,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Robert,  who  makes  his  home  in  El- 
gin. The  father  of  our  subject  continued  to 
reside  in  Sherrington,  Canada,  until  killed  at 
the  battle  of  Odeltown,  November  9,  1838. 
The  mother  died  in  Elgin  township,  Kane 
county,  April  9,  1864. 

In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple  were 
nine  children,  of  whom  William  is  the  old- 
est; Richard,  born  September  13,  1823, 
died  in  August,  1897;  Mary,  born  August 
14,  1825,  married  George  Marshall;  John, 
born  September  19,  1827,  died  in  Elgin,  in 
1870;  Francis,  born  December  14,  1829,  of 
whom  see  sketch  elsewhere  in  this  volume; 
George  B.,  born  February  9,  1831,  died  De- 
cember 12,  1838;  Alice,  born  December  7, 
1833,  married  George  Church,  and  died  in 
Dayton,  Washington,  November  19,  1886; 
Mark,  born  September  6,  1835,  died  July 
27,  1883,  in  Helena,  Montana;  and  Annie, 
born  July  4,  1838,  married  George  Cook- 
man,  and  died  April  11,  1891,  at  Mason, 
Iowa. 

Upon  the  home  farm  in  Canada,  William 
Burton  was  reared,  and  in  the  schools  of 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


277 


the  neighborhood  acquired  his  education. 
On  leaving  the  parental  roof  at  the  age  of 
sixteen,  he  went  to  Albany,  New  York,  to 
learn  the  blacksmith's  trade,  but  not  liking 
that  occupation,  he  obtained  work  on  a 
farm  in  Cherry  Valley,  New  York,  where  he 
remained  for  two  years.  After  his  father's 
death  he  returned  home  to  look  after  the 
family,  remaining  in  Canada  until  1844, 
when  he  left  for  the  far  west,  accompanied 
by  his  uncle  Robert,  uncle  Mark  and  brother 
Richard.  They  made  the  journey  by  way 
of  the  lakes  to  Chicago,  and  from  there  on 
foot  to  Kane  county. 

In  1845  William  Burton  purchased  a 
tract  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in 
Plato  township,  to  the  cultivation  and  im- 
provement of  which  he  devoted  his  time 
and  attention  for  sixteen  years.  Having  se- 
cured a  comfortable  competence,  he  then 
retired  from  the  arduous  duties  of  farm  life 
and  removed  to  Elgin,  where  he  erected  a 
pleasant  residence  on  Walnut  avenue.  Five 
years  ago  he  sold  his  farm,  which  was  one  of 
the  best  in  Kane  county.  While  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits,  he  and  his  brother 
Richard  built  a  cheese  factory  in  Genoa, 
De  Kalb  county,  Illinois,  which  they  op- 
erated for  five  yeare.  There  they  also 
bought  a  tract  of  two  hundred  and  ninety 
acres  of  land,  which  they  converted  into  a 
dairy  faun,  keeping  thereon  fifty  head  of 
cattle.  When  they  finally  divided  the  prop- 
erty, the  brother  took  the  farm  and  our  sub- 
ject the  factory,  which  he  later  sold.  He 
also  built  the  first  factory  in  Plato  town- 
ship, Kane  county,  in  partnership  with  John 
McDonald,  but  later  sold  his  interest. 
Upon  his  farm  in  that  township  he  kept 
forty  head  of  cows  for  dairy  purposes. 

In   St.  Charles,    Kane  county,  Mr.  Bur- 
ton  was  married    January  i,   1855,  to   Miss 


Sarah  Poole,  a  daughter  of  Charles  Poole 
and  wife,  natives  of  England,  now  deceased. 
Her  father  lived  to  the  extreme  old  age  of 
one  hundred  and  nine  years.  The  children 
born  of  this  union  were  as  follows:  Clara, 
born  December  24,  1855,  married  Samuel 
Buckley,  a  farmer  of  Marshall  county,  Kan- 
sas, and  died  July  10,  1874;  Georgiana 
May,  born  May  6,  1857,  is  the  wife  of 
George  Burton,  of  Genoa,  De  Kalb  county; 
Alice  Maud  Mary,  born  May  13,  1859,  is 
the  wife  of  Peter  Young,  a  resident  of  Pot- 
tawatomie  county,  Kansas;  Ernest  W.,  born 
December  9,  1860,  is  a  carpenter  living  in 
Elgin;  and  John  Francis,  born  February 
21,  1863,  is  a  farmer  of  Marshall  county, 
Kansas.  The  mother  of  these  children, 
who  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  United 
Brethren  church,  died  March  27,  1863. 

Mr.  Burton  was  again  married,  July  18, 
1863,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss 
Jane  Cookman,  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  Eng- 
land, as  were  her  parents,  Francis  and 
Maria  (Dibbs)  Cookman.  She  was  a  Meth- 
odist in  religious  belief,  and  died  in  that 
faith,  June  16,  1892,  being  laid  to  rest  at 
Udina,  Kane  county,  where  Mr.  Burton's 
mother,  his  children  and  grandchild  have 
all  been  buried.  By  his  second  marriage 
he  had  four  children,  namely:  Margaret, 
born  June  3,  1865,  is  the  wife  of  Nelson 
Their  and  lives  in  Missouri;  William  C., 
born  July  23,  1867,  died  August  30,  1880; 
Sarah  Ann,  born  June  28,  1870,  keeps  house 
for  her  father;  and  Mary,  born  February 
26,  1872,  died  August  20,  1880. 

At  local  elections,  where  no  issue  is  in- 
volved, Mr.  Burton  votes  independent  of 
party  ties,  but  at  other  times  never  fails  to 
support  the  Republican  ticket.  While  liv- 
ing on  his  farm  he  efficiently  served  as 
school  director  most  of  the  time.  Prior  to 


278 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


coming  to  Elgin  he  held  membership  in  the 
United  Brethren  church,  but  as  there  was 
no  church  of  that  denomination  in  this  city, 
he  united  with  the  Methodist  congregation. 
During  the  long  years  he  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Kane  county,  he  has  championed 
every  movement  designed  to  promote  the 
general  welfare,  has  supported  every  enter- 
prise for  the  public  good,  and  has  materially 
aided  in  the  advancement  of  all  social,  edu- 
cational and  moral  interests.  After  a  use- 
ful and  honorable  career  he  can  well  afford 
to  lay  aside  all  business  cares  and  live  in 
ease  and  retirement.  His  daughter  pre- 
sides over  his  home,  which,  in  its  appoint- 
ments, evinces  the  refinement  and  culture 
of  the  inmates. 


JAMES  SHAW,  city  librarian  and  clerk 
of  the  city  court,  Aurora,  Illinois,  was 
born  in  Lancashire,  England,  July  9,  1840, 
and  is  the  son  of  James  and  Anna  (Gould) 
Shaw,  both  of  whom  are  natives  of  England. 
Thre  parents  came  to  America  during  the  in- 
fancy of  our  subject  and  sertled  in  Ports- 
mouth, New  Hampshire,  where  James  was 
reared  and  educated  in  the  common  schools 
and  graduated  from  the  high  school.  After 
leaving  school  he  entered  the  office  of  the 
daily  "  Chronicle,"  at  Portsmouth,  to  learn 
the  printer's  trade  and  was  there  nearly  five 
year. 

In  the  summer  of  1862,  Mr.  Shaw  en- 
listed as  a  private  in  Company  K,  Sixteenth 
Regiment,  New  Hampshire  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, with  which  he  was  sent  to  the 
southeast,  the  regiment  being  assigned  to 
the  Nineteenth  Army  Corps,  under  com- 
mand of  General  Banks.  It  was  engaged  in 
the  Port  Hudson  campaign.  His  term  of 
enlistment  expiring,  he  returned  home  in  the 


fall  of  1863.  After  spending  a  year  as  clerk 
in  the  navy  yard  at  Portsmouth,  he  came 
west  to  Chicago,  and  engaged  in  the  print- 
ing business.  In  the  following  winter,  how- 
ever, he  went  south  to  Mobile,  Alabama, 
being  one  of  the  army  of  "carpetbaggers" 
and  was  there  some  six  years,  engaged  in 
newspaper  publishing,  and  assisted  in  re- 
construction generally.  In  1873  he  came 
north  and  in  1874  joined  Pierce  Burton  in 
the  publication  of  the  Aurora  "Herald."  He 
remained  with  that  paper  six  years,  when 
the  partnership  with  Mr.  Burton  was  dis- 
solved. He  was  soon  afterward  elected 
clerk  of  the  city  court,  to  fill  a  vacancy,  and 
by  re-election  has  held  the  office  until  the 
present  time.  In  1884  he  was  appointed 
librarian,  which  position  he  has  also  held 
until  the  present  time.  In  1888  he  was 
appointed  by  recommendation  of  the  whole 
bar,  official  reporter  of  the  circuit  court  of 
Kane  county,  which  position  he  held  for 
three  years.  He  ran  the  Aurora  Centre  for 
the  University  Extension  Course  of  Lectures 
for  popular  instruction,  Mrs.  Pierce  Burton 
being  the  first  secretary,  and  our  subject  the 
second  one,  which  office  he  has  since  con- 
tinued to  fill. 

On  the  30th  of  June,  1885,  Mr.  Shaw 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ella  D. 
Lowd,  of  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  to 
which  place  he  returned  for  that  purpose. 
Her  parents  were  William  D.  and  Rebecca 
Lowd,  on  the  mother's  side  being  a  direct 
descendent  of  the  martyr,  John  Rogers,  who 
was  burned- at  the  stake  during  the  reign  of 
Bloody  Queen  Mary.  The  great-great- 
grandfather of  Mrs.  Lowd  was  for  many 
years  a  minister,  at  the  little  stone  church 
on  one  of  the  Isles  of  Shoals,  on  the  coast 
of  New  Hampshire,  and  now  a  famous 
watering  place  or  summer  resort.  To  Mr. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


279 


and  Mrs.  Shaw  two  children  have  been  born 
— Alice  Ada,  attending  the  schools  of  Aurora, 
and  Marian  H.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
seven  years. 

Mrs.  Shaw  is  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church.  Fraternally  Mr.  Shaw 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  and  also 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  takes  an 
active  interest  in  his  party.  He  is  a  man  of 
studious  habits,  of  positive  convictions  and 
indomitable  energy,  and  for  what  he  believes 
to  be  right,  will  stand  against  all  odds. 


OAMUEL  L.  ADAMS,  who  is  now  effi- 
O  ciently  serving  as  justice  of  the  peace 
in  St.  Charles,  was  for  many  years  one  of 
the  active,  enterprising  and  representative 
business  men  and  farmers  of  Kane  county, 
dating  his  residence  here  from  the  spring  of 
1860.  He  was  born  in  Cavendish,  Wind- 
sor county,  Vermont,  June  16,  1820,  and  is 
a  worthy  representative  of  a  very  old  and 
prominent  family  of  New  England,  belong- 
ing to  the  "presidential  branch  "  of  the 
Adams  family.  Benjamin  Adams,  the  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  was  one  of  the  minute  men 
of  the  Revolutionary  war,  taking  part  in  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

Samuel  Adams,  Sr. ,  our  subject's  father, 
was  born  in  Vermont  about  1790,  and  man- 
ifested his  patriotism  by  serving  as  a 
soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  He  married 
Miss  Calista  French,  also  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont, and  a  daughter  of  Josiah  French, 
who  also  belonged  to  an  honored  family  of 
Massachusetts.  Samuel  Adams,  Sr.,  was 
a  tanner  and  currier  by  trade,  but  in  early 
life  followed  farming.  He  was  one  of  the 
most  prominent  and  influential  men  of  his 


town  and  county,  served  as  justice  of  the 
peace  for  nearly  half  a  century,  and  also 
filled  the  offices  of  selectman,  town  clerk 
and  other  positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He 
died  in  Vermont  in  1875,  and  his  wife  passed 
away  the  year  previous. 

Mr.  Adams,  of  this  review,  is  the  oldest 
in  their  family  of  seven  children,  two  sons 
and  five  daughters,  who  reached  mature 
years,  the  others  being  Josiah  Quincy,  who 
still  resides  at  the'  old  homestead  in  Caven- 
dish, Vermont;  Marietta,  who  is  now  the 
widow  of  Friend  Weeks,  of  Rutland  county, 
Vermont,  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Caven- 
dish; and  Marcella,  a  resident  of  Chester, 
Vermont,  and  the  widow  of  Ira  H.  Adams, 
who  died  in  1896.  Jane,  Ellen  and  Betsy 
are  deceased. 

In  his  birthplace  Samuel  L.  Adams 
spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth, 
and  in  the  schools  of  that  place  obtained  a 
fair  education,  which  enabled  him  to  engage 
in  teaching  for  three  years  in  Vermont. 
He  also  learned  the  tanner's  and  currier's 
trade  which  he  followed  for  a  number  of 
years  before  coming  to  Kane  county,  Illi- 
nois in  1860.  Landing  here  in  March  of 
that  year,  he  located  on  a  farm  in  St. 
Charles  township,  where  he  engaged  in  ag- 
ricultural pursuits  until  1876,  and  also  fol- 
lowed school  teaching  during  three  winter 
terms.  On  selling  his  farm,  which  adjoined 
the  corporation  limits  of  St.  Charles,  he  lo- 
cated in  the  village  where  he  has  engaged 
in  merchandising  at  three  different  times, 
some  seven  or  eight  years  in  all,  the  first 
three  years  being  devoted  to  the  grocery 
trade. 

On  the  2d  of  July,  1848,  in  the  town  of 
Cavendish,  Windsor  county,  Vermont,  was 
celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Adams  and 
Miss  Betsey  M.  Parker,  also  a  native  of  that 


280 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


state,  and  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Isaiah  Parker, 
who  belonged  to  a  Massachusetts  family, 
and  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-six 
years.  During  her  girlhood  Mrs.  Adams 
obtained  an  excellent  education  and  success- 
fully engaged  in  teaching  both  in  Vermont 
and  after  coming  to  Illinois.  She  died  Jan- 
uary 26,  1882,  leaving  a  sorrowing  husband 
and  many  friends  to  mourn  her  loss.  Hav- 
ing no  children  of  their  own,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Adams  adopted  Ella  D.  Howard  at  the  age 
of  four  years.  She  was  reared  and  educated 
by  them,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  A.  D.  Bell, 
of  St.  Charles. 

Although  not  old  enough  to  vote  at  the 
Presidential  election  of  1840,  he  carried  a 
banner  in  the  processions  during  the  cam- 
paign of  that  year,  his  interests  being  with 
"  Tippecanoe  and  Tyler,  too,"  and  on  be- 
coming a  voter  he  supported  the  Whig  party 
until  the  organization  of  the  Republican 
party,  voting  for  John  C.  Fremont  in  1856. 
He  has  served  as  a  delegate  to  many  of  the 
county  conventions  of  his  party,  and  has 
been  called  upon  to  fill  the  offices  of  super- 
visor seven  years,  township  trustee,  and 
commissioner  of  highways  twelve  years.  He 
was  one  of  a  committee  of  three  who  built 
the  present  bridge  across  Fox  river  at  St. 
Charles,  and  was  also  secretary  of  the  build- 
ing committee  of  supervisors  when  the  pres- 
ent fine  court  house  and  jail  of  Kane  county 
were  erected.  He  has  been  a  member  of 
the  old  town  council,  was  president  of  the 
board  of  trustees,  and  has  now  acceptably 
served  as  justice  of  the  peace  for  five  years. 
In  all  of  these  various  positions  he  has  dis- 
charged his  duties  with  promptness  and  fidel- 
ity, proving  a  most  capable  and  popular 
official.  Socially  he  is  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, is  past  grand  of  his  lodge,  has  served 


as  secretary  of  his  lodge  and  also  the  en- 
campment in  the  grand  lodge  several  terms, 
has  been  chief  patriot  and  filled  all  the  chairs 
in  the  encampment.  For  thirty  years  he 
has  been  identified  with  the  interests  of 
Kane  county  and  has  become  widely  and  fa- 
vorably known  throughout  this  section  of  the 
state. 


CHARLES  OSCAR  CUMMINGS,  de- 
ceased, was  born  in  New  Albany,  In- 
diana, June  6,  1845,  died  at  his  residence  in 
New  Orleans,  Louisana,  August  16,  1882. 
About  1850,  his  father  moved  to  New  Or- 
leans, which  continued  to  be  the  family 
residence.  He  attended  private  schools  in 
that  city,  and  later  Professor  Soule's  Busi- 
ness College.  His  father  having  died  in  1855, 
he  early  became  the  mainstay  of  the  family 
and  contributed  to  the  support  of  his  mother 
and  sisters  from  the  age  of  fifteen.  He 
secured  a  place  as  clerk  in  a  store,  and  while 
thus  engaged,  attended  business  college. 
Having  saved  from  his  earnings,  he  later  in 
partnership  with  his  brother-in-law,  went 
into  the  commission  business,  in  which  he 
prospered  through  strict  integrity  and  honest 
dealing,  accumulated  a  comfortable  com- 
petence. Owing  to  ill-health,  he  traveled 
in  the  north  every  summer,  sometimes  on 
the  Atlantic  coast,  and  again  in  the  lake 
regions  of  Wisconsin  and  in  Maine.  In 
July,  1882,  he  bought  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  in  Kane  county,  near  his 
wife's  birthplace,  in  order  that  he  might 
have  a  home  of  his  own  to  go  in  summer 
when  he  so  desired.  But  he  never  had  the 
pleasure  of  spending  his  time  on  the  place, 
his  death  occurring  but  a  month  later.  He 
was  an  affectionate  husband  and  father, 
honored  and  respected  by  a  wide  circle  of 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


281 


friends.  In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat 
and  a  Confederate  during  the  war.  He  was 
reared  a  Methodist  but  when  married  he 
united  with  the  Episcopal  church. 

Charles  O.  Cummings  was  the  son  of 
Thomas  Cummings,  who  was  born  in  Balti- 
more, November  25,  1816,  and  at  Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania,  October  10,  1838,  married 
Mary  Jane  McConnell,  a  daughter  of  Hugh 
McConnell  and  Mary  (Perrine)  McConnell. 
She  was  born  in  New  York,  November  24, 
1822,  and  is  yet  living  in  New  Orleans. 
The  mother  of  Thomas  Cummings  died 
when  he  was  quite  young.  His  father  mar- 
rying again,  he  left  home  and  soon  lost 
track  of  his  family  and  therefore  knew  little 
of  his  ancestors.  He  learned  ship  carpen- 
tering in  his  youth  and  held  a  position  for 
many  years  on  boats  running  north  from 
New  Orleans.  While  repairing  a  wheel  of 
his  boat  he  got  wet,  took  cold,  and  after  a 
short  illness  died  November  15,  1855. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  married  in 
New  Orleans,  January  I,  1872,  Miss  Susan 
Jane  Babcock,  who  was  there  on  a  visit  to 
her  half-brother,  Professor  George  Soule,  who 
was  a  Confederate  colonel  in  the  Rebellion, 
was  taken  prisoner  at  Shiloh  and  taken  to 
Johnson's  Island  for  five  months,  in  whose 
business  college  Mr.  Cummings  had  received 
his  business  education.  She  was  born  in 
Barrington,  Yates  county,  New  York,  April 
6,  1844,  and  is  a  daughter  of  William  H. 
and  Cornelia  E.  (Hogeboom)  Babcock.  The 
latter  was  born  in  Green  county.  New  York, 
November  8,  1814,  and  died  September  11, 
1893.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Andrew 
and  Julia  (Distant)  Hogeboom,  the  father 
being  a  farmer  by  occupation.  His  wife  at- 
tained the  age  of  ninety  years.  Cornelia 
E.  Hogeboom  first  married  Ebon  Soule,  a 
Frenchman,  by  whom  she  had  three  sons, 


Andrew,  George  and  Stephen.  George  is  a 
professor  in  a  business  college  in  New  Or- 
leans, while  the  other  two  live  in  California. 

William  H.  Babcock.  the  father  of  Mrs. 
Cumrnings,  was  born  in  New  York,  Octo- 
ber 10,"  1816,  and  died  in  Kane  county,  Il- 
linois, September  12,  1884.  By  occupation 
he  was  a  farmer  after  coming  west  in  1854. 
By  trade  he  was  a  mason,  and  an  excellent 
workman.  On  coming  to  Kane  county,  he 
settled  on  section  30,  Hampshire  township, 
where  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  ad- 
joining a  forty-acre  tract  his  wife  received 
from  her  father.  He  was  the  son  of  Abiram 
Babcock  and  Susan  (Lee)  Babcock,  the  lat- 
ter being  a  cousin  of  Robert  E.  Lee.  To 
William  H.  Babcock  and  wife  nine  children 
were  born  as  follows:  Sallie,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  six  months;  Mary,  who  married 
David  Davis,  and  lives  in  Beloit,  Wiscon- 
sin; Julia,  who  married  Hiram  S.  De  Witt, 
and  is  living  in  Hampshire,  Illinois;  Abiram 
Lee,  who  resides  in  California;  Susan  J., 
widow  of  our  subject;  Lucy,  who  married 
James  F.  Bell,  and  is  living  on  section  30, 
Hampshire  township;  Charlotte,  wife  of 
John  Oesterman,  residing  on  the  old  home 
farm  on  section  30;  and  Phebe  E.,  who 
married  Edward  Everitt  Crawford,  a  mer- 
chant of  Genoa,  Illinois.  One  son  was  a 
member  of  the  Seventeenth  Illinois  Cavalry 
in  the  war  for  the  Union. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cummings  four  chil- 
dren were  born  in  New  Orleans — Mary  Cor- 
nelia, Charlotte  E.,  William  Arthur  and 
George  Bidwell.  The  daughters  are  teach- 
ers of  recognized  ability  in  Kane  county. 
Mrs.  Cummings  resides  on  the  farm,  to  which 
she  gives  her  personal  attention.  She  also 
owns  a  house  and  lots  in  Hampshire  and 
several  fine  building  lots  in  Elgin,  in  a  select 
quarter  of  the  city. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


/^>EORGE  P.  MARSHALL,  deceased, 
Vj  was  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  and 
highly  respected  citizens  of  Kane  county, 
with  whose  agricultural  interests  he  was 
prominently  identified  for  many  years.  He 
was  born  May  9,  1817,  in  Ryther,  York- 
shire, England,  a  son  of  James  and  Ann 
(Parker)  Marshall,  also  natives  of  that  place. 
In  that  country  they  spent  their  entire  lives, 
the  father  dying  in  1883,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety-five  years;  the  mother  Au- 
gust 22,  1872,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five. 

In  1842,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years, 
George  P.  Marshall  crossed  the  broad  At- 
lantic and  first  located  in  Canada,  where  he 
spent  two  years.  In  his  native  land  he  had 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  but  after  com- 
ing to  the  United  States  he  devoted  his  en- 
ergies exclusively  to  farming.  It  was  in 
1844  that  he  became  a  resident  of  Kane 
county,  at  which  time  most  of  the  land  was 
still  in  its  primitive  condition,  and  he  and 
his  young  wife  were  forced  to  endure  all  of 
the  hardships  and  trials  incident  to  pioneer 
life.  After  renting  a  farm  for  two  years 
near  Plato,  he  purchased  seventy-seven 
acres  on  section  29,  Elgin  township,  and 
thereon  erected  the  first  frame  house  in  the 
township.  He  also  employed  the  first 
teacher  in  his  district,  the  pupils  being  two 
of  his  own  children  and  one  of  the  teacher's. 
Upon  the  farm  which  he  first  bought,  he 
continued  to  reside  until  called  to  his  final 
rest  October  3,  1881.  In  England  he  had 
joined  the  Odd  Fellows  Society,  but  in  this 
country  held  membership  in  no  secret  or- 
ganization. He  was  always  loyal  to  his 
adopted. country  and  her  institutions,  and 
most  acceptably  served  his  fellow  citizens 
as  school  trustee,  road  commissioner  and 
thistle  commissioner. 

Mr.  Marshall  was  married  in  Canada,  in 


1842,  to  Miss  Mary  Burton,  who  was  born 
in  Sharington,  near  Montreal,  August  14, 
1825,  adaughter  of  John  and  Jane  (Stringer) 
Burton,  and  granddaughter  of  Richard  and 
Hannah  (Garbutt)  Stringer.  Her  father  was 
born  in  North  Burton,  Yorkshire,  England, 
in  1792,  and  was  a  son  of  Richard  and 
Mary  Burton.  In  1818  he  emigrated  to 
Canada,  and  was  killed  November  9,  1838, 
at  the  age  of  forty -six  years,  while  serving 
in  the  militia  during  the  rebellion  in  that 
country.  Mrs.  Marshall's  mother  was  a  na- 
tive of  Hull,  England,  born  in  1794,  and 
died  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years. 

The  children  born  to  our  subject  and 
his  wife  were  as  follows:  Ann  Jane  married 
Hosea  E.  Perkins,  who  was  born  in  Jeffer- 
son county,  New  York,  November  8,  1819,' 
but  when  seven  years  old  went  to  Ohio, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1841  came  to  Illinois;  Le- 
vina  is  now  Mrs.  Padelford;  William  is  en- 
gaged in  farming  at  East  Plato,  Kane  coun- 
ty; Charles  H.  is  a  mason  and  builder  living 
at  Chico,  California;  George  F.  follows 
farming  near  Wasco  Station,  Campton 
township,  Kane  county;  Caroline  L.  is  the 
wife  of  Hiram  Brown,  of  Port  Walthal, 
Virginia;  Ellen  L.  is  the  wife  of  Millard 
Starr,  who  is  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits near  Pingree  station;  Richard  S.  is  a 
merchant  of  South  Elgin;  Frederick  J.  is 
engaged  in  farming  near  Plato  Center;  and 
Henry  L.  is  living  with  his  mother  in  South 
Elgin. 

Mrs.  Marshall  well  remembers  the  region 
around  her  birthplace,  which  was  in  the 
midst  of  a  deep  forest,  and  among  the  prim- 
itive scenes  of  frontier  life  she  was  reared 
to  womanhood.  Her  father  had  to  clear 
away  the  trees  in  order  to  secure  space  for 
his  home,  and  the  family  were  obliged  to 
carry  their  butter  and  other  produce  to 


GEORGE   P.   MARSHALL. 


1*  T«E 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


287 


market,  walking  the  entire  distance  of 
eighteen  miles.  Thus  inured  to  such  a  life 
she  was  well  fitted  to  endure  the  hardships 
which  surrounded  her  early  residence  in 
Kane  county.  In  coming  to  this  state  she 
and  her  husband  came  by  way  of  the  Wel- 
land  canal  and  great  lakes  from  Buffalo  to 
Chicago,  and  thence  by  wagon  to  Kane 
county.  Game  was  still  quite  plentiful  in 
this  region,  furnishing  the  early  settlers 
with  most  of  their  meat,  and  most  of  the 
land  was  still  wild  prairie  and  timber.  She 
has  watched  with  interest  the  wonderful 
changes  that  have  since  taken  place. 


RICHARD  S.  MARSHALL,  son  of 
George  P.  Marshall,  is  one  of  the  rep- 
resentative and  prominent  business  men  of 
South  Elgin.  He  is  a  native  of  Kane  coun- 
ty, born  on  his  father's  farm,  on  section  29, 
Elgin  township,  May  16,  1856,  and  there 
remained  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  aiding 
in  the  work  and  attending  the  district 
schools  of  the  neighborhood.  At  that  age 
he  began  to  work  for  others  as  a  farm  hand 
and  was  thus  employed  until  he  attained  his 
majority. 

On  the  22d  of  February,  1877,  at  the 
age  of  twenty  years,  Mr.  Marshall  was  uni- 
ted in  marriage  with  Miss  Clara  Campbell, 
a  native  of  Vermont,  who  when  a  child  of 
eleven  years  came  to  Illinois  with  her  par- 
ents, Emmett  and  Marian  Campbell,  the 
former  of  Scotch  descent.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Marshall  have  been  born  three  chil- 
dren, namely:  Bertha,  Albert  and  Frank. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Marshall  rented 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  and.  eighty-three 
acres,  which  he  operated  for  three  years, 
and  for  the  same  length  of  time  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  upon  a  farm  in  Hamp- 


shire township  belonging  to  M.  C.  Getzel- 
man.  He  then  rented  the  old  homestead 
for  two  years,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time 
removed  to  South  Elgin,  where  he  was  first 
engaged  in  buying  and  selling  stock  for  six 
years,  meeting  with  success  in  his  new  un- 
dertaking. This  naturally  led  to  his  enter- 
ing the  meat  business,  and  to  his  market  he 
subsequently  added  a  stock  of  groceries. 
On  the  8th  of  January,  1897,  his  store  was 
destroyed  by  fire,  probably  the  work  of  in- 
cendiaries, but  the  same  spring  he  rebuilt 
on  the  new  trolly  line  west  of  the  Fox  river 
and  has  built  up  a  good  trade  for  a  small 
village — a  trade  that  is  constantly  increas- 
ing. He  is  an  enterprising,  progressive 
business  man  of  known  reliability,  and  his 
"genial,  pleasant  manner  has  made  him  quite 
popular  in  both  business  and  social  circles. 


ISAAC  T.  BEVIER,  who  for  many  years 
was  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  Au- 
rora, was  born  at  Leurenkill,  Ulster  county, 
New  York,  March  13,  1818.  His  parents, 
Johannis  and  Elizabeth  (Teachout)  Bevier, 
were  both  natives  of  New  York  state.  The 
name  was  originally  spelled  Bovier,  and  is 
of  French  origin.  The  Boviers  were  of  the 
Huguenot  faith  and  fled  from  France  to  Hol- 
land, during  the  time  of  those  religious 
persecutions  and  found  refuge  with  friends 
in  the  Palatinate.  Louis  Bovier,  or  Bevier, 
emigrated  from  Frenken,  on  or  about  March 
5,  1675,  and  on  arriving  in  America,  they 
stopped  temporarily  at  New  Amsterdam, 
afterwards  at  New  Paltz,  and  were  among 
the  original  twelve  patentees  of  that  place. 
They  had  a  family  of  eight  children — Marie, 
Jean,  Abraham,  Samuel,  Andrius,  Louis, 
Esther  and  Solomon.  Abraham  Bevier 
married  Rachel  Quernory,  and  they  settled 


288 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


at  Warwarsing,  New  York.  Their  children 
were  Louis,  Annie,  Cornelius,  Samuel,  Ja- 
cobus, Abraham,  Maria,  Johannis,  Benjamin 
and  Daniel.  Johannis,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  married  Elizabeth  Teachout,  and 
their  children  were  Mary  Ann",  Cornelius 
H.,  Esther  B.,  Simon  J.,  Isaac  T. ,  Corne- 
lius A.,  Sarah  E. ,  Rachel  M.,  Antoinette, 
Sarah  J.,  William  E.  and  Harriet  E.,  all, 
excepting  Sarah  E.,  living  to  the  age  of 
maturity. 

Isaac  T.  Bevier  obtained  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  at  Leurenkill,  residing 
in  boyhood  upon  his  father's  farm.  In 
boyhood  he  learned  the  tailor's  trade  at 
Elmira,  New  York,  to  which  place  the 
family  had  removed.  After  learning  his 
trade  he  worked  at  Elmira  as  a  journeyman 
for  several  years.  In  the  meantime  he 
married,  March  11,  1841,  Miss  Sarah  Brad- 
ner,  daughter  of  William  and  Frances 
Emily  (Wood)  Bradner,  of  Goshen,  New 
York.  In  1844  he  came  to  Aurora,  and  de- 
ciding to  make  this  city  his  future  home, 
returned  to  Elmira  for  his  family.  In  1848 
he  commenced  the  tailoring  business  here 
in  partnership  with  the  late  William  Mc- 
Michen,  each  conducting  an  establishment, 
one  on  each  side  of  the  river,  but  in  part- 
nership. After  a  year  or  so,  Mr.  Bevier 
retired  from  busmess  on  account  of  failing 
eyesight,  after  which  he  served  as  constable 
and  collector  for  several  years.  In  1858 
he  went  into  the  drug  business  on  Broad- 
way with  J.  D.  Moore,  but  soon  afterwards 
purchased  his  partner's  interest  and  contin- 
ued the  business  alone  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death,  which  occurred  January  3,  1884. 
He  was  subject  to  heart  trouble,  and  died 
suddenly  in  Florida,  where  he  had  gone  to 
gain  health  and  strength.  His  remains 
were  brought  back  to  Aurora  and  buried  in 


Spring  Lake  cemetery,  escorted  to  the  grave 
by  the  Knight  Templars  and  Odd  Fellows, 
of  which  in  the  former  body  he  had  been 
prelate,  and  had  filled  all  the  offices  in  the 
Odd  Fellows  society.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bevier 
had  a  family  of  four  children  as  follows: 
Cornelia  F.,  who  resides  with  her  mother. 
William  B.,  who  married  November  25, 
1898,  Emma  S.  Borwell,  of  Fon  du  Lac, 
Wisconsin,  by  whom  he  has  two  children, 
George,  S. ,  born  August  20,  1872,  and  Ben- 
jamin B.,  born  April  9,  1880;  John  E. , 
who  was  married  October  26,  1868,  to  Mary 
J.  Seymour,  by  whom  he  has  one  child, 
Frank  H.,  born  June  23,  1874;  Frank  H., 
who  died  April  8,  1873.  John  E.  Bevier 
died  in  Aurora,  August  20,  1875. 

Mr.  Bevier  was  a  public-spirited  man 
and  in  addition  to  those  already  mentioned; 
he  held  the  position  of  street  commissioner 
several  years  and  highway  commissioner  for 
nine  years.  With  his  wife  he  was  an  at- 
tendant of  the  Congregational  church.  As 
a  citizen  he  was  well  known  and  univer- 
sally esteemed.  His  death  was  a  sincere 
loss  to  the  community  in  which  he  had  so 
long  resided.  Mrs.  Bevier  still  resides  in 
Aurora  in  a  pleasant  home  at  No.  285  Main 
street,  and  is  also  held  in  the  highest 
esteem. 


MORRIS  CLINTON  TOWN,  now  de- 
ceased, was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
best  known  business  men  of  Elgin.  He  was 
of  English  and  French  extraction,  his  an- 
cestors settling  in  America  prior  to  the  Rev- 
olutionary war.  His  father,  Bester  Town, 
was  born  in  New  York  August  20,  1794. 
He  was  reared  in  his  native  state,  and  Sep- 
tember 22,  1816,  married  Betsy  M.  Martin, 
a  native  of  Vermont,  born  in  1795.  For 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


289 


some  years  after  marriage  he  followed  farm- 
ing in  Washington  county,  New  York.  In 
1824  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Erie 
county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  engaged  in 
hotel  keeping  and  farming,  but  later  com- 
menced the  manufacture  of  hats,  and  em- 
barked in  the  mercantile  trade.  His  death 
occurred  in  Erie  county,  Pennsylvania,  De- 
cember 2,  1870,  and  he  was  followed  to  the 
grave  by  his  loving  wife,  January  22,  1872. 
During  the  war  of  1812  he  served  his  coun- 
try as  one  of  its  soldiers. 

Morris  C.  Town  was  born  at  Granville, 
Washington  county,  New  York,  February 
7,  1818,  and  was  eldest  in  a  family  of  eight 
children.  His  boyhood  and  youth  were 
spent  at  home  with  his  parents  and  he 
learned  the  hatter's  trade  in  his  father's 
manufactory,  receiving  at  the  same  time  a 
common-school  education.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-two  he  began  life  for  himself  as  a 
merchant,  at  North  East,  Erie  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  quite  successful. 
But  life  in  the  east  was  not  suited  to  his 
temperament.  He  wished  to  broaden  out, 
and  so  resolved  to  come  west.  Accordingly 
in  the  spring  of  1846  he  came  to  Chicago 
and  commenced  in  mercantile  business, 
which  he  continued  until  the  fall  of  1847, 
when  he  came  to  Elgin  and  for  three  years 
was  one  of  its  most  prosperous  merchants. 
He  then  opened  a  banking  office,  and  in 
1851  secured  a  charter  from  the  state.  In 
1858  he  sold  his  banking  business  and  re- 
moved to  Chicago,  where  he  remained  until 
1860,  when  he  again  came  to  Elgin  and  for 
the  second  time  engaged  in  merchandising. 
In  1862  the  banking  house  of  Lawrence 
Pease  &  Town  was  established  and  Mr. 
Town  assumed  the  general  management  of 
the  same.  In  the  summer  of  1865  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Elgin  was  organized  and 


he  was  elected  cashier,  a  position  he  held 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  was  then  elected 
president,  serving  as  such  until  his  death. 

Mr.  Town  was  twice  married.  His  first 
wife,  whom  he  married  August  27,  1839, 
was  Miss  Hannah  S.  -Oviatt,  born  at  Hud- 
son, Ohio,  July  27,  1819,  and  by  her  he 
had  one  child,  Helen  S.,  who  became  the 
wife  of  William  O.  De  Long,  and  who  is 
now  living  at  Titusville,  Pennsylvania. 
Mrs.  Town  passed  to  her  reward  in  1843, 
and  Mr.  Town  married  Miss  Maria  Sel- 
kregg,  November  12,  1844,  at  North  East, 
Pennsylvania.  She  was  a  native  of  that 
state,  born  at  Colt's  Station,  Erie  county, 
December  19,  1821,  and  a  daughter  of  Osee 
and  Harriet  (Robinson)  Selkregg,  natives 
of  Connecticut  and  Pennsylvania,  respect- 
ively. Six  children  were  born  of  this  union, 
as  follows:  Ella  L. ,  born  September  30, 
1845,  is  now  Mrs.  L.  B.  Hamlin,  of  Elgin; 
Morris  Clarence,  born  July  4,  1847,  died 
January  8,  1850;  Frank,  born  April  27, 
1849,  died  June  5,  1881;  Harriet  E.,  born 
March  27,  1851,  married  John  H.  Volk, 
and  is  now  living  at  Mont  Clare,  Illinois; 
Carrie  M. ,  born  May  27,  1855,  is  the  wife 
of  W.  W.  Sherwin,  of  Elgin;  and  Morris 
Clinton  died  in  infancy.  Mrs.  Town  died 
January  26,  1897.  She  was  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  church,  a  true  Christian 
woman,  one  who  was  greatly  esteemed 
by  all. 

After  a  residence  in  Elgin  of  forty-five 
years,  save  for  a  short  time  spent  in  Chica- 
go, already  mentioned,  Mr.  Town  passed 
from  this  life,  his  death  taking  place  July 
31,  1892,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years 
and  five  months.  He  was  a  man  of  more 
than  ordinary  ability,  and  did  much  to 
make  Elgin  the  thriving  city  it  now  is. 
Few  enterprises  of  a  public  nature  but  what 


290 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


secured  from  him  financial  as  well  as  moral 
support.  He  added  much  to  the  city  by 
the  erection  of  a  fine  business  block  which 
bears  his  name.  A  friend  of  education,  he 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Elgin  Acad- 
emy, and  served  as  one  of  its  directors  un- 
til his  death.  In  1878  he  was  elected  a 
local  director  in  the  Elgin  National  Watch 
Company, -a  position  which  he  held  until 
his  death.  Fraternally  he  was  an  Odd 
Fellow,  and  was  one  of  the  charter  mem- 
bers of  Kane  lodge,  at  Elgin. 


MRS.  D.  P.  GRAY,  of  Aurora,  Illinois, 
was  born  in  Covington,  Tioga  county, 
Pennsylvania,  April  7,  1817.  Her  father, 
Thomas  Putnam,  was  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts, and  the  son  of  Elijah  Putnam,  a 
cousin  of  Israel  Putnam,  of  Revolutionary 
fame.  Thomas  Putnam  married  Hannah 
Huntington,  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
where  he  then  resided.  Soon  after  his 
marriage  he  moved  to  Pennsylvania,  and 
settled  in  Tioga  county,  when  he  followed 
his  trade  of  saddle-tree  maker  for  sev- 
eral years,  and  there  reared  a  family. 
His  wife  died  in  Pennsylvania,  and  he 
later  married  again.  He  was  a  very 
prominent  man,  serving  for  some  years  as 
postmaster  of  Covington,  and  also  justice  of 
the  peace.  For  some  years  he  was  a  gen- 
eral in  the  state  militia. 

Our  subject  was  reared  in  her  native 
town,  where  she  received  a  fairly  good  ed- 
ucation, and  on  March  3,  1833,  a  young 
lady  of  sixteen  years,  gave  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage to  L.  W.  Gray,  a  native  of  Ohio,  born 
July  ii,  1812,  but  who  was  reared  in  Tio- 
ga county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  received 
a  good  education  in  the  common  schools, 
and  in  Wellsborough  College.  After  their 


marriage  they  began  their  domestic  life  in 
Covington,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  worked 
at  his  trade  of  tanner  and  currier,  and  car- 
ried on  that  business  for  six  years.  In 
1838,  they  moved  west,  first  locating  in 
Oquawka,  Henderson  county,  Illinois,  and 
six  months  later  moving  to  Henderson, 
where  he  was  elected  constable  and  served 
until  1843. 

In  that  year  they  moved  to  Kane 
county,  where  Mr.  Gray  bought  land  near 
Aurora,  which  he  farmed  some  four  or  five 
years.  He  then  sold  the  farm  and  moved 
into  Aurora,  purchasing  some  land,  which 
now  lies  within  the  city  limits.  He  laid 
out  an  addition  to  the  city,  on  the  west 
side,  known  as  Gray's  addition  to  Aurora. 
He  served  as  one  of  the  first  aldermen  of 
the  city, and  was  continued  in  that  office  until 
his  death,  October  10,  1881,  at  the  age  of 
seventy  years. 

Politically  Mr.  Gray  was  identified  with 
the  Democratic  party,  and  was  a  firm  be- 
liever and  a  stanch  advocate  of  its  princi- 
ples. A  friend  of  education,  he  served  for 
some  years  as  a  member  of  the  school  board, 
and  did  much  to  advance  the  educational 
interests  of  his  adopted  city.  Progressive 
in  all  things,  he  encouraged  every  enter- 
prise that  he  considered  would  have  a  ten- 
dency to  advance  the  material  interests  of 
Aurora.  In  his  death  the  city  lost  one  of 
its  best  men. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gray  were  the  parents  of 
seven  children,  of  whom  four  survive.  John 
married  Lucretia  Smith,  of  Henry  county, 
and  they  now  make  their  home  in  Jefferson, 
Iowa,  where  he  is  engaged  in  business.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Forty-fifth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  during  the  last  two 
years  of  his  service  was  on  the  staff  of 
General  McKean.  Thomas  P.  was  also  a 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


291 


soldier  in  the  late  war,  serving  in  the  Elev- 
enth Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was 
wounded  near  Pittsburg  Landing.  For 
some  years  he  has  been  employed  in  the 
pension  office  at  Washington.  He  married 
Hetty  Headley,  and  they  made  their  home 
in  Washington.  Ann  married  Salmon  Den- 
nison,  of  Aurora,  who  served  during  the 
late  war,  as  a  member  of  Company  H,  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment  Illi- 
nois Volunteer  Infantry.  He  died  in  Au- 
rora, in  January,  1891.  Wright  married 
Rosella  Miles,  and  resides  in  Windsor,  Col- 
orado. Warren  died  in  infancy.  Grant 
died  in  early  childhood.  Wells  grew  to  ma- 
ture years,  and  died  when  about  thirty-five 
years  of  age.  Mrs.  Gray  has  twelve  grand- 
children, and  six  great-grandchildren.  She 
is  a  member  of  the  Peoples  church  of  Au- 
rora, and  is  a  woman  who  is  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  by  all  who  know  her. 


EDWARD  BAKER,  a  leading  merchant 
of  St.  Charles,  is  an  important  factor 
in  business  circles,  and  his  popularity  is 
well  deserved,  as  in  him  are  embraced  the 
characteristics  of  an  unbending  integrity, 
unabated  energy  and  industry  that  never 
flags.  As  a  public-spirited  citizen  he  is 
thoroughly  interested  in  whatever  tends  to 
promote  the  moral,  intellectual  and  material 
welfare  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Baker  was  born  in  Canandaigua 
county,  New  York,  September  13,  1828,  a 
son  of  Chauncey  and  Rhoda  (Webster) 
Baker.  The  birth  of  the  father  occurred  in 
1800,  in  Vermont,  but  he  was  reared  in 
New  York,  of  which  state  his  wife  was  a 
native.  In  1835  he  removed  with  his  fam- 
ily to  Medina  county,  Ohio,  where  he  worked 
at  his  trade  of  blacksmithing  and  also  oper- 


ated a  farm,  which  he  purchased  when  only 
partiallyimproved.  Hewas  highly  respected 
and  was  called  upon  to  serve  in  a  number 
of  local  offices  of  honor  and  trust.  He  died 
in  Medina  county,  Ohio,  in  1852,  and  his 
wife  departed  this  life  in  1872.  In  their 
family  were  five  children,  two  sons  and  three 
daughters.  William  Baker,  the  brother  of 
our  subject,  died  in  Ohio,  at  the  age  of 
thirty- five,  leaving  a  family.  The  three 
sisters  were  all  married  and  are  living  at 
this  date  (1898). 

Upon  the  home  farm  in  Medina  county 
Edward  Baker  grew  to  manhood  and  during 
his  youth  was  provided  with  good  school 
privileges,  attending  both  the  common  and 
high  schools  of  that  locality.  For  some 
years  he  successfully  engaged  in  teaching  in 
Ohio  during  the  winter  months,  while  the 
summers  were  devoted  to  farm  work.  On 
coming  to  Illinois  in  1853,  he  purchased  a 
farm  near  Aurora,  in  Kane  county,  but  after 
operating  it  for  one  season,  he  sold  and 
bought  another  place  in  St.  Charles  town- 
ship, two  miles  west  of  the  village  of  that 
name.  This  farm  was  partially  improved, 
and  to  its  further  development  and  cultiva- 
tion he  devoted  his  time  and  attention  for 
about  twenty  years,  during  which  time  he 
built  an  addition  to  his  house,  erected  a 
barn  and  made  many  other  improvements 
which  added  greatly  to  its  value  and  at- 
tractive appearance.  Subsequently  he  sold 
his  farm,  and  removing  to  St.  Charles,  he 
formed  a  business  partnership  and  engaged 
in  merchandising,  being  at  the  present  time 
the  oldest  merchant  in  the  village. 

In  Summit  county,  Ohio,  Mr.  Baker  was 
married  in  1850,  the  lady  of  his  choice  be- 
ing Miss  Martha  E.  Phelps,  a  nativeof  New 
York  state,  and  a  daughter  of  John  Phelps, 
who  at  an  early  day  removed  from  New 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


York  to  Ohio.  Mrs.  Baker  was  reared  and 
educated  in  Summit  county.  The  children 
born  to  our  subject  and  his  wife  are  as  fol- 
lows: Charles,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
thirteen  years;  Delora,  wife  of  J.  W.  Gates, 
of  Chicago,  who  is  president  of  the  Illinois 
Steel  Company  and  is  largely  interested  in 
mines  in  the  west;  Vernie,  wife  of  R.  F. 
Angel,  of  St.  Charles;  and  Edward  J. ,  a 
grain  inspector  of  Chicago,  who  is  married 
and  lives  in  Chicago. 

Politically,  Mr.  Baker  is  a  life-long  Re- 
publican, an  advocate  of  protection  and 
sound  money,  and  has  served  as  alderman  in 
St.  Charles.  He  has  ever  taken  an  active  in- 
terest in  educational  affairs,  has  been  a  lead- 
ing member  of  the  school  board  for  almost  a 
quarter  of  a  century,  and  his  labors  have 
been  very  effective  in  raising  the  standard 
of  schools  in  St.  Charles.  Religiously  he 
and  his  wife  are  active  and  prominent  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
while  he  has  been  a  member  of  its  board  for 
thirty-five  years.  He  also  belongs  to  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  has 
been  treasurer  of  the  lodge  for  the  long 
period  of  twenty  years.  Over  his  life  record 
there  falls  no  shadow  of  wrong,  and  in  many 
respects  his  life  is  well  worthy  of  emulation, 
for  he  is  an  honorable,  upright  business 
man,  and  has  ever  been  found  true  and 
faithful  to  every  trust  reposed  in  him. 


WILLIAM  PFRANGLE,  city  clerk,  and 
also  town  clerk  of  Aurora,  was  born 
in  this  city  March  7,  1860,  and  is  the  son 
of  Sebastian  and  Lena  (Heimelsbach)  Pfran- 
gle,  both  of  whom  are  natives  of  Germany, 
and  were  there  married.  In  1853,  the  fam- 
ily came  to  America,  first  stopping  in  New 
York  for  a  short  time,  then  coming  west  to 


Chicago,  where  they  remained  about  two 
years,  moving  from  there  to  Wheaton,  Illi- 
nois, Mr.  Prangle  being  elected  professor  of 
German  and  music  in  the  college  at  that 
place.  He  was  a  highly  educated  man  and 
was  engaged  in  teaching  before  coming  to 
America.  From  Wheaton  they  came  to 
Aurora  in  1858,  and  he  engaged  in  teaching 
in  the  old  Clark  seminary.  He  died  in  1859, 
before  the  completion  of  the  school  build- 
ing, when  about  forty-three  years  of  age. 
His  wife  survived  him  many  years,  dying  in 
1886,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years. 

Our  subject  is  the  youngest  of  twelve 
children,  born  to  Professor  and  Mrs.  Pfran- 
gle.  Of  the  twelve,  four  sisters  and  three 
brothers  are  still  living,  while  three  died  in 
early  childhood,  and  two  in  mature  years. 
The  living  are  Amelia,  wife  of  Conrad  Hoff- 
man, residing  in  Aurora;  Emma,  wife  of 
John  Lackner,  of  Aurora;  Charles  J.,  who 
married  Laura  Wagner,  is  a  sign  writer  in 
Aurora;  Pauline,  wife  of  Zopher  Ketchum, 
of  Aurora;  Albert,  janitor  of  the  east  side 
high  school,  Aurora;  Jenny,  wife  of  Benja- 
min B.  Hayford,  chief  engineer  of  the 
Columbus  Memorial  Building,  Chicago; 
and  William  of  this  review. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated 
in  the  Aurora  public  schools,  and  at  the  age 
of  sixteen  secured  a  position  as  clerk  in  the 
postoffice,  and  for  nineteen  years  was  con- 
nected with  the  postal  service,  and  for  fif- 
teen years  was  assistant  postmaster,  termi- 
nating his  career  there  May  6,  1895,  when 
he  resigned,  having  been  elected  city  clerk, 
which  office  he  still  holds  and  is  now  serv- 
ing his  second  term.  He  was  also  elected 
town  clerk  in  April,  1895,  and  is  serving 
his  third  term  in  that  office. 

On  the  3rd  of  May,  1882,  Mr.  Pfrangle 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sadie 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


293 


Cross,  daughter  of  Prof.  J.  G.  Cross,  and 
author  of  the  eclectic  shorthand  system. 
He  is  a  teacher  of  wide  experience,  and  for 
a  time  was  connected  with  the  college  at 
Naperville,  the  seminary  at  Aurora,  and 
the  State  Normal  School,  at  Normal,  Illi- 
nois. He  is  now  conducting  a  school  in 
Los  Angeles,  California.  He  is  also  a  min- 
ister in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  filled  pulpits  in  the  Rock  River  confer- 
ence before  taking  up  college  work.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pfrangle  five  children  have 
been  born — Jessie,  Bessie,  George,  Charles 
and  Mabel,  the  latter  two  being  twins. 
They  were  born  February  13,  1893,  and 
Mabel  died  July  4,  1894. 

Mrs.  Pfrangle  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  is  active  in  all 
church  and  benevolent  work.  Mr.  Pfrangle 
is  a  member  of  the  Uniform  Rank  of  Knights 
of  Pythias,  and  affiliates  with  the  Repub- 
lican party,  in  state  and  national  campaigns. 
He  is  a  good  and  accommodating  officer, 
and  a  most  worthy  citizen,  such  as  give 
character  to  a  community.  His  official  ca- 
reer speaks  of  the  right  man  in  the  right 
place,  and  duty  well  done,  and  duty  appre- 
ciated. 


GEORGE  S.  HALEY,  the  present  effi- 
cient police  magistrate  of  Batavia,  has 
been  a  resident  of  Kane  county  since  1854. 
He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Guilford,  Wind- 
ham  county,  Vermont,  July  14,  1827.  He 
traces  his  ancestry  to  Belcher  Haley,  a  na- 
tive of  Ireland,  who  came  to  this  country 
at  a  very  early  day,  and  located  in  Wind- 
ham  county,  Vermont,  where  his  son  Nathan 
T.  Haley,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  1800.  In  his  native  county,  Nathan 
T.  Haley,  grew  to  manhood,  and  there  mar- 


ried Harriet  Holton,  also  a  native  of  Wind- 
ham  county,  Vermont.  He  was  by  occupa- 
tion a  farmer  and  upon  his  farm  in  that 
county  reared  his  family  and  spent  his  en- 
tire life,  dying  in  1867.  His  wife  survived 
him  a  number  of  years,  dying  about  1885. 

George  S.  Haley  spent  his  boyhood  upon 
his  father's  farm,  and  until  the  age  of  six- 
teen attended  the  public  schools  as  the  op- 
portunity was  afforded  him,  usually  three 
months  during  the  winter,  in  the  meantime 
working  on  the  farm.  He  then  went  to 
Greenfield,  Massachusetts,  to  learn  the  cut- 
ler's trade,  serving  an  apprenticeship  of  six 
years,  and  then  worked  as  a  journeyman, 
from  1845  to  1854.  With  that  laudable  de- 
sire to  better  himself,  he  came  west,  locat- 
ing at  Geneva,  Illinois,  and  there  went  to 
work  as  a  machinist.  .  For  ten  years  he  was 
thus  employed,  and  in  1864,  came  to  Bata- 
via and  entered  the  machine  shop,  and  has 
since  been  a  resident  of  the  city.  For  twen- 
ty-five years  he  was  foreman  in  the  foundry 
of  the  United  States  Wind  and  Pump  Com- 
pany, and  was  one  its  oldest  employees. 

In  1847,  at  Brattleboro,  Vermont,  Mr. 
Haley  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lu- 
cinda  Nash,  a  daughter  of  Lewis  Nash,  by 
whom  he  has  nine  children,  as  follows: 
Charles  H.,  a  foreman  for  the  Challenge 
Engine  and  Feed  Mill  Company,  who  is 
married  and  has  a  family;  Rev.  Fred  H., 
married  and  now  resides  in  Kansas  City; 
Edward,  married,  and  is  a  machinist,  re- 
siding in  Batavia;  Clarence  H.,  married, 
and  is  also  a  machinist,  residing  in  Batavia; 
Hattie  M.,  wife  of  Merritt  McMaster,  a 
blacksmith  of  Batavia;  Dexter  Garrett,  a 
cabinet  maker,  who  is  married  and  resides 
in  Batavia;  and  Frank  E.,  at  home.  Two 
died  in  early  childhood. 

Politically  Mr.  Haley  was  a  Republican 


294 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


for  years,  and  cast  his  vote  for  John  C. 
Fremont,  the  presidential  candidate  of  that 
party.  He  was  originally  a  Whig  and  cast 
his  first  presidential  vote  for  Zachary  Tay- 
lor. Of  late  he  has  been  identified  with  the 
Democratic  party.  By  his  fellow  citizens, 
he  has  been  honored  with  several  positions 
of  honor  and  trust.  He  served  as  village 
trustee  and  one  term  as  president  of  the 
board.  He  is  now  police  magistrate,  which 
position  he  has  held  for  twelve  years,  with 
credit  to  himself  and  constituents.  In  po- 
litical affairs  he  has  always  manifested  great 
interest,  and  has  often  served  as  a  delegate 
to  the  various  conventions  of  his  party. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masons 
and  has  served  in  every  position  in  the  blue 
lodge  except  Master,  and  in  some  of  the 
offices  of  the  Chapter. 

In  July,  1894,  Mrs.  Lucinda  Haley  de- 
parted this  life,  and  on  the  24th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1897,  Mr.  Haley  married  Mrs.  Caro- 
line Patterson,  nee  Carter,  of  Chicago,  but 
a  native  of  Ohio.  She  is  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church,  in  which  she  takes  a  com- 
mendable interest.  A  resident  of  Kane 
county  for  forty-four  years,  Mr.  Haley  is 
well  known  as  a  man  of  exemplary  habits, 
true  to  his  friends  and  one  who  is  willing  to 
do  his  duty  in  all  things. 


THOMAS  F.  RICH,  a  veteran  of  the  war 
for  the  union,  and  for  many  years  a 
substantial  farmer  in  Kane  county,  is  now 
living  a  retired  life  in  the  village  of  Hamp- 
shire. He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Benson, 
Rutland  county,  Vermont,  where  he  at- 
tended country  schools  until  the  age  of 
twelve  years.  In  1836  the  family  came 
west,  leaving  Whitehall,  Vermont,  May  16, 
going  by  canal  to  Buffalo,  New  York,  and 


thence  by  lake  to  Chicago.  On  account  of 
severe  storms,  they  were  required  to  lay  by 
for  three  days  at  Manitou  Islands.  Arriving 
at  Chicago,  they  at  once  went  to  Naperville, 
Illinois,  where  they  resided  until  the  follow- 
ing October,  when  they  moved  to  Deerfield 
precinct,  now  Rutland  township,  Kane  coun- 
ty, where  the  father  took  up  three  hundred 
acres  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  town- 
ship. 

Elijah  Rich,  the  father,  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Rutland  township.  He  was 
born  in  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  June  10, 
1795,  and  with  his  parents  removed  to  the 
town  of  Benson,  Rutland  county,  Vermont, 
in  1810.  His  father,  Elijah  Rich,  Sr. ,  was 
a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Elijah 
Rich  married  Tryphosa  Fosvler,  a  native  of 
Vermont  and  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Betsy  Fowler.  By  this  union  there  were 
four  children,  of  whom  our  subject  was  sec- 
ond in  order  of  birth.  In  1835  the  father 
came  west,  riding  all  the  way  from  his  Ver- 
mont home  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  on 
horseback.  Being  favorably  impressed  with 
the  country  he  returned  home  and,  as  already 
stated,  brought  out  his  family  in  1836. 
Here  his  last  days  were  spent,  and  he  died 
full  of  years,  while  honored  and  respected 
by  all. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  at 
home  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
ran  away  and  lived  with  the  Indians  for  a 
time.  He  then  went  to  Chicago,  where  he 
worked  one  year,  going  from  thence  to  Ga- 
lena, Illinois,  where  for  three  years  he  found 
employment  in  the  lead  mines.  Attracted 
by  the  glitter  of  a  traveling  circus,  he  joined 
it,  and  remained  with  it  for  six  months. 
The  life  was  a  hard  one  and  he  was  well 
pleased  to  break  his  connection  with  it. 
For  two  summers  he  was  on  the  Mississippi 


THOMAS  F.   RICH. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


297 


river,  running  on  the  steamer,  Amaranth, 
plying  between  St.  Peters,  Minnesota,  and 
St.  Louis.  The  greater  part  of  the  time, 
however,  the  boat  ran  no  farther  north 
than  Galena. 

Having  enough  of  a  roving  life,  he  re- 
turned to  Kane  county  and  purchased  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  section  20,  Rut- 
land township,  which  had  been  partially  im- 
proved, having  on  it  a  log  house  and  log 
stable.  He  at  once  went  to  work  and  in 
due  time  had  one  of  the  most  productive 
farms  in  the  township,  and  all  improve- 
ments were  in  keeping  with  the  time.  He 
there  remained  until  1891,  when  he  sold 
the  place  and  removed  to  the  village  of 
Hampshire,  where  he  owns  a  good  dwelling 
and  also  a  store  building  on  Main  street. 
Mr.  Rich  has  been  twice  married,  his  first 
union  being  with  Miss  Priscilla  Noakes,  who 
was  born  April  14,  1823,  on  the  ocean, 
while  her  parents  were  emigrating  to  Amer- 
ica from  England.  She  was  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Mary  Noakes.  This  wedding 
ceremony  was  celebrated  in  Rutland  town- 
ship in  1850,  and  by  this  union  were  four 
children  as  follows:  Albert,  who  lives  in 
Dundee;  Anise,  who  married  Henry  Stevens, 
and  now  lives  at  Molino,  Florida;  Mary, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years;  and  Alan- 
son,  who  lives  in  Nebraska.  Mrs.  Priscilla 
Rich  dying  December  3,  1876,  Mr.  Rich 
was  again  married,  March  3, 1880,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Mary  Welsh,  born  in 
Lewisburg,  Virginia,  and  a  daughter  of  Will- 
iam and  Catherine  (Schaver)  Welsh.  By 
this  second  union,  one  daughter  was  born, 
Ada,  who  resides  at  home. 

When  the  South  rebelled,  and  endeav- 
ered  by  force  of  arms  to  dismember  the 
union,  Mr.  Rich  showed  his  patriotism  by 
enlisting  in  the  Eighth  Illinois  Calvary, 

14 


serving  from  September  18,  1861,  until 
September,  1864,  when  he  was  honorably 
discharged.  He  was  in  the  first  battle  of 
Bull  Run,  was  at  Seven  Pines,  Whitehouse 
Landing,  Mechanicsville,  and  in  all  sixty 
regular  battles.  His  interest  in  war  mat- 
ters has  been  maintained  and  he  is  now  a 
member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Repub- 
lic, while  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Relief 
Corps.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 


H.  WOODRUFF  is  one  of  the 
old  and  honored  citizens  of  Elgin,  his 
home  being  at  No.  .306  Chicago  street.  A 
native  of  Massachusetts,  he  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1819,  in  the  "f own  of  West  Stock- 
bridge,  Berkshire  county,  and  is  a  son  of 
Henry  and  Belinda  (Benedict)  Woodruff, 
also  natives  of  that  state.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  Asaph  Woodruff,  was  a  soldier 
of  the  Revolutionary  war,  serving  under 
Captain  Reddington,  olRichmond,  and  Colo- 
nel Williams  and  Benedict  Arnold.  In 
November,  1775,  he  went  with  his  regiment 
to  Canada,  under  command  of  General 
Montgomery,  and  after  the  capture  of  St. 
Johns  and  Montcalm,  they  joined  Arnold's 
forces  at  Quebec.  The  siege  at  that  place 
lasted  until  December  31,  during  which 
Montgomery  was  killed.  The  troops  then 
fell  back,  spending  a  miserable  winter  in 
fortifications  of  snow,  where  they  were 
without  food  for  three  days,  and  at  any  time 
the  soldiers  could  be  tracked  by  bloody  foot- 
prints. Mr.  Woodruff  re-enlisted  July  17, 
1777,  but  the  same  month  was  discharged 
and  transferred  to  another  company.  He 
never  received  a  pension,  as  when  the  army 
was  finally  discharged  and  paid  off,  he  and 
some  of  his  comrades  were  taking  home 
some  sick  soldiers.  He  died  in  1833,  at 


298 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


about  the  age  of  ninety  years,  and  his  last 
wife,  Ruth  (Stone)  Woodruff,  died  a  few 
years  later  at  a  ripe  old  age. 

Henry  Woodruff,  our  subject's  father, 
was  born  in  1794,  and  was  a  soldier  of  the 
war  of  1812,  being  a  member  of  an  artillery 
company  stationed  at  Boston.  He  died  be- 
fore pensions  were  issued  for  that  war.  He 
was  a  practical  surveyor,  and  also  engaged 
in  farming  and  the  manufacture  of  lime  and 
brick.  One  night  while  sawing  marble  in  a 
mill,  he  became  entangled  in  the  gearing 
about  nine  p.  m.,  and  being  all  alone  he 
was  unable  to  make  any  one  hear  his  cries 
for  help,  no  one  coming  to  his  relief  until 
about  six  o'clock  the  next  morning.  After 
twenty-four  hours  of  terrible  suffering,  he 
passed  away,  in  1826.  He  was  one  of  a 
large  family  of  children,  of  whom  Gilbert 
Woodruff  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
eight  years,  being  the  oldest  man  in  the  sec- 
tion of  North  Carolina  where  he  makes 
his  home.  For  the  past  twenty  years  he 
has  been  the  only  survivor  of  the  family. 
The  mother  of  our  subject,  who  was  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Betsy  Benedict,  died 
in  1832,  in  the  faith  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  of  which  she  was  a  consistent  mem- 
ber. Cyrus  H.  is  the  oldest  of  the  four 
children  and  is  the  only  one  now  living. 
John  B.,  an  attorney,  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-six  years;  Harriet  B.  died  in  1831, 
at  the  age  of  eleven ;  and  Lewis  T.  died  at 
the  age  of  twenty-three.  All  were  residents 
of  West  Stockbridge,  Massachusetts.  John 
B.  was  a  graduate  of  Union  College,  New 
York. 

Mr.  Woodruff,  of  this  review,  began  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  West  Stock- 
bridge,  and  later  attended  an  academy  at 
Canaan,  New  York.  He  was  reared  on  a 
farm,  and  before  attaining  his  majority  he 


engaged  in  teaching  for  three  winters.  He 
then  embarked  in  the  hardware  business  in 
Stockbridge,  meeting  with  fair  success  in 
this  undertaking.  A  few  years  later  he  be- 
came a  partner  in  a  blast  furnace  at  \Vest 
Stockbridge,  with  which  he  was  connected 
until  coming  west  in  1856.  In  partnership 
with  another  gentleman,  he  engaged  in  the 
hardware  business  in  Lena,  Illinois,  until 
1862,  when  he  removed  to  Dundee,  Kane 
county,  organizing  the  Illinois  Iron  &  Bolt 
Company,  of  which  he  was  secretary  and 
treasurer  for  three  years.  Since  1868  he 
has  made  his  home  in  Elgin,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  the  foundry  business  for  six 
years,  being  forced  to  retire  at  the  end  of 
that  time  on  account  of  rheumatism.  Since 
then  he  has  engaged  in  no  active  business. 

On  the  1 9th  of  March,  1840,  Mr.  Wood- 
ruff was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Louisa 
Sprague,  of  Austerlitz,  New  York,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Heman  and  Anna  Sprague.  Of  their 
five  children,  Mary  Ann  died  at  the  age  of 
nine  years,  Harriet  B. ,  at  the  age  of  five 
years,  and  Emma  Isabel,  at  the  age  of  ten 
months.  Ida  Louise  is  the  wife  of  W.  Eu- 
gene Bosworth,  a  merchant  of  Elgin,  and 
they  have  five  children — Cyrus  I.,  who 
graduates  from  Yale  College  with  the  class 
of  1898;  Charles  E.,  who  died  in  1885,  at 
the  age  of  nine  years;  Ralph  Roy,  Ethel  M. 
and  Walter  Henry.  Charles  Henry,  the 
youngest  child  of  our  subject,  married 
Marian  Eaton  and  has  two  children — Wilda 
E.  and  Rosella. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woodruff,  their  son, 
daughter  and  son-in-law  are  all  members  of 
the  Baptist  church,  in  which  the  last  named 
is  serving  as  deacon.  Since  attaining  his 
majority  in  1840,  Mr.  Woodruff  has  been 
identified  with  the  Democratic  party,  and 
since  1856  he  has  affiliated  with  the  Mason- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


299 


ic  order.  While  a  resident  of  Massachus- 
etts, he  took  quite  an  active  and  prominent 
part  in  political  affairs,  and  in  1849  and 
1853  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature, 
serving  .for  two  terms  with  credit  to  himself 
and  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  constituents. 
Among  his  colleagues  were  several  noted 
men,  including  George  S.  Boutwell,  Gen. 
N.  •  P.  Banks,  Benjamin  Butler,  Amasa 
Walker  and  H.  L.  Dawes.  After  coming 
west  his  business  interests  occupied  his  en- 
tire attention,  leaving  no  time  to  devote  to 
political  affairs.  He  never  acts  except  from 
honest  motives  and  in  all  his  varied  relations 
in  business  affairs  and  in  social  life,  he  has 
maintained  a  character  and  standing  that 
has  impressed  all  with  his  sincere  and  man- 
ly purpose  to  do  by  others  as  he  would  have 
others  do  by  him. 


JOHN  McKELLAR,  who  resides  on  a 
farm  on  section  20,  Plato  township,  was 
born  at  Plato  Corners  January  u,  1857. 
His  grandfather,  Archibald  McKellar,  was  a 
native  of  Argyleshire,  Scotland,  born  Janu- 
ary 12,  1777,  and  there  died  February  25, 
1864,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years.  He 
was  by  occupation  a  farmer  and  fisherman, 
and  married  Mary  McGregor,  a  descendant 
of  Rob  Roy,  the  Scottish  chieftain. 

Daniel  McKellar,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  a  fishing  boat  in  Argyle- 
shire, forty  miles  from  Glasgow,  June  12, 
1813,  and  died  March  16,  1889.  He  lived 
on  the  farm  and  followed  fishing  with  his 
father.  Their  old  stone  house  on  the  Clyde 
is  yet  visible  from  passing  boats.  When  a 
young  man  he  and  his  brother  Duncan 
opened  a  store  on  one  of  the  islands,  and 
there  secured  a  good  trade.  His  brother 
had  served  with  the  Scotch  Greys  in  the 


British  army.  During  a  short  visit  to  his 
home  on  the  mainland  his  brother  died,  and 
the  widow  in  a  very  short  time  disposed  of 
everything  and  sailed  for  America. 

In  1836  Daniel  McKellar,  in  company 
with  his  cousin,  Colin  McKellar,  came  to 
America,  sailing  from  Greenock,  Scotland. 
He  lived  ten  years  at  Dryden  Corners, 
Tompkins  county,  New  York,  where  he 
rented  land  and  engaged  in  farming.  In 
1837  his  parents  also  came  to  this  country, 
and  later  his  brother,  Hugh  McKellar,  came. 
In  1846  the  family  came  to  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  lived  one  year  in  Elgin  township, 
and  then  Daniel  and  his  father  bought  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  west  of 
Plato  Corners,  to  which  he  subsequently 
added  twenty-five  acres  more.  Daniel  Mc- 
Kellar lived  at  Plato  Corners  from  1853 
until  his  death  in  1889. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1850,  Daniel  Mc- 
Kellar married  Miss  Emily  Sovereign,  born 
at  Simcoe,  Canada,  August  3,  1827.  She 
lived  at  Simcoe  and  in  New  York  state  until 
she  came  west,  in  October,  1845.  She  is 
the  daughter  of  Richard  Sovereign,  a  native 
of  New  Jersey,  who  died  about  1866,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-three  years.  He  was  a  car- 
penter and  builder  by  trade,  but  purchased 
eighty  acres  in  Plato  township,  and  there 
engaged  in  farming.  His  father,  Henry 
Sovereign,  also  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  died 
at  Ludlow,  New  York.  Richard  Sovereign 
married  Elizabeth  Plummer,  daughter  of 
George  and  Hannah  (Murtrie)  Plummer. 
To  Daniel  and  Emily  McKellar  eleven  chil- 
dren were  born,  as  follows:  Richard,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  twelve  years;  Jennie,  wife 
of  John  Sherwood;  Archibald,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  thirty-seven;  John,  our  subject; 
Mary,  who  married  Thomas  Dadswell;  Ana- 
belle,  who  married  Robert  Shedden;  Ruby, 


300 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


wife  of  Arthur  Durrant;  Richard  married 
Lydia  Wright,  and  lives  in  Elgin;  Daniel, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen  months;  James 
Gregor  lives  at  home  with  his  mother;  and 
Benjamin,  who  died  in  infancy. 

John  McKellar,  our  subject,  remained  at 
home  with  his  father  until  his  marriage, 
when  he  began  farming  for  himself.  He 
was  married  in  Plato  township  February 
12,  1884,  to  Miss  Minnie  Sherwood,  a 
daughter  of  Seth  Sherwood,  a  native  of 
New  York,  who  came  west  in  1846  with  his 
father's  family.  Seth  Sherwood  was  the 
son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Pease)  Sherwood, 
the  former  a  native  of  Virginia,  who  lived 
some  years  in  New  York,  served  in  the  war 
of  1812,  and  later  emigrated  to  Kane  county, 
where  he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- four 
years.  Of  the  eight  children  born  to  Seth 
Sherwood  and  wife,  Mrs.  McKellar  is  the 
youngest. 

Mr.  McKellar  owns  a  fine  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  forty  acres,  while  Mrs.  McKel- 
lar is  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  several  tracts,  but  all  lying  in  Pla- 
to township.  Mr.  McKellar  devotes  his 
time  to  general  farming,  making  a  specialty 
of  raising  and  fattening  cattle  for  the  mar- 
ket. In  politics  he  is  an  uncompromising 
Republican,  taking  great  interest  in  political 
affairs,  and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the 
county  executive  committee  of  his  party. 
He  has  been  honored  by  his  friends  and 
neighbors  with  a  number  of  local  township 
offices. 


/CHARLES  W.  SUHR,  who  is  operating 
v>  a  fine  farm  on  section  7,  Hampshire 
township,  was  born  in  Belvidere,  Illinois, 
November  26,  1867.  His  father,  Joseph 
C.  Suhr,  was  born  in  the  village  of  Lang- 


felden,  Pomerania,  Germany,  August  30, 
1837,  and  was  the  son  of  Joseph  Suhr,  also 
a  native  of  the  same  country.  The  father 
was  reared  to  farm  life,  and  received  a  good 
education  in  his  native  land.  In  1867  he 
sailed  from  Hamburg  on  the  sailing  vessel 
Liverance,  and  after  a  voyage  of  seven 
weeks  and  three  days  landed  at  New  Yo,rk, 
November  12,  1867.  From  there  he  came 
direct  to  Belvidere,  Illinois,  where  he  lived 
for  nine  years,  working  at  odd  jobs,  but 
the  greater  part  of  the  time  on  farms.  In 
1876  he  came  to  Hampshire  township,  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  rented  a  farm,  and  in  eight 
years  saved  enough  to  make  his  first  pur- 
chase of  land,  which  is  comprised  in  the 
farm  now  occupied  by  our  subject.  He  was 
married  in  Pensingen,  Pomerania,  in  Oc- 
tober, 1866,  to  Lena  Grawe,  born  in 
Sophienhove,  Pomerania,  November  i ,  1 840, 
and  the  daughter  of  Johakeim  and  Lena 
Grawe.  Johakeim  Grawe  was  the  son  of 
John  Grawe,  and  all  passed  their  days  in 
Pomerania.  By  this  union  were  four  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Carrie,  who  married 
Charles  Terwillinger,  of  Hampshire  town- 
ship, and  now  resides  in  California;  Will- 
iam, a  plasterer  by  trade,  living  in  Chicago; 
Charles  W.,  our  subject;  and  Bertha,  wife 
of  Robert  Leitner,  a  prosperous  business 
man  of  Elgin.  Religiously  Joseph  C.  Suhr 
was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church,  and 
fraternally  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows. 
His  death  occurred  August  23,  1894,  on 
his  farm  on  section  7,  Hampshire  township. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his 
education  in  the  district  schools,  beginning 
in  Belvidere  and  ending  in  Hampshire  town- 
ship. He  attended  school  during  the  winter 
season  until  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  re- 
mained at  home  assisting  his  father  until 
the  latter's  death,  when  he  took  charge  of 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


301 


the  farm  for  his  mother,  and  in  1896  rented 
the  place.  In  1 896  he  married  Miss  Carrie 
Leitner,  a  sister  of  Robert  Leitner,  and  a 
daughter  of  John  George  Leitner,  a  success- 
ful farmer  residing  in  Hampshire  township, 
but  who  was  born  in  Katolzburg,  Bavaria, 
March  15,  1834,  and  who  learned  the  trade 
of  a  weaver  from  his  father,  who  lived  on  a 
small  farm.  Mr.  Leitner  came  to  America 
in  June,  1852,  sailing  from  Bremen  on  the 
Swedish  sailing  vessel  Richard  Anderson, 
which  had  three  hundred  and  ten  passengers 
and  were  fifty-four  days  in  making  the  voy- 
age. Landing  at  New  York,  Mr.  Leitner 
there  worked  some  two  years,  then  came 
west  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  worked 
for  thirteen  dollars  a  month  at  farm  labor 
for  several  years.  He  bought  his  first  eighty 
acres  of  land  in  1861,  to  which  he  has  since 
added  sixty  acres,  making  one  hundred  and 
forty  acres  in  all.  His  father,  Leonard 
Leitner,  was  a  weaver  by  trade,  and  died 
in  Germany  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven 
years.  His  mother,  Sophia  (Rupp)  Leitner, 
also  died  in  Germany,  which  was  her  native 
'country.  John  G.  Leitner  married  Sophia 
Wiedmeyer,  born  in  Marck,  Gronegin,  Ger- 
many, September  20,  1842,  and  they  at 
once  came  to  America.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  fifteen  children,  of  whom  Caroline, 
wife  of  our  subject,  is  eighth  in  order  of 
birth.  To  our  subject  and  wife  one  son  has 
been  born,  Edwin. 

The  farm  on  which  our  subject  resides 
consists  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres 
of  fine  prairie  land,  large  dwelling  house 
and  barns,  built  by  his  father.  Here  he 
carries  on  general  and  dairy  farming,  usually 
milking  about  twenty-five  head  of  cows, 
the  products  of  which  he  ships  to  Chicago. 
In  politics  Mr.  Suhr  is  an  independent  Dem- 
ocrat, and  religiously  he  and  his  wife  are 


members  of  the  Evangelical  church.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America,  and  Court  of  Honor.  He  is  a 
progressive  young  farmer,  genial  and  popu- 
lar with  all  his  acquaintances. 


/CAPTAIN  JOHN  F.  ELLIOTT,  an  hon- 
^.s  ored  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  who  has 
for  over  forty  years  been  prominently  iden- 
tified with  the  interests  of  St.  Charles,  was 
born  September  9,  1834,  near  Meadville, 
Crawford  county,  Pennsylvania.  His  fa- 
ther, Thomas  Elliott,  was  a  native  of  Ire- 
land, born  in  1811,  and  when  a  lad  of  four- 
teen years  accompanied  his  brother  on  his 
emigration  to  the  new  world,  first  locating 
in  I  he  city  of  New  York,  where  he  was 
mostly  educated.  For  some  years  he  en- 
gaged in  merchandising  there  and  for  two 
years  he  was  interested  in  a  manufacturing 
enterprise  in  Buffalo,  New  York.  Subse- 
quently he  bought  a  farm  in  Crawford  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  which  he  operated  for 
some  years,  and  then  removed  to  Erie 
county,  New  York,  residing  there  until  1852, 
when  he  came  to  Illinois,  spending  the  .last 
years  of  his  life  in  St.  Charles,  an  honored 
and  highly  respected  citizen. 

In  New  York  city,  Thomas  Elliott 
wedded  Mary  Farrell,  who  died  in  March, 
1893,  having  survived  him  several  years,  his 
death  having  occurred  in  1881.  While  liv- 
ing in  Crawford  county,  Pennsylvania,  he 
had  served  as  deputy  sheriff  for  some  time. 
In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple  were 
five  sons  and  two  daughters  who  reached 
years  of  maturity.  Mary  A.,  the  eldest, 
died  in  childhood;  John  F.  is  next  in  order 
of  birth;  Charles  is  engaged  in  business  in 
Chicago;  George  C.  is  a  farmer  residing  at 


302 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Seattle,  Washington;  Theressa  and  James 
K.  both  died  unmarried;  Henry  C.  married 
and  settled  at  Blue  Island,  Cook  county, 
Illinois,  but  died  at  St.  Charles,  and  Lucy 
died  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years. 

John  F.  Elliott  spent  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  Pennsylvania  and  New  York,  and 
received  very  limited  school  privileges,  being 
almost  wholly  self-educated.  On  the  fifth 
of  December,  1855,  he  became  a  resident 
of  St.  Charles,  and  having  previously 
learned  the  mason's  trade,  he  worked  at 
that  occupation  in  both  Aurora  and  Chicago 
for  about  twenty  years,  being  employed  on 
many  of  the  early  buildings  and  bridges  in 
this  section  of  the  state. 

Feeling  that  his  country  needed  his  serv- 
ices during  the  dark  days  of  the  Rebellion, 
Mr.  Elliott  enlisted  August  12,  1861,  in 
Company  K,  Thirty-sixth  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry — the  Fox  River  Regiment — which 
was  raised  at  Wayne,  Illinois,  and  he  was 
soon  afterward  appointed  first  sergeant, 
serving  as  such  fourteen  months. .  For  faith- 
ful service  on  the  field  and  on  the  march 
after  the  battle  of  Corinth,  he  was  promoted 
first  lieutenant,  and  was  subsequently  com- 
missioned captain.  He  participated  in  the 
engagement  at  Pea  Ridge,  Arkansas,  the 
siege  of  Corinth,  and  the  battles  of  Perry- 
ville,  Kentucky,  and 'Stone  River,  Tennes- 
see. At  the  last  named  he  was  taken  pris- 
oner with  forty- two  others  of  his  regiment, 
including  seven  officers,  and  was  sent  to 
Atlanta,  where  the  officers  were  confined 
until  February  26,  1863,  when  they  were 
ordered  to  march  to  Libby  prison,  Rich- 
mond. While  en  route  Mr.  Elliott  made 
his  escape  from  the  train  at  Conyers,  Geor- 
gia, and  after  traveling  a  distance  of  five 
hundred  miles  through  the  rebel  country, 
reached  the  Union  lines,  joining  the  troops 


at  Corinth,  Mississippi,  March  26,  1863. 
Later  he  rejoined  his  own  regiment  at  Mur- 
freesboro,  Tennessee.  On  the  1 8th  of  May 
following,  through  the  kindness  of  General 
Phil  Sheridan,  he  was  detailed  for  recruit- 
ing service  in  Illinois,  and  returned  to 
Springfield,  where  he  received  his  orders. 
He  then  opened  a  recruiting  office  in  St. 
Charles,  but  was  afterward  ordered  to  re- 
port at  Springfield,  and  in  September,  1863, 
was  placed  in  charge  of  Camp  Yates,  where 
he  remained  from  the  I4th  of  that  month 
until  March  28,  1864,  during  which  time 
nineteen  thousand,  eight  hundred  recruits 
were  received  and  transferred  to  their  regi- 
ments. He  had  received  only  one  order 
for  correction  from  the  auditing  department 
at  Washington.  After  making  his  final  re- 
port, he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  camp 
of  veteran  corps,  remaining  there  until  he 
resigned  the  commission,  on  June  4,  1864. 

For  a  few  years  after  his  return  home, 
Captain  Elliott  worked  at  his  trade  in  Chi- 
cago and  Kane  county.  At  St.  Charles  he  was 
married  September  6,  1860,  to  Miss  Sarah 
Clark,  a  native  of  Birmingham,  England, 
who  came  to  the  United  States  when  a  child 
of  eight  years,  and  was  reared  and  educated 
in  St.  Charles.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elliott  have 
three  sons  living,  namely:  Charles  E.,  now 
a  carpenter  and  joiner  of  San  Francisco, 
California;  Ulysses  S.,  also  a  carpenter  and 
joiner,  who  is  married  and  resides  in  St. 
Charles;  and  John  J.,  at  home  with  his  par- 
ents. They  have  also  lost  three  children: 
May  and  Nellie,  who  both  died  at  the  age 
of  fourteen  months;  and  Nettie,  who  was  a 
successful  teacher  in  St.  Charles,  and  died 
in  early  womanhood. 

The  parents  are  both  active  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which 
Mr.  Elliott  is  now  a  trustee,  and  has  been 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


303 


a  member  of  the  official  board  for  some 
years.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Elon  J.  Farnsworth  post, No.  456,  G.  A.  R. , 
was  its  first  commander  and  served  in  that 
capacity  two  or  three  terms.  He  is  now 
officer  of  the  day.  Politically  he  is  a  life- 
long Republican,  casting  his  first  presiden- 
tial vote  for  John  C.  Fremont  in  1856,  and 
four  years  later  supported  Abraham  Lin- 
coln. He  has  always  taken  an  active  and 
prominent  part  in  local  affairs,  was  alder- 
man of  St.  Charles  for  ten  years,  and  for 
the  long  period  of  'twenty-one  years  was  a 
most  efficient  and  faithful  member  of  the 
school  board.  In  1876  he  was  elected 
justice  of  the  peace,  and  with  the  exception 
of  two  years  has  since  served  in  that  capac- 
ity, being  at  the  present  time  the  oldest 
justice  of  the  peace  in  point  of  service  in 
Kane  county.  He  is  also  filling  the  office 
of  police  magistrate,  and  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  most  valued  and  useful  citizens 
of  St.  Charles.  He  is  a  man  of  sterling 
worth  in  all  the  relations  of  life,  and  his 
name  is  honorably  and  inseparably  con- 
nected with  the  history  of  his  adopted  city. 


/CHARLES  A.  STONE  is  a  representa- 
^>  tive  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of 
Kane  county.  His  father,  Isaac  Stone,  was 
born  in  Orford,  Grafton  county,  New 
Hampshire,  January  i,  1811,  where  he 
lived  until  attaining  his  majority.  In  1833, 
he  moved  to  White  Pigeon,  Michigan,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1834,  came  to  Kane  county, 
when  there  was  but  one  house  in  Elgin, 
that  of  James  T.  Gifford,  and  it  was  not 
finished.  He  hewed  and  hauled  logs  to 
build  the  first  log  house  on  the  west  side  for 
Jonathan  Kimball,  which  served  as  resi- 
dence, hotel  and  justice's  office.  In  that 


house  Mr.  Stone  and  Mr.  Kimball  kept 
"  bach  "  until  the  arrival  of  Mrs.  Phinneas 
Kimball.  In  the  summer  of  1835,  Mr.  Stone 
made  claim  to  two  hundred  and  forty-six 
acres  which  now  comprises  the  farm  of  our 
subject.  He  married  Abigail  Knapp,  born 
at  Homer,  New  York,  about  1820.  She  is 
the  daughter  of  James  Knapp,  of  Homer, 
New  York,  who  died  when  about  eighty 
years  of  age.  He  married  Abigail  May,  born 
in  Hartford,  Connecticut,  and  daughter  of 
Eleazer  May.  She  died  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
two  years.  The  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Isaac 
Stone  fought  through  the  Revolutionary 
war,  and  while  on  the  way  home  was  killed 
by  the  Indians  within  sight  of  his  house. 
Isaac  and  Abigail  Stone  had  four  children, 
two  of  whom  are  living — Elvena,  now  Mrs. 
S.  W.  Chapman  and  Charles  A.,  our  sub- 
ject. The  mother  is  yet  living  and  makes 
her  home  with  Mr.  Chapman  in  Elgin. 

Charles  A.  Stone,  our  subject,  was  born 
on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  April  4, 
1856.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Elgin  township,  and  completed  his  educa- 
tion in  the  Elgin  Academy.  He  remained 
at  home,  assisting  his  father  in  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  farm  until  the  latter's  death, 
which  occurred  January  14,  1881,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  in  charge  of  the 
place.  For  years  he  has  made  a  specialty 
of  stock  raising,  principally  horses,  and  has 
charge  of  many  driving  horses  through  the 
winter,  caring  for  them  until  spring.  The 
farm  is  well-improved  and  in  front  of  his 
residence  is  a  fine  lawn  shaded  by  oak  trees 
of  unusual  size. 

Mr.  Stone  was  married  in  Clinton,  Iowa, 
December  28,  1880,  to  Miss  Emma  E. 
Fletcher,  born  in  Plato  township,  and 
daughter  of  Lewis  and  Lydia  (Griste) 
Fletcher,  the  former  a  native  of  England 


304 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECC: 


and  the  latter  of  Pennsylvania.  They  were 
the  parents  of  three  children — Emma  E. , 
now  Mrs.  Stone;  Albert  and  Henry,  whc 
reside  in  Elgin.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stone 
five  children  have  been  born:  Fred,  born 
October  22,  1881;  Leon,  December  19, 
1882;  Ray,  August  18,  1883;  Isla,  Novem- 
ber 20,  1888;  and  Vernette,  November  25, 
1890. 

In  politics  Mr.  Stone  is  a  Democrat  and 
a  firm  believer  in  free  silver.  The  only  of- 
fice that  he  has  held  has  been  that  of  school 
director.  As  a  farmer  he  ranks  among  the 
best  in  Elgin  township,  and  as  a  citizen  he 
is  held  in  the  highest  esteem. 


ASA  ROSENCRANS,  deceased,  was  one 
of  the  representative  and  honored  pio- 
neers of  Kane  county,  with  whose  early  de- 
velopment and  prosperity  he  and  his  family 
were  prominently  identified.  The  family  is 
of  Danish  extraction,  being  founded  in  this 
country  by  two  brothers  who  came  from 
Amsterdam,  and  the  name  was  formerly 
spelled  Rosenkrans.  Representatives  of 
the  family  have  figured  largely  in  American 
history,  one  of  whom  was  General  Rosen- 
crans,  of  the  Civil  war. 

Col.  John  Rosencrans,  our  subject's 
grandfather,  was  a  famous  Indian  fighter, 
and  commanded  a  regiment  during  the 
French  and  Indian  war  from  1755  until 
1762.  In  1777  he  was  made  a  colonel  in 
the  war  of  the  Revolution.  Filled  with  the 
spirit  of  adventure,  he  did  much  toward 
opening  up  new  country  to  civilization.  He 
was  born  in  1724  and  was  married  in  1751 
to  Miss  Margaret  De  Witt.  Their  second 
oldest  child,  John  Rosencrans,  was  a  native 
of  New  Jersey,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation. The  first  of  the  family,  who  also 


bore  the  name  of  John,  died  in  infancy. 
These  were  followed  by  Jacob;  Arrantie, 
who  died  in  infancy;  Arrantie,  married 
Abraham  Van  Coopen;  Alexander,  born  in 
1759,  married  Mary  Mortman;  Catherine, 
born  in  1761,  who  first  married  a  Mr. 
Woodard,  and,  after  'his  death,  wedded 
John  Pelton;  Charrick  De  Witt,  born  in 
1764,  who  married  Sarah  Pelton;  Dr.  Eli- 
jah, born  in  1766,  who  married  Cornelia 
Suffern;  Levi,  born  in  1770,  who  married 
Polly  Hankinson;  Benjamin,  who  was  a 
twin  brother  of  Levi,  and  married  Margaret 
Schoonover;  Simon,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Dr.  Simon,  who  married  Sarah  Schoonover; 
and  Polly,  who  was  born  in  1777  and  died 
unmarried. 

Of  this  family  John  Rosencrans  was  the 
father  of  our  subject.  He  married  Eliza- 
beth Van  Nest,  and  they  made  their  home 
upon  a  farm  in  New  Jersey,  which  was  aft- 
erward purchased  by  their  son  Asa,  with 
whom  they  lived  until  called  to  their  final 
rest.  In  order  of  birth  their  children  were 
as  follows:  Isaac,  Asa,  Elijah,  Dr.  Char- 
rick;  Lucy,  who  married  John  Dennis,  and 
during  her  widowhood  came  from  New 
York  to  Elgin,  Illinois,  where  she  died  dur- 
ing the  "505;  Catherine,  who  died  unmar- 
ried, in  1827;  and  Garret,  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation, who  removed  from  New  Jersey  to 
Wisconsin,  where  his  death  occurred.  All 
are  now  deceased. 

Asa  Rosencrans  was  born  in  Sussex 
county,  New  Jersey,  in  1785,  and  on  reach- 
ing manhood  he  married  Miss  Jane  Cole, 
also  a  native  of  that  county,  born  December 
I,  1789,  where  their  children  were  all  born 
excepting  the  youngest — Mrs.  J.  R.  Hawes 
—whose  birth  occurred  in  New  York.  On 
leaving  his  native  state,  Mr.  Rosencrans  re- 
moved to  Steuben  county,  New  York,  and 


GARRETT  ROSENCRANS. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


307 


in  the  autumn  of  1836  sent  his  two  oldest 
sons,  Horace  and  Frazier,  to  Illinois  to  pur- 
chase a  farm.  They  were  very  fortunate 
in  their  selection  of  land,  choosing  a  tract 
about  two  and  one-half  miles  from  the  pres- 
ent public  square  in  Elgin.  The  following 
year  the  family  located  here,  and  with  the 
interests  of  Kane  county  some  of  its  mem- 
bers have  since  been  identified.  In  this 
state  Mr.  Rosencrans  followed  farming,  but 
in  New  Jersey  he  had  worked  at  the  carpen- 
ter trade.  He  was  very  handy  with  tools, 
did  considerable  cabinet  work,  and  some  of 
the  bureaus  and  other  articles  of  furniture 
which  he  manufactured  are  still  in  posses- 
sion of  the  family,  prized  as  precious  heir- 
looms. He  died  October  30,  1884,  and  his 
wife  passed  away  January  18,  1877.  For 
thirty  years  her  health  was  very  poor,  but 
her  mind  was  very  active,  and  she  was  very 
devoted  to  her  family.  She  and  her  hus- 
band were  among  the  first  members  of  the 
Congregational  church  of  Elgin,  always  took 
an  active  and  prominent  part  in  its  work, 
and  will  long  be  remembered  for  their 
countless  acts  of  kindness  and  hospitality, 
so  characteristic  of  the  pipneer  settlers. 
She  was  a  woman  of  deep  piety  and  great 
strength  of  character. 

In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple  were 
the  following  named  children:  (i)  Horace, 
born  in  New  jersey  November  15,  1810, 
married  Maria  Ingersol,  and  had  nine  chil- 
dren, of  whom  four  died  in  infancy.  The 
others  are  Horace  Edgar,  a  resident  of 
Marengo,  Illinois;  Louisa,  wife  of  D.  Hen- 
derson, a  carpenter;  Mrs.  Sarah  Ann  Eggle- 
ston,  of  Iowa;  and  Mrs.  Deborah  Wood- 
ward. The  father  of  these  children  died  in 
'893.  aged  eighty-three  years.  (2)  Frazier, 
born  in  1813,  came  with  his  brother  Horace 
to  Illinois  in  1836.  Two  years  later,  with 


his  brothers,  he  was  bathing  in  the  Fox  river 
above  where  the  shoe  factory  is  now  located, 
and  one  of  the  younger  brothers  went  be- 
yond his  'depth.  Being  unable  to  swim, 
Frazier  went  to  his  assistance  and  succeeded 
in  rescuing  him,  but  was  himself  taken  with 
a  cramp  and  sank  to  rise  no  more.  His 
untimely  death,  by  such  a  heroic  deed,  cast 
a  pall  of  gloom  not  only  over  .the  happy 
family,  but  over  the  entire  neighborhood, 
for  he  was  a  great  favorite  among  the  early 
settlers,  and  made  friends  of  all  with  whom 
he  Cctme..  in  c&iUact.  (3)  Maria,  who  was 
born  December  26,  1815,  died  in  the  early 
'503.  She  first  married  James  H.  Scott, 
and  after  his  death  wedded  Jerome  B.  Smith, 
by  whom  she  had  three  children — Helen, 
Arthur  and  Alfred — all  now  deceased.  By 
her  first  marriage  she  also  had  three  children 
—  Harriet,  Fannie  and  John  Frazier  Scott. 
The  last  named  is  the  only  one  now  living, 
his  home  being  in  Pittsfield,  Illinois.  He 
married  Mary  Pike  and  has  three  children: 
John,  an  attorney  of  Chicago;  Daniel,  a 
dentist  of  that  city;  and  Fannie  E. ,  who 
now  makes  her  home  with  Mrs.  Hawes  in 
Elgin.  (4)  Dr.  Halsey  Rosencrans  was  edu- 
cated for  the  medical  profession  in  Chicago 
under  Dr.  Brainard,  first  practiced  in  Lake 
Zurick,  Wisconsin,  for  a  short  time,  and 
then  went  to  Port  Lavaca,  Texas.  His  first 
wife  was  Anna  Eliza  Hale,  daughter  of  Dr. 
Hale,  of  Dundee.  By  this  union  there  were 
three  children:  Fannie,  Lizzie  and  Cora. 
For  his  second  wife  he  married  Miss  Cynthia 
E.  Bowen  September  1 1,  1873.  (5)  Garrett, 
mentioned  below.  (6)  Elizabeth,  born  in 
December,  1823,  was  her  mother's  constant 
companion  for  many  years.  She  died  in 
1892.  (7)  Catherine,  born  November  19, 
1826,  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years. 
(8)  Hiram,  born  April  29,  1828,  is  living 


308 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


near  Mount  Carmel  in  Southern  Utah.      (9) 
Jennie,  widow  of  Moses  W.  Hawes. 

Garrett  Rosencrans,  fifth  in  order  of  birth, 
was  born  in  New  Jersey  April  i,  1821, 
where  his  boyhood  was  passed.  In  the 
primitive  schools  of  that  period  he  received 
his  elementary  education,  and  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 
removal  to  Illinois,  where  they  settled  in 
Kane  county.  Here  he  assisted  in  the  work 
of  the  farm  until  his  removal  to  Elgin. 
Politically  an  ardent  Republican,  he  could 
never  be  prevailed  upon  to  accept  office, 
with  the  exception  of  that  of  assessor,  which 
he  filled  with  credit  for  many  years.  He 
was  also  engaged  in  surveying.  He  died  in 
Elgin  September  i  o,  1891.  Garrett  Rosen- 
crans was  one  of  the  well  known  citizens  of 
Elgin,  and  was  actively  identified  with  every 
enterprise  calculated  to  develop  and  foster 
the  growth  of  his  adopted  city.  By  his  up- 
right and  honorable  career  he  won  the  respect 
of  all. 


WILLIAM  W.  SHERWIN.— There  are 
few  men  in  Elgin  in  the  past  quarter 
of  a  century  who  have  done  more  for  its 
commercial  interests  and  its  growth  and  de- 
velopment than  the  man  whose  name  heads 
this  review.  Without  vain  display  he  has 
moved  on  the  even  tenor  of  his  way,  and 
yet  left  his  mark  on  almost  everything  that 
has  served  to  make  the  city  of  his  adoption 
take  front  rank  among  its  sister  cities  of 
northern  Illinois. 

Albert  Sherwin,  father  of  our  subject, 
who  is  now  a  leading  business  man  of  Lead- 
ville,  Colorado,  is  a  native  of  Vermont,  born 
February  23,  1828,  and  is  a  son  of  Timothy 
Sherwin,  also  a  native  of  Vermont.  He 
married  Louise  Davis,  born  in  Vermont,  and 


a  daughter  of  John  and  Susan  (Billings) 
Davis,  both  of  the  same  state.  By  this 
union  were  four  children,  as  follows:  Will- 
iam W.  and  Carrie,  twins,  the  latter  dying 
in  childhood;  Albert  E. ,  who  is  with  his 
father  in  Leadville,  and  Susan  B. ,  also  at 
Leadville. 

In  1852  Albert  Sherwin  came  west,  first 
locating  in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  railroad  building.  From 
there  he  moved  to  Madison,  in  the  same 
state,  where  he  lived  several  years.  Mrs. 
Sherwin  departed  this  life  in  1865,  and  he 
later  married  Miss  Frances  M..  Lang,  by 
whom  he  had  one  son,  Fred  L. ,  now  with 
his  parents  in  Leadville.  In  1868,  Mr. 
Sherwin  came  with  his  family  to  Elgin,  and 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  butter  and 
cheese,  which  business  he  carried  on  for  ten 
years,  when  he  sold  out  and  transferred  his 
business  operations  to  Leadville,  Colorado, 
where  he  has  devoted  his  energies  to  min- 
ing, smelting  and  banking,  in  which  he  has 
been  successful.  He  is  a  man  of  fine  char- 
acter and  sound  business  principles.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  a  part 
of  his  boyhood  days  in  Madison,  Wisconsin, 
and  was  about  thirteen  years  of  age  when 
his  parents  settled  in  Elgin.  After  attend- 
ing the  district  schools  for  a  short  time  he 
was  sent  to  the  Academy.  In  1871  he  en- 
tered the  University  of  Michigan,  at  Ann 
Arbor,  but  did  not  complete  the  course  of 
study.  In  1875,  when  in  the  senior  class, 
he  gave  up  his  studies  and  returned  home 
to  enter  upon  a  business  career. 

Forming  a  partnership  with  D.  E  Wood 
in  1880,  under  the  firm  name  of  Wood  & 
Sherwin,  he  commenced  the  manufacture  of 
butter  and  cheese.  This  continued  until 
1890,  when  he  purchased  his  partner's  in- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


309 


terest,  and  has  since  conducted  the  business 
alone.  In  1887  he  was  one  of  the  organ- 
izers of  the  Creamery  Package  Manufactur- 
ing Company,  of  which  he  has  since  been 
secretary,  and  also  one  of  its  directors. 

Mr.  Sherwin  is  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Trade  of  Elgin,  and  has  been  its  treasurer 
for  a  number  of  years.  In  1887  he  organ- 
ized the  Elgin  Milkine  Company,  which  is 
also  incorporated,  and  of  which  he  is  presi- 
dent. This  product  will  in  due  time  add  to 
the  reputation  of  Elgin,  and  will  be  one  of 
the  most  popular  articles  for  the  table. 
Aside  from  all  these  interests,  he  is  the 
holder  of  considerable  realty  in  his  adopted 
city. 

On  the  28th  of  April,  1880,  Mr.  Sher- 
win was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Carrie 
M.  Town,  who  was  born  in  Elgin,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Morris  Clinton  Town,  whose  sketch 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  They 
reside  in  a  beautiful  home,  No.  80  South 
State  street,  Elgin,  the  abode  of  hospitality. 
Politically,  Mr.  Sherwin  is  a  Republican. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  thirty-second  degree 
Mason,  a  member  of  Monitor  lodge,  No. 
522,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Loyal  L.  Munn  chapter, 
No.  96,  R.  A.  M.;  Bethel  commandery,  No. 
36,  K.  T. ,  all  of  Elgin,  and  the  Consistory 
of  Chicago.  Socially  he  takes  an  active  in- 
terest in,  and  is  a  member  of,  the  Century 
Club  of  Elgin,  the  Lake  Side  Park  Club,  of 
Lake  Geneva,  Wisconsin;  the  Chicago 
Athletic  Club  and  the  University  Club  of 
Chicago.  With  his  wife  he  attends  the 
Congregational  Church  of  Elgin. 


T  HERON  J.  POTTER,   of  Aurora,   Illi- 
nois, is  a  native  of  the  great  Empire 
state,  which  has  sent  many  of  its  best  citi- 
zens to  Illinois,  and  who  have  done  their 


full  share  in  making  it  occupy  its  present 
proud  position  as  the  third  state  of  the  Un- 
ion. The  family  are  of  English  descent, 
some  of  the  ancestors  of  our  subject  locat- 
ing in  New  England  at  a  very  early  day,  the 
grandfather,  Silas  Potter,  moving  to  Dutch- 
ess  county,  where  his  son,  James  Potter,  was 
born  in  1798.  In  his  native  county  James 
Potter  married  Margaret  Thorne,  also  a  na- 
tive of  that  county.  By  occupation  he  was 
a  farmer,  in  which  he  continued  during  his 
entire  life.  In  1853  he  came  to  Illinois, 
settled  first  in  Kane  county,  where  he  re- 
sided a  few  years  and  then  moved  to  De- 
Kalb  county,  where  he  spent  the  last  years 
of  his  life,  dying  in  1862.  His  wife  sur- 
vived him  a  number  of  years,  dying  in  1880. 
They  were  the  parents  of  five  sons  and  one 
daughter,  who  grew  to  mature  years.  The 
oldest,  Silas,  married,  moved  west,  spent 
his  last  years  in  Aurora,  living  a  retired  life, 
and  where  his  death  occurred;  Fannie,  who 
is  the  widow  of  Lucian  Burr,  resides  in  De- 
Kalb  county;  William  first  settled  in  Kane 
county  and  later  moved  to  De  Kalb  county, 
where  his  death  occurred;  Theron  J.,  of 
this  review;  Isaac,  a  business  man  of  Water- 
man, Illinois;  and  Seneca,  who  is  living  re- 
tired in  De  Kalb,  Illinois. 

Theron  J.  Potter  was  born  in  Dutchess 
county,  New  York,  April  3,  1829.  Upon 
the  home  farm  in  his  native  state  he  grew 
to  manhood,  and  as  the  opportunity  was 
afforded  him  attended  the  common  schools 
during  the  winter  months.  On  attaining 
his  majority  he  left  the  parental  roof,  came 
west  and  joined  his  brother,  Silas,  in  Kane 
county.  Here  he  was  married,  September 
n,  1851,  to  Miss  Ellen  Graves,  a  daughter 
of  D.  T.  Graves,  a  minister  of  the  Baptist 
church,  who  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  but 
in  New  York  married  Electa  Babcock,  a 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


daughter  of  Samuel  Babcock,  who  was  a 
colonel  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  With 
his  family  Rev.  Graves  came  west  in  1838, 
settling  in  Warrensville,  Du  Page  county, 
Illinois,  from  which  place  he  moved  to 
Aurora  in  the  fall  of  1845.  He  was  an  ear- 
nest and  active  minister  of  the  Gospel,  and 
continued  in  the  ministry  until  his  death  in 
1851.  His  wife  survived  him  many  years, 
passing  away  in  1893,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
six  years.  The)'  were  laid  to  rest  in  the 
West  side  cemetery.  Mrs.  Potter  is  one  of 
their  family  of  four  daughters.  Iwanona  J. , 
widow  of  Richard  Breese,  resides  in  Aurora; 
Ellen,  wife  of  our  subject;  Mrs.  Eliza  Free- 
man, a  widow,  of  Aurora;  and  Emma,  wife 
of  Theodore  Howard,  of  Aurora. 

On  coming  to  Aurora,  Rev.  Graves  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  one  hundred  acres  lying 
near  the  city.  After  their  marriage,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Potter  began  their  domestic  life 
on  that  farm,  where  they  resided  some 
three  or  four  years.  They  then  moved  to 
De  Kalb  county,  where  Mr.  Potter  pur- 
chased a  farm  which  he  operated  two 
\ears,  when  he  sold  out  and  returned  to  the 
old  Graves  homestead,  having  purchased 
the  interests  of  the  heirs.  He  at  once  be- 
gan its  improvement,  and  in  due  time  built 
a  large,  neat  residence,  barn  and  other  out- 
buildings, making  of  it  one  of  the  most  de- 
sirable farms  in  the  township.  He  contin- 
ued to  work  the  farm  until  1883,  when  he 
removed  to  Aurora,  but  soon  after  pur- 
chased a  farm  lying  partly  in  Kendall  coun- 
ty, and  partly  in  Sugar  Grove  township, 
Kane  county,  which  he  operated  some 
three  or  four  years.  In  1889  he  purchased 
residence  property  in  Aurora,  and  has 
since  been  living  a  retired  life.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Potter  have  reared  three  children,  of 
whom  Fannie  is  the  wife  of  Lewis  Paull,  a 


stockdealer  of  Aurora;  Arthur  J.,  married 
and  in  business  in  Aurora;  and  Minnie  E., 
wife  of  Arthur  Winteringham,  representing 
the  Covenant  Mutual  Insurance  Company, 
of  Galesburg,  Illinois. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Potter  is  a 
stanch  advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  Voting  first  for  John  C. 
Fremont  in  1856,  he  has  continued  to  vote 
for  the  nominees  of  that  party  from  that 
time  to  the  present.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
are  consistent  members  of  the  New  England 
Congregational  church  of  Aurora.  For  for- 
ty-eight years  he  has  resided  in  Kane  and 
DeKalb  counties,  while  his  wife  has  been  a 
resident  sixty  years.  In  the  development 
of  Kane  county  he  has  borne  his  part  well, 
and  no  family  in  Kane  county  is  held  in 
higher  esteem.  Honest  and  upright  in 
character,  he  has  made  many  friends 
throughout  Kane  and  De  Kalb  counties. 


OAMUEL  J.  GIFT,  a  farmer  residing  on 
O  section  15,  Hampshire  township,  traces 
his  ancestry  back  to  Colonial  times,  his 
grandfather,  Jeremiah  Gift,  who  was  of 
German  parentage,  being  born  in  Berks 
county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  died  at  a 
ripe  old  age.  His  son,  Daniel  Gift,  the  fa- 
ther of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Union 
county,  now  Snyder  county,  Pennsylvania, 
July  1 8,  1811,  and  there  died  June  6,  1879. 
He  married  Sophia  Hassinger,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  sixty  years.  She  was  the  daughter 
of  Jacob  Hassinger,  who  was  also  of  Ger- 
man descent.  To  Daniel  and  Sophia  Gift, 
ten  children  were  born,  eight  of  whom  are 
yet  living.  In  order  of  birth  they  were — 
Samuel  J.,  our  subject;  Mary,  who  married 
Simon  Wetzel,  and  lives  in  Kansas;  Ros- 
well,  who  served  in  the  war  for  the  union, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  who  died  in  Ohio  after  its  close;  Mar- 
garet, wife  of  George  Dibler,  a  retired 
farmer  of  Hampshire;  Barbara,  who  mar- 
ried Philip  Gilman,  and  lives  at  Milton, 
Pennsylvania;  Jonathan,  who  also  served  in 
the  Union  army,  died  in  Kentucky  during 
the  war;  Emeline  married  Mr.  Gilman, 
of  Shamokin,  Pennsylvania;  Sarah,  who 
married  Reuben  Bauersox,  of  Paxton,  Penn- 
sylvania; Austin,  who  lives  at  Paxton, 
Pennsylvania;  and  Addie,  who  married  Mr. 
Homer,  of  the  same  place. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  near 
Middleburg,  Union  county,  Pennsylvania, 
May  22,  1832,  prior  to  the  time  that  county 
was  cut  off  from  Snyder  county.  His  edu- 
cation was  obtained  in  the  subscription 
schools  of  his  native  county,  before  the  pub- 
lic school  system  was  adopted.  The  school 
facilities  were  very  poor,  the  terms  of  school 
being  short  and  indifferent  teachers  em- 
ployed. Until  eighteen  years  of  age  he 
worked  on  the  farm  and  then  learned  the 
bricklaying  trade  at  which  he  continued  for 
five  .years.  He  also  learned  the  tanner's 
trade,  and  was  also  engaged  at  that  business 
for  about  five  years.  In  1866  he  came  to 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  rented  land  for 
five  years,  raising  a  crop  of  tobacco.  In 
the  fall  of  1862  he  came  to  his  present 
place,  comprising  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  which  he  rented  for  five  years  and 
then  purchased.  It  is  fine  rolling  land, 
well  drained  with  one  and  a  half  miles  of 
tiling,  and  has  on  it  a  good,  substantial 
dwelling,  good  barns  and  other  outbuildings. 
Here  he  has  resided  for  thirty-six  years,  en- 
gaged in  general  dairy  farming.  He  now 
keeps  about  twenty  head  of  cows,  the  prod- 
uct of  which  he  sells  at  the  creamery  in 
Hampshire. 

Mr.   Gift  has  been  married   three  times, 


his  first  wife  being  Catherine  Aurend,  who 
was  born  in  Union  county,  Pennsylvania, 
in  1832,  and  was  the  daughter  of  John 
Aurend,  who  married  a  Miss  Reams.  By 
this  union  were  six  children,  as  follows: 
James  W.,  who  married  Kate  Madre,  by 
whom  he  has  two  children,  Maggie  and 
Arthur,  and  they  reside  in  Kansas;  Edgar 
and  Agnes,  who  died  in  childhood;  John  D., 
who  lives  in  Iowa;  Charles  E. ,  who  is  as- 
sisting his  father  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
home  farm;  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 
For  his  second  wife,  Mr.  Gift  married  Bar- 
bara Frederick,  a  native  of  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  Mathias  Fred- 
erick. By  this  marriage  are  two  children, 
Emma  J.,  who  married  James  Kemmerling, 
and  they  have  one  child,  Hilda  May;  Dora 
A.,  who  married  Reuben  Wright.  The 
third  wife  of  Mr.  Gift  was  Lusetta  Klick, 
born  in  Lebanon  county,  Pennsylvania,  and 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Katherine  (Decker) 
Klick.  Her  father  was  the  son  of  Conrad 
and  Elizabeth  (Decker)  Klick,  while  her 
mother  was  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Eliza- 
beth (Brandt)  Decker.  By  the  third  mar- 
riage is  one  son,  Edwin  Henry,  who  is 
farming  with  his  father. 

Mr.  Gift  is  a  member  of  the  United 
Evangelical  church.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican,  and  has  served  his  township  as 
school  director,  road  commissioner  and  vari- 
ous other  official  positions.  A  good  neigh- 
bor and  citizen,  he  is  respected  by  all  who 
know  him. 


A  LEAN  L.    MANN,   M.   D.,   who  is  suc- 
cessfully   engaged    in    the  practice  of 
medicine  and  surgery  in  Elgin,  with  office 
in  the  Spurling  block,  was  born  in  that  city 
on  the   22d   of  September,  1859,   and   is  a 


312 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


son  of  Michael  and  Margaret  (O'Connor) 
Mann,  natives  of  Westmeath  and  Queens 
counties,  Ireland,  respectively.  The  pa- 
ternal grandfather  spent  his  entire  life  in 
that  country,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of 
seventy-two  years.  In  his  family  were  four 
sons  and  four  daughters.  Michael  O'Con- 
nor, the  maternal  grandfather,  came  to 
America  in  1852  and  lived  for  a  time  near 
Syracuse,  New  York.  From  that  place  he 
came  to  Elgin,  where  he  conducted  a  black- 
smith shop  for  many  years.  He  died  here 
in  1893  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-eight 
years.  He  had  a  family  of  two  sons  and 
three  daughters. 

In  1852  the  Doctor's  parents  also  crossed 
the  Atlantic  and  at  once  became  residents 
of  Elgin,  where  the  father  was  a  harness- 
maker  for  some  years.  During  the  Civil 
war,  he  served  as  a  telegraph  operator  at 
the  West  Elgin  depot,  and  subsequently 
followed  carpentering  for  a  number  of 
years,  but  for  the  last  ten  or  twelve  years 
of  his  life  he  was  engaged  in  commercial 
pursuits.  By  reason  of  his  business  acu- 
men and  the  exercise  of  thrift  and  frugality, 
he  accumulated  considerable  property,  be- 
ing in  comfortable  circumstances  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Oc- 
tober, 1895,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years, 
resulting  from  an  accident  sustained  by 
being  thrown  from  a  cart  while  breaking  a 
colt.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and 
lives  at  the  old  homestead  with  her  daugh- 
ters. In  the  family  are  eight  children,  four 
sons  and  four  daughters,  namely:  Alban 
L. ;  Blanche;  Godfrey;  Agnes,  wife  of 
Frank  Hurlburt;  John;  Maggie;  James  and 
Mary. 

Dr.  Mann  acquired  his  literary  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  Elgin,  and  at  the  age 
of  seventeen  entered  the  drug  store  of  Kel- 


ley  &  Hart  for  the  purpose  of  acquainting 
himself  with  medicine  preparatory  to  enter- 
ing a  medical  college.  After  five  years  in 
their  employ  he  matriculated  at  Bennett 
Medical  College  of  Chicago,  where  he  grad- 
uated in  March,  1883.  For  about  a  year 
he  practiced  his  profession  at  Silver  Reef 
Mining  Camp,  Utah,  and  then  returned  to 
Elgin,  where  he  has  since  continuously  en- 
gaged in  practice. 

On  the  7th  of  January,  1887,  Dr.  Mann 
married  Miss  Bertha  S.  Kohn,  a  daughter 
of  Charles  and  Dorothea  (Andorff)  Kohn. 
They  now  .have  two  children — Alban  W. 
and  Marguerite  —  and  the  family  have  a 
pleasant  home  at  No.  392  Chicago  street. 

Socially  the  Doctor  belongs  to  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  and  he  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Illinois  State  Eclectic  Med- 
ical Society,  and  the  Association  of  Military 
Surgeons  of  the  United  States,  belonging 
to  the  last  named  by  reason  of  having 
served  for  five  years  as  surgeon,  with  the 
rank  of  major,  in  the  Third  Infantry,  Illi- 
nois National  Guard.  Politically  the  Doc- 
tor is  independent,  but  usually  votes  with 
the  Republican  party,  and  for  three  years 
he  served  as  city  physician. 


PETER  McKINNELL,  a  farmer  residing 
near  Udina,  in  Elgin  township,  was 
born  June  26,  1825,  in  Kirkkinner  parish, 
Wigtonshire,  Scotland,  where  his  early 
life  was  passed.  In  his  native  land  he  en- 
gaged in  farming,  and  continued  in  that 
occupation  until  his  emigration  to  America. 
Early  in  December,  1854,  he  sailed  from 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


313 


Liverpool,  on  "The  Driver,"  but  his  vessel 
was  wrecked  on  the  Irish  coast,  where  he 
was  detained  two  weeks.  He  re-embarked 
at  Liverpool  on  the  vessel  '-Constellation" 
Sunday,  December  31,  1854,  and  after  a 
voyage  of  four  weeks  reached  New  York 
Saturday,  January  27,  1855,  and  landed 
Monday,  the  29th.  By  rail  he  came  direct 
to  Chicago,  but  owing  to  heavy  snowstorms 
they  were  a  week  on  the  way.  From  Chi- 
cago he  came  by  rail  to  Elgin,  where  he 
arrived  February  4,  five  weeks  from  time  of 
sailing.  After  a  short  time  spent  in  Elgin 
he  moved  to  the  northeast  corner  of  Plato 
township,  near  where  McQueen's  station  is 
now  located,  where  he  lived  one  year.  At 
the  suggestion  of  a  cousin  in  business  there, 
he  removed  to  Peoria  and  worked  for  him 
one  year.  He  then  moved  to  the  farm  of 
his  cousin  near  El  Paso,  Woodford  county, 
which  he  cultivated  five  years. 

In  the  spring  of  1862  Mr.  McKinnell  re- 
turned to  Elgin,  and  for  two  and  a  half  years 
worked  out  on  farms  to  get  money  on  which 
to  again  start  for  himself.  For  one  year  he 
had  charge  of  the  dairy  farm  of  Martin 
McNeal,  and  for  one  year  the  farm  of  Paul 
B.  Ring.  He  then  rented  the  D.  C.  Scho- 
field  farm  two  years,  and  then  the  large 
farm  of  George  Stringer,  now  deceased,  on 
which  he  worked  fifteen  years.  Although 
they  had  no  written  contract,  and  only  a 
verbal  agreement,  during  the  fifteen  years 
of  his  tenancy  no  disagreement  ever  arose 
between  him  and  Mr.  Stringer.  In  the 
spring  of  1883  he  purchased  his  present 
farm  of  eighty-six  acres.  This  he  has  since 
continued  to  work,  together  with  twenty-five 
acres  that  he  leased.  The  farm  is  used  for 
grain  and  dairy  purposes. 

Peter  McKinnell  is  the  son  of  James 
McKinnell,  a  native  of  the  same  parish  in 


which  he  was  born,  and  who  was  a  farmer 
who  lived  and  died  in  his  native  land  about 
1862,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years. 
James  McKinnell  married  Janet  Hawthorn, 
born  in  the  parish  of  Newton  Stewart,  and 
daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Cleaves) 
Hawthorn,  of  the  same  parish.  They  were 
the  parents  of  eight  children,  of  whom  our 
subject  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth, 
and  the  only  one  to  come  to  the  United 
States.  One  brother  went  to  Tasmania, 
and  one  to  Buenos  Ayres,  South  America. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  the  parish 
of  Kirkkinner,  April  20,  1854,  to  Miss  Jessie 
McDowell,  of  the  same  parish,  daughter  of 
Charles  McDowell,  a  fanner  and  large  stock 
dealer,  who  died  when  Jessie  was  two  years 
old.  He  married  Miss  Ellen  Patterson, 
daughter  of  James  and  Janet  (McHarg)  Pat- 
terson. Mrs.  McKinnell,  who  was  born 
February  2,  1834,  was  sixth  in  a  family  of 
seven  children,  two  of  whom  came  to 
America — John  McDowell,  deceased;  and 
Mary,  wife  of  William  Kirkpatrick,  of  East 
Plato. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  nine  children 
have  been  born:  Ellen  Jessie,  born  March 
26,  1855,  is  now  the  wife  of  Dr.  William 
Bishop,  of  St.  Charles;  Agnes,  born  August 
3,  1856,  is  the  wife  of  William  E.  Marshall, 
of  East  Plato;  Eliza  Jane,  born  March  20, 
1858,  died  November  26,  1862;  Mary,  born 
August  24,  1860,  is  the  wife  of  Fred  J. 
Marshall,  of  Plato  township;  Anna,  born 
January  31,  1863;  James,  born  March  18, 
1866;  one  who  died  in  infancy;  George, 
born  July  13,  1875;  and  Hattie,  born  Feb- 
ruary 14,  1880,  died  December  16,  1885. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  McKinnell  were  reared  in 
the  Presbyterian  faith,  but  are  now  mem- 
bers of  the  Congregational  church  at  Udina, 
in  which  he  for  a  time  was  a  deacon.  In 


3«4 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


politics  he  is  a  Republican,  but  would  never 
accept  office,  save  that  of  school  trustee, 
which  position  he  filled  for  some  years. 


SMITH  YOUNGES,  an  energetic  and 
thriving  farmer  residing  on  section  33, 
Elgin  township,  was  born  in  the  village  of 
Amsterdam,  Schoharie  county,  New  York, 
October  17,  1852.  His  father,  Charles 
Younges,  was  also  a  native  of  Schoharie 
county,  where  he  married  Miss  Magdeline 
Lingenfelter,  a  native  of  Amsterdam,  New 
York.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  William,  living  on  the 
old  homestead,  near  Plato;  Peter,  residing 
in  Bigelow,  Kansas;  James,  deceased;  Eliza- 
beth, wife  of  W.  W.  McDonald,  of  East 
Plato;  Mary,  wife  of  Dell  McCarthy,  of 
Watseka,  Illinois;  and  Smith,  our  subject. 
Charles  Younges  was  a  farmer  and  stock 
trader  during  his  entire  life.  He  was  a 
hustling,  energetic  man,  who  did  all  it  was 
possible  for  any  one  man  to  do.  He  came 
to  Kane  county  in  1860,  but  did  not  remove 
his  family  here  until  1861.  He  first  pur- 
chased the  Duncan  Frazer  farm  in  St. 
Charles  township,  but  seeing  a  more  desira- 
ble piece  of  land  in  Plato  township,  forfeit- 
ed what  had  been  paid  on  the  Frazer  farm 
and  bought  two  hundred  and  ten  acres  near 
East  Plato,  where  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  He  also  bought  the  Sovereign 
farm  in  Plato  township,  consisting  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres,  and  also  the 
Payton  farm,  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  in  Elgin  township.  He  was  politic- 
ally, a  Republican  and  served  as  school  di- 
rector many  terms  and  also  supervisor  of 
his  township.  His  death  occurred  January 
3,  1867,  at  age  of  forty-eight  years. 


Smith  Younges  was  eleven  years  of  age 
when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Kane 
county.  His  education  began  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Amsterdam,  New  York,  and 
completed  in  the  public  schools  of  Kane 
county.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  began 
life  for  himself,  and  worked  by  the  month 
on  farms  for  three  years.  He  then  rented 
one  hundred  acres  from  his  mother  which 
he  cultivated  three  years,  at  the  expiration 
of  which  time  he  rented  the  farm  that  he 
now  owns  for  three  years.  Having  been 
quite  successful  he  purchased  the  place, 
which  consists  of  two  hundred  acres  of  fine- 
ly improved  land.  He  rebuilt  the  dwelling 
house  and  also  the  barn,  making  the  latter 
thirty-six  by  eighty  feet  and  also  built  a 
stable  twenty-six  by  thirty  feet.  When  the 
railroad  cut  through  his  farm,  he  bought 
seventeen  acres  where  his  present  residence 
now  stands,  which  with  that  part  of  his 
former  farm  north  of  the  railroad  track, 
makes  one  farm,  while  the  south  part  on 
which  is  the  old  residence,  makes  a  good 
tenant  farm.  Two  additions  have  since 
been  built  to  his  residence,  and  he  has  also 
erected  a  new  horse  barn  thirty  by  thirty- 
four  feet,  wagon-house,  twenty  by  twenty- 
four,  cattle  sheds,  sixteen  by  twenty,  and 
cattle  barn,  thirty-eight  by  eighty-two  feet. 
Youngdale  Station,  on  the  Illinois  Central 
railroad,  is  located  on  his  farm,  and  there  is 
also  a  postoffice  at  the  station. 

Mr.  Younges  was  married  in  St.  Charles 
township,  December  25,  1874,  to  Miss  Car- 
rie Person,  born  in  that  township,  and  the 
daughter  of  Parker  and  Aurilia  (Clark)  Per- 
son, natives  of  Vermont  and  New  York  re- 
spectively. By  this  union  four  children 
have  been  born:  Clyde,  who  is  assisting  his 
father  in  the  handling  of  stock;  Nellie, 
Maude  and  Libbie;  Maude  is  attending  the 


« 


SMITH  YOUNGES. 


MRS.   SMITH  YOUNGES. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


319 


Elgin  Academy;   and  Libbie,  who  is  attend- 
ing the  district  school  in  Elgin. 

Politically  Mr.  Younges  is  a  Republican, 
and  has  served  as  school  director.  Frater- 
nally he  is  a  member  of  Elgin  lodge,  No. 
117,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He  is  a  good  business 
man  and  is  dealing  very  extensively  in  stock, 
buying  and  shipping  from  the  west  more 
milch  cows  for  the  home  and  Chicago  mar- 
kets than  any  dealer  in  this  county.  ^  He 
is  a  good  judge  of  stock  and  a  careful  buyer, 
and  he  is  meeting  with  deserved  success. 


JOSEPH  VOLLOR,  an  honored  veteran 
of  the  Civil  war,  and  one  .of  the  most 
highly  respected  citizens  of  Elgin,  was  for 
many  years  actively  identified  with  the  busi- 
ness interests  of  the  city,  but  is  now  living 
retired  at  his  pleasant  home  169  South 
Channing  street. 

He  is  a  native  of  Canada,  born  in  Tor- 
onto, October  12,  1836,  and  is  a  son  of 
Joseph  and  Ellen  (Donahue)  Vollor,  the 
former  a  native  of  Portsmouth,  England, 
and  the  latter  of  Belfast,  Ireland.  For 
about  twenty  years  the  father  owned  and 
commanded  a  vessel  on  Lake  Ontario,  and 
for  several  years  carried  passengers  and  the 
mail  between  Toronto  and  Rochester,  New 
York.  During  the  "  McKenzie  Rebellion  ", 
as  he  was  about  to  leave  Toronto,  one  of 
his  passengers  (a  friend  of  McKenzie)  was 
arrested  and  his  baggage  taken  to  the  May- 
or's office.  Capt.  Vollor  followed  and 
while  addressing  the  mayor  was  requested 
by  his  honor  to  take  off  his  hat;  he  refused, 
and  informed  the  mayor  that  he  bought  the 
hat,  paid  for  it,  and  would  wear  it;  for  that 
offence  he  was  committed  to  jail  for  24  hours. 
Capt.  Vollor  took  the  first  vessel  through 
the  Welland  Canal,  also  landed  at  Grand 

15 


Haven,  Mich.,  the  machinery  for  the  first 
saw-mill  erected  in  that  section.  His  wife 
died  in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  in  1847  and 
he  in  1851,  at  Batavia,  Illinois. 

The  first  ten  years  of  his  life  Joseph 
Vollor  spent  in  Toronto,  where  he  attended 
school  to  a  limited  extent  and  then  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Mil- 
waukee, Wisconsin.  After  eighteen  months 
in  that  city  the  family,  father  and  three 
children,  moved  to  Chicago  and  six  months 
later  to  Batavia,  Illinois.  Upon  .the  death 
of  his  father  Joseph  Vollor  was  taken  by 
Spencer  Johnson,  a  farmer,  to  keep  until 
he  became  of  age,  the  understanding  being 
that  he^would  attend  school  three  months 
each  winter,-  .and  when  twenty-one  would 
receive  one  hundred  dollars  and  two  suits  of 
clothes.  The  last  winter  he  attended  school 
but  four  weeks,  as  he  had  been  notified  that 
he  would  have  to  "speak  a  piece"  before 
the  school  on  Friday  afternoon.  He  con- 
cluded that  he  was  not  cut  out  for  an  ora- 
tor, and  when  Friday  noon  came  around  he 
gathered  up  his  books,  went  home  and  cut 
stove  wood  the  balance  of  the  winter. 

In  1859  he  was  taken  with  the  Pike's 
Peak  fever,  and  with  his  hard  earned  sav- 
ings invested  in  teams,  provisions  and  outfit 
necessary  for  gold  mining,  full  of  hope  and 
with  big  letters,  "  Pike's  Peak  or  Bust,"  on 
his  wagon  cover,  he  started.  Did  not  get 
half  way  before  thousands  were  met  com- 
ing back,  hungry  and  foot  sore,  and  he  and 
his  companion  had  to  join  the  procession 
and  return.  When  the  outfit  was  disposed 
of  he  had  but  little  left  of  his  seven  years 
hard  earnings, and  felt  that  he  was  "  busted." 
In  1860  he  worked  a  farm  on  shares,  and 
crops  being  extra  good  he  cleared  about 
$400,  which  he  took  with  him  to  Chicago 
in  September  and  went  through  a  course  in 


320 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Bryant  &  Stratton's  Commercial  College. 
He  deposited  his  money  in  a  bank  and  lost 
something  over  $200  by  failure. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  Mr. 
Vollor  was  residing  at  Batavia  and  enlisted 
under  first  call  for  troops,  but  company  was 
not  accepted  ;  enlisted  twice  afterwards 
and  was  finally,  on  the  ist  day  of  August, 
1 86 1,  mustered  in  as  fourth  corporal 
Company  I,  Forty-Second  Illinois  In- 
fantry. In  September  the  regiment  pro- 
ceeded to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  for  a 
time  was  quartered  in  Benton  Barracks, 
where  daily  drills  were  had,  and  arms 
were  furnished.  From  Benton  Barracks 
took  boat  for  Jefferson  City,  where  the 
regiment  received  twenty-four  six- muled 
teams — two  for  each  company  and  four  for 
headquarters,  including  hospital.  After  re- 
ceiving transportation  and  equipment  regi- 
ment was  started  on  a  tramp  for  Spring- 
field, Missouri,  after  rebel  army,  under 
Price.  From  Springfield  tramped  back  to 
Smithton,  which  was  headquarters  for  the 
regiment.  Mr.  Vollor's  company  (I)  was 
stationed  at  Farmers'  City,  about  two  miles 
farther  west,  and  patrolled  the  railroad  be- 
tween there  and  Sedalia.  Col.  Webb  and 
many  of  the  larger  and  apparently  strong- 
est men  of  the  regiment  died  during  the 
winter.  Company  I  being  alone,  some  of 
the  members  would  go  out  nights  and  con- 
fiscate bee-hives,  geese,  chickens  and  other 
good  things.  In  February,  1862,  started 
on  march  to  St.  Louis,  and  there  took  boats 
for  Cairo  and  crossed  the  river  from  there 
to  Fort  Holt,  Kentucky.  Fort  Donelson 
prisoners  had  just  arrived  at  Cairo  when 
Forty-second  reached  there.  In  a  short 
time  were  ordered  to  Columbus,  Kentucky, 
and  werethe  first  infantry  to  enter  the  place. 

After  remaining   at  Columbus    a    short 


time  accompanied  the  gunboat  fleet  down 
the  river  to  Island  No.  10,  where  mortar 
boats  amused  the  Johnnies  for  several  weeks 
by  throwing  fifteen-inch  shells  over  the  isl- 
and every  fifteen  minutes — only  damage  to 
the  enemy  being  the  breaking  of  one  leg  of 
a  mule.  The  gunboats  did  a  great  deal  of 
firing  at  a  battery  in  bend  of  river  on  the 
Tennessee  shore,  but  did  little  damage. 
Colonel  G.  W.  Roberts,  of  the  Forty-sec- 
ond Illinois,  became  restive  at  waste  of  time 
and  ammunition,  and  offered  to  take  fifty 
men  of  his  regiment — if  boats  would  be 
furnished  him — and  go  down  and  spike  the 
battery.  Boats  were  furnished,  and  he  went 
down  on  the  night  of  April  i,  1862,  during 
a  terrible  wind  and  rain  storm,  and  spiked 
the  battery — he  being  the  first  man  ashore 
and  driving  the  first  spike.  A  few  nights 
after  a  gunboat  ran  by  the  island,  later 
others  followed,  and  on  April  jth  the  Rebels 
surrendered  about  sixty-five  hundred  prison- 
ers, seven  thousand  small  arms  and  one 
hundred  pieces  of  artillery. 

After  surrender  of  Island  No.  10,  regi- 
ment proceeded  to  Fort  Pillow,  remained  a 
short  time,  and  then  took  boats  for  Ham- 
burg Landing,  Mississippi,  to  take  part  in 
siege  of  Corinth.  During  siege,  engaged  in 
battle  of  Farmington,  where  the  regiment 
made  the  Johnnies  a  present  of  all  knap- 
sacks and  contents.  Mr.  Vollor  had  in  his 
quite  a  sized  book,  in  which  he  had  been 
keeping  a  record  of  daily  experiences. 
Thinks  if  he  had  the  book  now  he  would 
keep  it  under  lock,  as  there  were  things  re- 
corded that  might  not  read  well  at  the  pres- 
ent time. 

Flag  of  Forty-second  Illinois  was  first 
to  float  over  Corinth  after  the  Rebels  left. 
Followed  Rebels  to  Rienzi  and  in  few  days 
returned  to  Camp  Blue  Springs  near  Cor- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


321 


inth.  While  there,  were  furnished  with 
"pup  Tents"  in  exchange  for  Sibley's;  ten 
companies  were  also  furnished  with  Austrian 
rifles  and  saber  bayonets  in  exchange  for 
the  almost  worthless  Springfield  muskets, 
received  at  St.  Louis.  From  Blue  Springs 
regiment  with  two  pieces  of  artillery  was 
ordered  to  Cortland,  Alabama,  and  remained 
there  from  July  25th  until  September  3d, 
1862,  when  were  started  on  forced  march 
for  Nashville,  Tennessee,  and  on  the  way 
took  part  in  a  skirmish  with  Rebel  cavalry 
at  Columbia,  losing  one  man  killed  while 
Rebels  lost  eight  killed  and  forty-five  wound- 
ed. The  march  to  Nashville  was  a  hard 
one,  the  weather  being  very  hot,  and  the 
broken  stone  roads  caused  many  blistered 
feet.  Mr.  Vollor  had,  on  one  day,  three 
blisters  on  bottom  of  one  foot  and  two  on 
other.  He  was  the  only  non-commissioned 
officer  (except  the  orderly)  of  Company  I 
to  get  into  camp  with  the  colors.  A  ser- 
geant was  called  for  for  picket  and  there 
being  none  in  camp  Mr.  Vollor  (a  corporal) 
had  to  go.  He  considered  that  he  was 
punished  for  keeping  up  on  the  march. 

The  Forty-second  occupied  Nashville 
during  the  race  between  Buell  and  Bragg's 
armies  through  Kentucky.  Being  cut  off 
from  base  of  supplies  army  rations  were 
short,  but  by  foraging,  a  good  supply  of 
sweet  potatoes  and  sometimes  fresh  pork 
was  procured.  After  the  return  of  the  army, 
then  under  command  of  Gen.  Rosecrans, 
Col.  Roberts,  who  was  very  ambitious  and 
opposed  to  doing  garrison  duty,  requested 
that  his  regiment  (the  Forty-second  Illinois) 
be  allowed  to  join  the  army  then  preparing 
to  move  on  Murfreesboro.  His  wish  was 
granted  and  he  was  assigned  to  the  com- 
mand of  a  brigade,  composed  of  the  Twenty- 
second,  Twenty-seventh,  Forty-second  and 


Fifty-first  Illinois  regiments,  in  Sheridan's 
division  of  the  Twentieth  Corps,  commanded 
by  Alex.  McDowell  McCook. 

On  December  26,  1862,  the  army  under 
Rosecrans  started  on  a  winter  campaign 
toward  Murfreesboro.  The  rain  came  down 
in  torrents  all  day  and  a  bitter  cold  wind 
blew  from  the  northeast.  The  condition 
and  feelings  of  the  men  when  night  came 
can  be  imagined  better  than  described. 
There  were  no  tents  for  shelter  that  night, 
and  no  fires  could  be  built  to  make  coffee. 
With  'plenty  of  hot  coffee  the  boys  could 
endure  almost  any  exposure — without  it  life 
was  hardly  worth  living.  Mr.  Vollor  says 
he  will  never  forget  that  night.  Sitting  on 
the  wet  ground,  at  the  roots  of  a  large  tree, 
with  cape  of  overcoat  over  his  head,  he 
would  doze  for  a  short  time  and  would 
awake  so  cold  that  he  had  to  get  up  and 
walk  around.  That  was  kept  up  during  the 
.night.  On  December  3Oth  arrived  within 
two  and  a  half  miles  of  Murfreesboro  and 
had  skirmish  with  the  enemy  in  which 
quite  a  number  of  the  Forty-second  were 
killed  and  wounded.  Rebel  cavalry  had 
captured  and  destroyed  a  large  number  of 
wagons  loaded  with  rations,  and  the  morn- 
ing of  the  3 ist  found  the  men  with  empty 
haversacks,  preparing  for  one  of  the  blood- 
iest battles  of  the  war.  A  little  corn  meal 
had  been  secured  the  day  before  and  some 
mush  had  been  made  by  some  of  the  Forty- 
second.  As  the  men  of  Sheridan's  Division 
stood  under  arms  at  3  o'clock  that  winter 
morning  and  listened  to  the  reading  of  or- 
ders from  General  Rosecrans  little  did  they 
realize  what  they  would  pass  through  before 
night.  The  Forty-second  Illinois  took  acon- 
spicuous  part  in  the  battle,  and  while  regi- 
ment was  falling  back  to  escape  capture — the 
Rebels  coming  in  on  their  flank — Mr.  Vollor 


322 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


was  hit  on  foot  by  a  spent  ball,  also  on  right 
elbow,  his  gun  dropping  from  his  hands. 
Although  the  Rebels  were  close  on  to  him 
he  stopped  and  picked  his  gun  up  and  by 
doing  so  came  near  being  captured.  He 
was  unable  to  use  his  arm  for  a  week  or 
more  but  kept  his  position  with  his  com- 
pany. Three  balls  passed  through  his  cloth- 
ing during  the  battle.  His  name  is  on  Roll 
of  Honor  of  Army  of  the  Cumberland  for 
meritorious  service,  was  also  promoted  from 
Fourth  Corporal  of  Company  I,  to  quarter- 
master sergeant  of  the  regiment. 

During  a  foraging  expedition  near  Mur- 
freesboro,  a  company  of  Rebels  attacked  the 
foraging  party,  but  were  dispersed,  some 
of  the  enemy  being  discovered  in  the  woods 
for  the  purpose  of  picking  off  Union  gun- 
ners. Mr.  Vollor  and  three  men  went  out 
— got  in  their  rear  and  brought  two  of  them 
in,  and  for  this  action  received  commenda- 
tion. When  the  army  moved  out  from 
Murfreesboro,  the  objective  point  being 
Chattanooga,  Mr.  Vollor,  as  quartermaster- 
sergeant,  was  in  charge  of  his  regimental 
train.  The  crossing  of  Raccoon  and  Look- 
out mountains  was  difficult  and  dangerous. 
While  ascending  Lookout,  after  dark,  a  six- 
mule  team,  a  short  distance  ahead  of  Mr. 
Vollor's  wagon— became  frightened  at  some 
object  and  unmanageable  and  went  off  the 
side  of  the  mountain,  which  was  very  steep. 
Mules  were  killed  and  kindling  wood  made 
of  wagon.  After  reaching  top  of  mountain 
Mr.  Vollor  discovered  a  sutler's  wagon  a 
few  wagons  ahead  of  his,  and  during  the 
darkness  he  succeeded  in  borrowing  a  num- 
ber of  boxes  of  sardines,  cans  of  fruit  and 
other  eatables.  On  igth  and  2Oth  of  Sep- 
tember, occurred  battle  of  Chickamauga, 
where  Forty-second  Illinois  lost  in  killed, 
twenty-eight;  wounded,  one  hundred  and 


twenty-eight;  prisoners,  thirty-six,  out  of  a 
total  of  less  than  four  hundred  and  fifty. 
The  greater  part  of  loss  occurred  inside  of 
thirty  minutes.  After  Chickamauga  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland  was  shut  up 
around  Chattanooga — on  short  rations — 
and  in  danger  of  starvation.  Ten  thousand 
horses  and  mules  starved  to  death,  and  ac- 
cording to  General  Grant's  report  there 
were  not  horses  enough  in  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  to  haul  a  single  piece  of  artil- 
lery. General  Grant  telegraphed  Thomas: 
"Hold  Chattanooga  at  all  hazards."  He 
replied,  "We  will  hold  it  till  we  starve." 
Mr.  Vollor  says  he  felt  as  if  a  person  stand- 
ing in  front  of  him  could  see  his  backbone. 
He  saw  men  pick  kernels  of  corn  out  of 
mud  and  manure,  and  parch  it  to  eat.  The 
arrival  of  Eleventh  and  Twelfth  Corps 
saved  the  army  from  starvation. 

On  November  25th,  the  battle  of  Mission 
Ridge  was  fought,  and  resulted  in  a  glori- 
ous victory.  General  Grant  says  in  his 
memoirs,  to  Sheridan's  prompt  movement 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  and  the  na- 
tion are  indebted  for  the  bulk  of  the  cap- 
ture of  prisoners,  artillery  and  small  arms 
that  day.  Mr.  Vollor  followed  the  troops 
in  the  charge  and  helped  take  care  of 
wounded,  although  his  position  did  not  re- 
quire him  to  be  there.  Shortly  after  the 
Fourth  Corps  was  sent  to  Knoxviile  to  the 
relief  of  Burnside,  and  Mr.  Vollor  was  de- 
tailed to  take  charge  of  tools  of  his  brigade. 
Remained  in  East  Tennessee  during  the 
winter  without  tents,  but  little  clothing  and 
short  rations.  Bran  bread  was  a  luxury. 
On  the  memorable  cold  January  i,  1864, 
while  bivouacked  in  the  woods — with  two 
inches  of  snow,  and  mercury  three  degrees 
below  zero,  a  majority  of  the  Forty-second 
re-enlisted  for  another  three  years,  and  Mr. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


323 


Vollor  again  put  his  name  down  as  a  private 
of  Company  I. 

On  the  way  to  Knoxville,  the  home  of  a 
Rebel  colonel  was  passed.  In  a  storeroom 
a  barrel  of  sorghum  syrup  was  found,  and 
soon  a  line  of  blue  coats  with  tin  cups  were 
going  in  the  back  door,  dipping  the  cups  in 
the  barrel  and  rushing  out  through  the  front 
parlor  with  syrup  dripping  all  over  the 
carpet.  It  was  the  first  house  Mr.  Vollor 
had  entered  to  take  anything.  He  had 
sympathy  for  the  female  Rebel  who  was 
calling  his  comrades  all  sorts  of  names. 
Mr.  Vollor,  before  reaching  Knoxville, 
picked  up  a  very  fine  pair  of  mules,  which 
had  been  used  for  a  carriage  team.  He 
was  offered  four  hundred  dollars  for  them 
by  a  sutler,  but  refused,  and  put  them  in 
one  of  his  teams. 

In  February  the  regiment  started  for 
Chattanooga  on  their  way  home  on  a  thirty- 
days'  furlough.  Next  morning,  after  reach- 
ing Chattanooga,  the  fine  mules  were  miss- 
ing, and  Mr.  Vollor  had  to  pick  up  a  pair 
that  had  been  turned  out  to  die,  in  order  to 
to  have  the  right  number  to  turn  over  to  the 
post  quartermaster.  He  regretted  that  he 
did  not  take  the  four  hundred  dollars.  The 
regiment  took  the  furlough,  and  returned  to 
Chattanooga  the  latter  part  of  April,  and 
became  a  part  of  Sherman's  army  for  the 
Atlanta  campaign.  Mr.  Vollor  was  again 
appointed  quartermaster-sergeant,  and  acted 
as  quartermaster  during  the  campaign,  the 
quartermaster  being  sick  at  Chattanooga. 
The  Forty-second  Illinois  took  part  in  the 
following  engagements  during  the  Atlanta 
campaign — Rocky  Face  Ridge,  Resaca, 
Adairsville,  New  Hope  Church,  Pine  Mount- 
ain, Kenesaw  Mountain,  Peach  Tree  Creek, 
Siege  of  Atlanta,  Jonesboro  and  Lovejoy 
Station.  After  the  capture  of  Atlanta,  and 


before  Sherman  started  on  his  march  to  the 
sea,  the  Fourth  Corps  was  sent  back  to 
Chattanooga,  and  the  Forty-second  was 
stationed  for  a  while  at  Bridgeport,  and 
from  there  went  to  Pulaski,  Tennessee; 
remained  there  until  Hood  started  in  on  his 
invasion  of  Tennessee,  and  fell  back  with 
the  rest  of  the  army  toward  Nashville. 
The  Forty-second  received  a  number  of  new 
recruits  at  Spring  Hill,  several  of  whom 
were  killed  during  some  severe  fighting  at 
points,  the  enemy  having  made  attempt  to 
capture  trains  that  were  packed  by  the 
roadside.  Trains  were  on  the  move  all 
night  toward  Franklin,  and  many  times 
during  the  night  were  fired  on  by  Rebel  cav- 
alry. The  next  day  (3oth)  some  Rebel  cav- 
alry with  blue  overcoats  came  in  from  a 
crossroad  and  commenced  firing,  killing  a 
number  of  mules  and  burning  wagons. 
Some  of  the  drivers  became  demoralized 
and  jumped  from  their  mules  and  sought 
shelter.  One  driver  was  stopped  by  Mr. 
Vollor  threatening  to  shoot  him.  The 
driver  thanked  him  afterward  for  keeping 
him  from  being  a  coward. 

November  3,  1864,  was  fought  the  battle 
of  Franklin — for  the  number  of  men  engaged 
and  the  time  it  lasted,  the  hardest  fought  bat- 
tle of  the  war.  Rebel  loss,  one  thousand,  sev- 
en hundred  and  fifty  killed,  three  thousand, 
eight  hundred  wounded,  among  them  six 
generals  killed  and  six  wounded.  Union 
loss  was  light,  comparatively.  During  the 
night  fell  back  to  Nashville  and  remained 
until  December  15  and  16,  when  battle  of 
Nashville  was  fought.  While  there  the 
colonel  of  the  Forty-second  sent  to  the 
governor  for  a  commission  as  first  lieutenant 
for  Mr.  Vollor,  but  it  was  not  granted.  Dur- 
ing battle  of  Nashville,  while  riding  through 
a  cornfield,  Mr.  Vollor  was  fired  at,  ball 


324 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


cutting  off  corn  stalk  near  his  horse's  head. 
From  Nashville  regiment  pursued  the  enemy 
about  eighty  miles  to  Lexington,  and  then 
marched  to  Decatur,  Alabama,  leaving  there 
April  i,  1865,  for  East  Tennessee,  it  being 
thought  that  Lee's  army  might  undertake  to 
come  through.  Heard  of  Lee's  surrender 
and  Lincoln's  assassination  while  there.  The 
Forty-second  returned  to  Nashville,  remained 
until  June,  and  then,  with  balance  of  Fourth 
Corps,  embarked  for  New  Orleans,  en  route 
to  Texas,  it  being  thought  at  the  time  that 
there  might  be  some  trouble  with  Maximil- 
ian. Mr.  Vollor  was  left  to  follow  with 
transportation  and  camp  equipage,  and  when 
he  reached  Cairo  he  invested  fifty  dollars  in 
condensed  milk  at  one  dollar  per  can  and  a 
lot  of  soft  bread,  and  for  a  few  days  he  and 
the  men  who  were  with  him  lived  high. 
Arrived  at  Vicksburg  afternoon  of  July  4, 
remaining  until  next  day.  In  evening  at- 
tended a  negro  dance.  It  was  terribly  hot, 
and  concluded  it  was  pleasanter  in  open  air. 
Reached  New  Orleans  about  roth  and  found 
regiment  on  bank  of  river  below  the  city. 
A  short  time  after,  embarked  for  Port  La- 
vaca,  Texas,  where  remained  a  short  time 
and  afterward  went  into  camp  some  distance 
out  on  prairie,  and  were  finally  mustered  out 
on  December  15,  1865,  and  started  for  home. 
Total  enrollment  of  Forty-second  Illinois 
was  one  thousand,  six  hundred  and  twenty- 
two,  of  whom  one  hundred  and  eighty-one 
were  killed,  four  hundred  and  seventy-three 
wounded,  two  hundred  and  six  died  of  dis- 
ease and  accident  and  thirty-three  in  Rebel 
prisons.  The  Forty-second  is  numbered  as 
one  of  Colonel  Fox's  three  hundred  fighting 
regiments.  While  in  Texas  Mr.  Vollor  re- 
ceived commission  as  first  lieutenant  and 
quartermaster.  Were  in  New  Orleans  on 
Christmas  eve  and  needed  mosquito  netting 


to  protect  us  from  the  pests.  Were  paid  off 
at  Springfield  on  January  10,  1866,  nearly 
four  and  one-half  years  after  first  muster. 
Mr.  Vollor  is  proud  to  say  that  he  has  no 
hospital  record,  being  one  of  those  who  es- 
caped being  shot  and  had  little  sickness. 
Although  has  at  times  been  laid  up  for  sev- 
eral weeks  by  rheumatism  and  having  heart 
trouble,  has  not  drawn  a  pension. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Vollor  returned  to 
Batavia  for  a  time,  and  then  was  employed 
as  bookkeeper  in  a  wholesale  house  in  Chi- 
cago. Later  went  into  wholesale  wooden- 
ware,  cordage  and  notion  business,  and  was 
cleaned  out  by  the  big  fire  of  1871.  In 
1872  went  to  Portland,  Maine,  and  for  two 
and  one-half  years  had  charge  of  the  busi- 
ness of  Curtis  &  Son,  and  then  returned  to 
Elgin  and  for  many  years  did  an  extensive 
business  as  a  manufacturer  of  chewing  gum. 
Mr.  Vollor  is  one  of  those  who  believes  "the 
laborer  is  worthy  of  his  hire, "and  always 
paid  nearly  double  the  wages  that  any  other 
manufacturers  of  chewing  gum  did. 

In  1868  Mr.  Vollor  married  Miss  Martha 
C.  Waldron,  a  daughter  of  Andrew  J.  and 
Calista  S.  (Smith)  Waldron,  and  to  them 
have  been  born  three  children:  Joseph  Tru- 
man died  in  Portland,  Dunbar  W.  married 
Grace  Bristol,  of  Galesburg,  Illinois,  and 
has  one  daughter,  Madelin.  He  is  now  em- 
ployed in  the  Home  National  Bank  of  El- 
gin. Helen  is  with  her  parents.  Mrs.  Vollor 
is  a  member  of  the  Universalist  church,  and 
a  most  estimable  lady. 

Since  casting  his  first  vote  for  John  C. 
Fremont — first  candidate  of  the  Republican 
party  for  the  presidency — Mr.  Vollor  has 
been  unwavering  in  his  support  of  the 
G.  O.  P.  He  is  one  of  the  most  prominent 
members  of  Veteran  post  49,  G.  A.  R. ,  of 
Elgin;  served  four  years  as  its  quartermaster, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


325 


two  years  a  junior  vice-commander  and 
three  years  as  commander.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Military  Order  of  the  Loyal 
Legion,  and  at  the  present  time  is  president 
of  the  Veteran  Republican  Club,  which  is 
composed  of  old  soldiers,  also  president  of 
Forty-second  Illinois  Veteran  Association. 
He  served  on  staff  of  Commander-in-chief 
Adams,  and  on  the  staff  of  three  different 
department  commanders.  His  loyalty  as  a 
citizen  and  his  devotion  to  the  interests  of 
his  adopted  country  have  been  among  his 
most  prominent  characteristics.  He  is  more 
thoroughly  American  than  many  who  are 
native  born.  The  community  is  fortunate 
that  numbers  him  among  its  citizens. 


JABEZ  SWITZER,  now  living  a  retired 
life  in  Plato  township,  traces  hfs  descent 
back  to  one  of  three  brothers  of  Swiss  origin, 
who  were  residing  in  France  and  were  com- 
pelled, on  account  of  religious  persecutions, 
to  flee  the  country  during  the  time  of  Louis 
XIV.  They  enlisted  under  the  banner  of 
William,  Prince  of  Orange,  were  officers, 
and  participated  in  the  battles  of  Boyne, 
and  were  allotted  portions  of  the  territory 
for  their  services.  From  one  of  these 
brothers  descended  John  Switzer,  who  set- 
tled in  Tipperary.  His  son,  Martin,  was 
the  first  of  the  family  to  come  to  America. 
In  1803,  Martin  Switzer  married  Mary 
Maurice,  and  in  July,  1804,  came  to  Amer- 
ica, settling  at  Elizabeth,  New  Jersey, 
where  he  lived  until  after  the  war  of  1812. 
He  then  moved  to  New  York,  and  later,  in 
1820,  to  Canada,  where  he  secured  one 
hundred  acres  of  land  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. Martin  Switzer  was  the  father  of 
Samuel,  whose  third  son,  Samuel,  was  the 
father  of  Jabez  Switzer,  of  this  sketch. 


One  of  the  ancestors  of  Mary  Maurice  was 
among  the  supporters  of  Cromwell  in  1640. 

Jabez  Switzer  was  born  near  Streets- 
ville,  Ontario,  Canada,  August  7,  1848,  and 
was  ninth  in  a  family  of  ten  children.  One 
year  later  his  parents  came  to  Kane  county, 
locating  three  miles  from  St.  Charles.  On 
his  father's  farm  he  grew  to  manhood,  and 
received  his  education  in  the  country  schools, 
supplemented  by  an  attendance  in  the  St. 
Charles  High  School.  His  mother  died  in 
Canada  while  he  was  an  infant,  and  his 
father  in  1853,  when  he  was  but  five  years 
old.  His  brother  was  appointed  his  guardian, 
and  with  him  he  remained  until  he  was 
eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  married  and 
rented  a  farm  near  Chebanse,  Iroquois 
county,  Illinois,  one  year,  and  one  year 
near  Kankakee.  He  then  returned  to  Kane 
county,  and  for  a  short  time  worked  for  his 
brother,  when,  in  1867,  he  came  to  his 
present  farm  on  section  1 1,  Plato  township, 
which  he  rented  one  year  on  shares,  and 
three  years  for  cash.  In  1871  he  bought 
the  farm,  consisting  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  and  for  some  years  engaged  in 
raising  grain  principally,  but  for  the  past 
few  years  has  devoted  himself  to  dairying/ 
On  the  first  of  March,  1898,  he  retired  from 
active  farming,  leasing  his  farm  to  his  son, 
Ira  J.,  who  is  now  in  control  of  the  place. 

Jabez  Switzer  was  married,  February 
14,  1866,  in  St.  Charles,  Kane  county,  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Banks,  a  native  of  England, 
who  came  to  America  at  the  age  of  ten 
years,  lived  in  Canada  four  years,  and  then 
came  to  St.  Charles,  Kane  county.  She  is 
the  daughter  of  Robert  and  Hannah  (Butler) 
Banks,  the  latter  being  a  daughter  of  John 
Butler,  who  died  when  she  was  quite  young, 
so  she  knew  but  little  of  his  ancestry.  Han- 
nah Banks  dying,  her  husband  married 


326 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Rachel  Swales,  daughter  of  William  and 
Elinor  Swales,  by  whom  Hannah  was 
reared.  A  drinking  glass  that  belonged  to 
them  is  treasured  by  Mrs.  Switzer  for  its 
age  and  associations. 

Robert  Banks  was  born  at  Water,  York- 
shire, England,  in  1814,  and  died  July  u, 
1877.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  education,  a 
writer  of  no  little  literary  ability,  and  a 
teacher  for  some  years.  In  England  he  was 
a  mill-owner  and  lived  at  Brampton,  near 
Scarborough.  In  emigrating  to  America, 
he  sailed  from  Liverpool,  on  the  2ist  of 
March,  1849,  and  was  six  weeks  in  making 
the  voyage,  which  was  a  stormy  one,  the 
captain  declaring  it  the  worst  that  he  had 
experienced  in  twenty  years.  At  one 
time  the  ship  was  on  fire,  and  the  passen- 
gers were  greatly  alarmed.  They  landed  at 
New  York  and  in  a  few  days  went  'to  To- 
ronto, Canada,  and  later  to  Simcoe  county, 
where  he  settled,  and  bought  two  hundred 
acres  of  land.  After  residing  there  three 
years,  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Illinois,  and 
rented  a  farm  near  Fayville.  He  also 
taught  school  near  Huntley.  Later  he  re- 
moved to  St.  Charles,  and  worked  at  mill- 
ing until  he  retired  from  active  life.  Of 
the  ten  children  born  to  Robert  Banks  and 
wife,  all  attained  maturity  and  six  of  these 
still  survive. 

To  Jabez  and  Elizabeth  Switzer,  thir- 
teen children  were  born,  nine  of  whom  are 
yet  living:  (i)  Ray,  deceased.  (2)  Hor- 
tense,  who  married  E.  D.  Pease,  of  Elgin, 
by  whom  she  has  five  children:  Helen  J., 
Minnie  L. ,  Elizabeth  E.,  Clarence  D.  and 
Glenn  I.  (3)  Joseph  Robert,  who  married 
Emma  Robinson,  by  whom  he  has  one  son, 
Robert  J.,  and  they  now  reside  in  Chicago. 
(4)  Ira  J.  married  Mamie  Brady,  born  in 
North  Plato,  and  daughter  of  Henry 


and  Lily  (Collins)  Brady,  and  they  have  one 
son,  Arthur  Walter,  born  June  20,  1895. 
Ira  J.  Switzer  attended  the  Pingree  Grove 
School,  Elgin  Academy  and  Drew's  Busi- 
ness College.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member 
of  Pingree  Grove  Camp,  No. 65 5,  M.  W.  A. 
(S)  Salina  E.,  who  married  Charles  Camp- 
bell, by  whom  she  had  one  son,  Lawrence 
C.  Her  husband  is  now  deceased.  (6) 
Grace  A.,  deceased.  (7)  Blanche.  (8) 
Mabel,  deceased.  (10)  Eva  May.  (u) 
Minnie,  deceased.  (12)  Alice  I.  (13)  Boyd. 
Mr.  Switzer  is  a  member  of  Oak  Leaf 
Tent,  No.  22,508,  K.  O.  T.  M.  of  Pingree 
Grove.  Politically  he  is  a  Democrat  and 
served  some  years  as  school  director.  As  a 
citizen  he  has  done  his  full  share  in  develop- 
ing the  material  interests  of  Kane  county. 


EDWARD  S.  SMITH,  who  is  engaged  in 
the  real  estate,  insurance  and  loan  busi- 
ness, at  Batavia,  has  been  a  resident  of 
Kane  county  for  a  period  of  forty-five  years. 
He  is  a  native  of  New  York,  born  in  Es- 
sex county,  on  the  borders  of  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  March  20,  1832,  and  is  the  son  of 
Elias  Smith,  born  in  Washington  county, 
New  York,  of  which  his  father  was  an  early 
settler.  Elias  Smith,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the 
war  of  1812,  for  which  service  he  received 
a  land  warrant,  grew  to  manhood  in  his  na- 
tive county  and  there  married  Miss  Zeruiah 
Reed,  also  a  native  of  Washington  county, 
New  York.  Soon  after  their  marriage,  they 
moved  to  Moriah,  Essex  county,  near  Lake 
Champlain,  where  the  remainder  of  their 
lives  were  spent,  and  where  they  reared  their 
family,  and  where  they  both  died,  the  fa- 
ther at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years,  the 
mother  at  the  age  of  forty-one  years. 

Until  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  our  sub- 


E.   S.   SMITH. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


329 


ject  remained  under  the  parental  roof,  and 
received  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
and  the  academy.  He  then  went  to  Sara- 
toga, and  spent  one  year,  then  accepted  a 
position  in  the  mercantile  establishment  of 
J.  &  J.  H.  Peck  &  Company,  of  Burlington, 
Vermont,  where  he  received  his  business 
education,  remaining  with  them  five  years. 
In  1853,  a  young  man  who  had  just  passed 
his  majority,  he  came  to  Batavia,  Illinois, 
and  for  the  first  year  was  in  the  grain  busi- 
ness, as  the  junior  member  of  the  firm  of 
Rogers  &  Smith.  He  was  then  associated 
with  Mr.  Harris  Hoyt,  in  the  manufacture 
of  barrels  by  machinery  for  about  two  years, 
the  business  proving  financially  disastrous. 
For  a  time  he  was  connected  with  various 
enterprises  and  for  many  years  agent  of  the 
American  Express  Company.  In  1861,  he 
was  appointed  by  Montgomery  Blair,  post- 
master-general under  President  Lincoln,  as 
postmaster  of  Batavia,  and  by  successive  re- 
appointments  served  a  period  of  twenty-five 
years,  under  seven  different  presidents. 
That  he  made  a  satisfactory  officer  is  at- 
tested by  his  long  continued  service. 

Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
Batavia,  Illinois,  April  15,  1861,  to  Jane  M. 
Mallory,  a  native  of  Penn  Yan,  Yates  coun- 
ty, New  York,  who  came  to  Batavia,  Illi- 
nois, when  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  Batavia  and 
Evanston,  Illinois;  her  father,  Smith  L. 
Mallory,  was  a  prominent  railroad  contract- 
or. By  this  union  are  five  children,  as  fol- 
lows: Elinor  Louise,  now  the  wife  of  Rev. 
P.  C.  Walcott,  of  Highland  Park,  Lake 
county,  Illinois;  Mary  W.,  wife  of  Fred 
H.  Burke,  a  resident  of  Batavia;  Ed- 
ward M.,  who  is  associated  with  his  father 
in  the  insurance  and  real  estate  business. 
Frank  P.,  who  resides  at  home;  and  Jessie 


M.,  who  is  now  one  of  the  teachers  of  the 
West  Batavia  public  schools. 

Mr.  Smith  fiist  began  the  insurance  busi- 
ness in  1859,  but  abandoned  it  after  receiv- 
ing his  appointment  as  postmaster.  When 
he  retired  from  that  office,  he  again  re- 
sumed the  insurance  business,  in  which  he 
has  continued  to  the  present  time.  In  July, 
1890,  he  was  appointed  to  a  position  in  the 
sub-treasury,  by  Colonel  Dustin,  and  served 
during  Harrison's  administration.  He  has 
been  identified  with  the  Republican  party 
since  its  organization,  and  has  never  missed 
casting  his  vote  for  the  presidential  nomi- 
nee of  that  party,  up  to  the  present  time. 
In  addition  to  the  offices  already  mentioned 
as  held  by  him,  he  has  served  as  town 
clerk,  village  trustee  and  other  minor  posi- 
tions. In  the  various  conventions  of  his 
party  he  has  frequently  served  as  a  delegate, 
and  in  them  has  wielded  considerable  influ- 
ence. Religiously,  he  is  liberal  in  his  views 
but  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
of  which  his  wife  is  a  member,  while  some 
of  the  family  are  Protestant  Episcopal. 
Fraternally,  he  is  a  Master  Mason  and  for 
many  years  served  as  secretary  of  the 
lodge.  As  a  citizen  he  is  held  in  the  high- 
est esteem  and  is  popular  with  all  classes  in 
the  community. 


JACOB  R.  GORHAM.— In  the  respect 
that  is  accorded  to  men  who  have  fought 
their  way  to  success  through  unfavorable 
environments  we  find  an  unconcious  recog- 
nition of  the  intrinsic  worth  of  a  character 
which  cannot  only  endure  so  rough  a  test, 
but  gain  new  strength  through  the  disci- 
pline. The  following  history  sets  forth 
briefly  the  steps  which  our  subject,  now  one 


330 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD 


of  the  substantial  citizens  of  St.  Charles, 
overcame  the  disadvantages  of  his  early  life. 
Coming  to  this  section  of  the  state  Novem- 
ber 1 8,  1852,  he  was  for  many  years  active- 
ly identified  with  the  farming  and  stock 
raising  interests  of  Du  Page  and  Kane  coun- 
ties, but  having  secured  an  ample  fortune, 
he  has  now  laid  aside  all  business  cares. 

Mr.  Gorham  was  born  September  26, 
1830,  in  Dutchess  county.  New  York,  a  son 
of  William  Gorham,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  Stratford,  Connecticut,  about  1780.  His 
grandfather,  Stephen  Gorham,  was  a  native 
of  France,  and  came  to  the  new  world 
with  General  LaFayette  to  aid  the  colonies 
in  their  struggle  for  independence  during  the 
Revolutionary  war.  Subsequently  he  lo- 
cated in  Stratford,  Connecticut,  and  for  the 
remainder  of  his  life  was  a  pilot,  holding  a 
government  license,  which  allowed  him  to 
conduct  vessels  through  Hell  Gate.  In  his 
family  were  five  sons  who  were  reared  in 
Connecticut.  Two  of  them  located  in 
Great  Barrington,  Massachusetts;  Louis,  a 
farmer  by  occupation; and  Le  Grand,  a  mil- 
ler and  hotel  keeper;  Kirk  was  a  tailor  by 
trade;  Benjamin  went  to  the  West  Indies. 
Two  of  these  never  married. 

William  Gorham,  our  subject's  father, 
completes  the  family.  At  an  early  day  he 
removed  to  Pawling,  Dutchess  county,  New 
York,  where  he  established  two  tan  yards, 
being  a  tanner  and  currier  by  trade,  and 
also  engaged  in  farming  and  merchandizing 
with  good  success,  accumulating  a  nice 
estate.  He  married  Sarah  Holloway,  a 
native  of  Pawling,  and  a  daughter  of  Justin 
Holloway,  who  was  also  born  in  Dutchess 
county.  Our  subject's  great-grandfather 
Parks,  on  the  maternal  side,  was  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier,  and  lived  to  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gor- 


ham came  to  Illinois  and  spent  their  last 
years  in  Will  county,  the  father  dying  dur- 
ing the  Civil  war.  The  mother  survived 
him  a  few  years,  passing  away  at  the  age 
of  eighty-four  years. 

In  their  family  were  the  following  chil- 
dren: Hannah  Etta  married  a  Mr.  Dodge, 
and  first  located  in  Dutchess  county,  New 
York,  but  later  came  to  Will  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  she  died;  Mary  Ann  is  the 
widow  of  R.  H.  Leake,  and  is  a  resident  of 
St.  Charles;  Akin  H.  died  at  his  home  in 
Will  county;  Emma  E.  married  a  Mr. Cald- 
well,  of  Dutchess  county,  New  York,  and 
both  are  now  deceased;  Jacob  R. ,  of  this 
sketch,  is  the  next  of  the  family;  Elijah  is 
engaged  in  the  grain  business  in  Russell 
county,  Kansas;  and  William  was  killed  by 
lightning  at  his  home  in  Du  Page  county, 
Illinois. 

Reared  in  Dutchess  county,  New  York, 
Jacob  R.  Gorham  obtained  a  good  com- 
mon-school education,  and  assisted  his  fa- 
ther in  the  work  of  the  farm  and  tan  yard 
until  twenty-one  years  of  age.  Determined 
to  try  his  fortune  in  the  west,  he  came  alone 
to  Du  Page  county,  Illinois,  and  at  first 
worked  on  a  farm  in  Wayne  township. 
With  a  partner,  he  afterward  engaged  in 
farming,  and  in  1853  successfully  operated 
a  farm  on  the  shares.  Borrowing  one  hun- 
dred dollars,  he  began  buying  and  selling 
cattle,  and  in  this  business  cleared  about 
eight  hundred  dollars.  The  following  fall 
he  returned  to  New  York,  but  after  visiting 
his  parents  and  friends  for  three  months,  he 
again  came  to  Wayne  township,  Du  Page 
county,  where  he  purchased  a  farm,  though 
he  went  in  debt  for  it.  In  connection  with 
farming,  he  continued  to  engage  in  stock 
dealing,  and  after  operating  that  place  until 
1860,  he  sold  and  bought  a  larger  farm  in 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


331 


the  same  neighborhood,  residing  there  for 
five  years. 

In  Du  Page  county,  Mr.  Gorham  was 
married  in  1855  to  Miss  Adelia  Read,  a  na- 
tive of  that  county,  and  the  only  daughter 
of  Horace  Read,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers 
of  that  county,  having  located  there  in  1836. 
He  was  a  native  of  Cambridge,  Vermont, 
was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812,  and  died 
in  this  state  in  1867.  After  his  death,  Mr. 
Gorham  sold  his  place  in  Wayne  township 
and  removed  to  the  Read  farm,  which  he 
operated  for  a  number  of  years  and  still 
owns.  He  was  one  of  the  most  successful 
stock  dealers  in  this  section  of  the  state, 
and  through  his  own  unaided  efforts  and  ex- 
cellent management,  he  has  acquired  a 
handsome  property,  including  a-  farm  of 
three  hundred  and  thirty-seven  acres  in 
Wayne  township,  Du  Page  county;  another 
of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Carnpton 
township,  four  miles  west  of  St.  Charles, 
and  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 
in  Kansas,  besides  his  pleasant  home  in  St. 
Charles.  He  removed  to  that  city  in  1884, 
and  has  since  lived  retired,  enjoying  the 
fruits  of  his  former  toil.  During  his  resi- 
dence here,  however,  he  has  stimulated  in- 
dustries in  Kane  and  Du  Page  counties,  by 
loaning  money. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gorham  have  four  daugh- 
ters, namely:  Mira,  now  the  wife  of  F. W. 
Leake.a  merchant  of  St.  Charles;  Augusta, 
wife  of  C.  S.  Green,  of  Kane  county;  Edith 
L. ,  wife  of  Merritt  Green,  now  of  Dutchess 
county,  New  York;  and  Mamie,  who  is  a 
graduate  of  the  St.  Charles  high  school,  and 
resides  with  her  parents.  Since  retiring 
from  active  business,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gorham 
have  traveled  quite  extensively  over  the 
south  and  west,  and  also  frequently  visited 
his  old  home  in  Dutchess  county,  NewYork. 


Politically  he  has  always  been  a  stanch  sup- 
porter of  the  Democratic  party,  but  has 
never  had  any  aspiration  for  office,  prefer- 
ring to  give  his  undivided  attention  to  his 
business  interests.  In  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  of  St.  Charles,  he  and  his 
family  hold  membership,  and  in  the  social 
circks  of  the  community  they  occupy  an  en- 
viable position.  A  man  of  strict  integrity 
and  sterling  worth,  Mr.  Gorham  commands 
the  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in 
contact,  and. the  success  that  he  has  achieved 
in  life  is  certainly  well  .deserved.  For  forty- 
five  years  he  has  been  identified  with  the 
interests  of  this  section  of  the  state  and  his 
circle  of  friends  is  extensive. 


HARMAN  Y.  LONGACRE,  M.  D.,  is 
an  enterprising  and  representative  busi- 
ness man  of  St.  Charles,  where  he  has  suc- 
cessfully conducted  a  drug-store  since  Au- 
gust, 1883,  and  has  also  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  to  a  limited  extent. 
He  was  born  December  31,  1853,  near 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  a  son  of  David 
and  Hannah  B.  (Reinhart)  Longacre,  also 
natives  of  the  Keystone  state.  The  paternal 
grandfather  was  born  in  Saxony,  Germany, 
and  was  an  early  settler  of  Pennsylvania. 
For  many  years  the  Doctor's  father  engaged 
in  the  drug  business  near  Philadelphia,  but 
is  now  spending  his  declining  years  upon  a 
farm.  The  mother  died  in  1870.  In  the 
family  were  two  sons  and  two  daughters 
who  reached  years  of  maturity,  the  brother 
of  our  subject  being  Milton  P.,  who  mar- 
ried and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
lumber  in  Indiana,  where  his  death  occurred. 
In  Pennsylvania  Dr.  Longacre  grew  to 
manhood,  completing  his  literary  education 
in  the  State  Normal  School  at  Millersville, 


332 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  subsequently  he  successfully  engaged  in 
teaching  school  for  about  two  years.  In 
his  father's  store  he  became  thoroughly 
familiar  with  the  drug  business,  which  has 
principally  claimed  his  attention  throughout 
his  business  career.  Entering  the  Michigan 
University  at  Ann  Arbor,  in  1874,  he  at- 
tended medical  lectures  there  for  two  years, 
graduating  with  a  class  of  sixty  in  the  spring 
of  1876.  He  then  located  in  Titusville, 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  for  two  years,  and  for 
the  same  length  of  time  practiced  in  Olney, 
Illinois.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  went 
to  Chicago  and  took  charge  of  a  drug-store, 
which  he  conducted  for  two  years.  In 
August,  1883,  we  find  him  in  St.  Charles, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home,  while 
he  has  been  actively  and  prominently  identi- 
fied with  the  business  interests  of  the  place. 
Purchasing  a  drug-store,  he  successfully 
carried  on  the  same  until  April,  1885,  when 
his  stock  of  goods  and  building  were  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  With  characteristic  energy, 
however,  he  had  opened  another  store  in 
the  Hunt  block  at  the  end  of  three  months, 
and  is  now  doing  an  excellent  business.  He 
also  gives  some  attention  to  the  practice  of 
medicine,  though  principally  confined  to  an 
office  practice. 

In  St.  Charles,  Dr.  Longacre  was  mar- 
ried in  1884,  to  Miss  Nettie  B.  Norton,  who 
was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  Kane 
county,  and  they  now  have  one  son,  Frank 
H.  Since  attaining  his  majority  the  Doctor 
has  been  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  but  has  never  cared  for  official 
honors,  preferring  to  give  his  undivided  at- 
tention to  his  business  interests.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  having 
joined  the  blue  lodge  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
also  united  with  the  Odd  Fellows  Society 


in  that  state  in  1876.  He  has  filled  all  the 
chairs  in  the  former  order,  and  is  past  grand 
of  the  latter.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  A  very 
agreeable  and  affable  gentleman,  he  has 
made  made  many  friends  during  his  resi- 
dence in  St.  Charles,  and  receives  and 
merits  the  high  regard  of  the  entire  com- 
munity. His  estimable  wife  is  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  church. 


REV.  W.  D.  ATCHISON,  chaplain  of 
the  insane  hospital  at  Elgin,  has  de- 
voted his  life  to  the  ministry  and  in  that 
noble  calling  his  influence  has  been  wide- 
spread, bringing  comfort  and  happiness  to 
many  saddened  hearts,  while  into  many 
darkened  lives  he  has  brought  the  light  of 
Christianity.  He  was  born  in  Mercer  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  February  19,  1833,  a  son 
of  Matthew  and  Mary  (Dowling)  Atchison, 
who  were  also  natives  of  the  Keystone 
state.  On  the  paternal  side  he  is  of  Scotch 
descent,  his  grandfather,  John  Atchison, 
having  been  a  native  of  that  land  of  hills 
and  heather.  Coming  to  America,  he  lo- 
cated in  Redstone,  Washington  county, 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  accompanied  by  two 
brothers,  one  of  whom,  Matthew,  took  up 
his  residence  in  Ohio,  while  the  third  set- 
tled in  Kentucky.  The  grandfather  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life  in  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  died  at  an  advanced  age.  The 
maternal  grandfather  of  Rev.  Atchison  was 
James  Dowling,  who  was  born  in  the  north 
of  Ireland,  of  Scotch  lineage.  He  came 
to  the  United  States  about  the  time  of  the 
Revolutionary  war,  and  followed  farming  as 
a  life  occupation.  His  death  occurred  at  the 
age  of  sixty  years.  The  history  of  the 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


333 


Dowling  family  can  be  traced  back  prior  to 
the  advent  of  Christianity  in  Ireland.  The 
wife  of  James  Dowling  was  a  relative  of 
Lord  Nelson,  the  great  Irish  admiral. 

Matthew  Atchison,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  a  millwright  and  carpenter,  following 
those  pursuits  in  order  to  provide  for  his 
large  family.  He  died  in  his  native  state 
when  about  forty-four  years  of  age.  By 
his  marriage  he  had  thirteen  children,  nine 
of  whom  are  now  living,  while  four  have 
reached  the  age  of  three  score  and  ten. 
Those  who  still  survive  are:  James,  who 
is  living  near  Kirwin,  Kansas;  Sarah,  wife 
of  Donald  McKenzie,  of  Elizabeth,  Illinois; 
John,  of  Lena,  Illinois;  Nelson,  of  Eliza- 
beth, Illinois;  Mary,  wife  of  Solomon  Snod- 
grass,  of  Jo  Daviess  county,  Illinois;  Will- 
iam Dowling;  Jane,  widow  of  Samuel  Mc- 
Grath,  of  Freeport,  Illinois;  Samuel,  of  La- 
nark, Illinois;  and  Matthew,  of  Elizabeth, 
Illinois,  are  half  brothers,  the  mother  having 
married  for  her  second  husband  Thomas 
Gault. 

Rev.  William  D.  Atchison  resided  in 
Mercer  county,  Pennsylvania,  until  fourteen 
years  of  age,  and  then  came  to  Illinois  with 
his  mother  and  stepfather,  locating  in  Jo 
Daviess  county,  about  fifteen  miles  from 
Galena,  where  he  resided  until  eighteen 
years  of  age.  In  the  meantime  he  had  in 
contemplation  the  work  of  the  ministry. 
When  only  thirteen  years  of  age  he  was 
converted  and  felt  the  call  to  preach  and  all 
his  aims  and  hopes  were  directed  toward 
that  end.  Prayer  was  always  to  him  a 
means  of  strength  and  help  and  the  study 
of  the  Bible  his  delight  from  boyhood.  His 
early  literary  education  was  acquired  in  the 
schools  of  Jo  Daviess  county,  and  later  he 
entered  Mt.  Carroll  Collegiate  Institute, 
and  subsequently  was  a  student  of  languages 


in  Beloit  College,  under  the  tutorage  of 
Professor  Emerson,  and  a  Greek  professor, 
a  native  of  Smyrna.  When  eighteen  years 
of  age  he  began  teaching  in  Jo  Daviess 
county,  using  the  money  thus  earned  to  pre- 
pare for  the  ministry.  While  in  Beloit 
College  he  received  a  call  to  teach  in 
Elizabeth,  and  there  remained  for  one  year. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  entered  upon  the 
work  of  the  ministry  to  which  he  has  since 
devoted  his  life.  Joining  the  Rock  River 
conference  in  1854,  he  was  first  assigned  to 
the  church  at  Twelve  Mile  Grove,  Stephen- 
son  county,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  one 
year,  then  spent  two  years  in  Pleasant  Val- 
ley. He  had  charge  of  a  mission  in  Savan- 
nah, Illinois,  for  two  years,  after  which  he 
was  pastor  of  the  churches  in  Elizabeth, 
Cedarville  and  Belvidere  in  turn. 

On  leaving  the  latter  place  Rev.  Atchi- 
son became  chaplain  of  the  Forty-fifth  Illi- 
nois Infantry  and  went  with  Sherman  on 
the  celebrated  march  to  the  sea  and  through 
the  Carolinas.  After  the  war,  in  the  fall  of 
1865,  he  came  to  Elgin  as  pastor  of  the 
First  Methodist  church,  continuing  in  that 
place  for  three  years,  during  which  time  the 
house  of  worship  was  erected.  For  three 
years  he  filled  the  pulpit  of  his  church  in 
Kankakee  and  for  a  similar  period  was  pas- 
tor of  the  church  in  Aurora,  and  spent  one 
year  in  Oak  Park,  Illinois.  After  three 
years  passed  in  Waukegan,  he  was  called  to 
Sterling,  and  afterward  filled  the  pulpits  of 
the  churches  in  Princeton,  Sycamore  and 
Galena.  For  four  years  he  continued  to 
minister  to  the  spiritual  needs  of  the  people 
of  Galena,  and  then  assumed  a  superanu- 
ated  relation  with  the  church,  since  which 
time  he  has  acted  as  supply  at  different 
points.  On  the  4th  of  April,  1897,  he  was 
appointed  chaplain  of  the  Illinois  Northern 


334 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Hospital  for  the  Insane  at  Elgin,  and 
preaches  there  each  Sunday. 

On  the  3d  of  January,  1855,  Mr.  Atchi- 
son  married  Miss  Hannah  Jennie  Cook, 
daughterof  John  and  Martha  (Bennett)  Cook, 
natives  of  England,  who  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1834,  locating  near  Galena,  Jo 
Daviess  county,  where  they  remained  some 
years,  when  they  moved  to  Iowa  where  their 
death  occurred.  Six  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters have  been  born  of  this  union:  John  E., 
of  Atchison,  Kansas,  married  Emma  Pearl 
Solomon  and  had  three  children,  Frederick, 
William  and  George;  Wilbur  F.,  now  pas- 
tor of  the  Methodist  church  of  Woodlawn, 
married  Rena  Michaels,  dean  of  the 
Woman's  College,  at  Evanston;  Florence 
Josephine  resides  at  home;  Hugh  D.  is  a 
minister  of  the  Methodist  church  at  Wil- 
mette,  Illinois;  Howard  H.  died  at  the  age 
of  three  years;  George  B.  is  a  dentist  of 
Elgin;  Nellie  C.  died  at  the  age  of  three 
months;  and  Robert  Hall  Bruce  completes 
the  family. 

Rev.  Atchison  is  a  member  of  the  An- 
cient Order  United  Workmen  and  of  Vet- 
eran post,  No.  49,  G.  A.  R.  In  politics  he 
has  been  a  stanch  Republican  since  casting 
his  first  presidential  vote  for  Fremont. 
He  has  always  been  a  strong  and  popular 
pulpit  orator,  standing  high  in  the  councils 
of  his  church,  and  his  life  has  been  perme- 
ated with  the  noblest  principles  and  pur- 
poses known  to  humanity. 


WILLIAM  C.  KIMBALL,  deceased,  was 
for  many  years  one  of  the  best  known 
and  most  highly  respected  citizens  of  Elgin. 
He  was  a  native  of  Groton,  New  Hamp- 
shire, born  February  17,  1806,  and  was  the 
son  of  Joseph  and  Nancy  (Currier)  Kimball, 


also  natives  of  the  Granite  state.  They 
were  the  parents  of  six  children,  two  sons 
and  four  daughters.  With  a  view  of  bet- 
tering his  condition  in  life  and  giving  his 
children  better  opportunities  for  advance- 
ment, Joseph  Kimball  made  a  trip  west, 
and,  after  looking  around,  decided  to  make 
Kane  county  his  future  home.  In  1835  he 
started  back  east  for  his  family,  but  died 
while  passing  through  Ohio.  His  son,  Sam- 
uel, who  came  with  him  to  Kane  county, 
remained  here  while  his  father  went  back, 
and  shortly  after  the  death  of  the  latter,  the 
remainder  of  the  family,  save  our  subject, 
joined  him,  making  Elgin  their  home.  The 
daughters  were  Nancy  Currier,  who  married 
Alden  V.  Hills;  Laura,  widow  of  Asa  Smith, 
and  a  resident  of  St.  Louis;  May  Carter, 
now  Mrs.  Bartlett  Adams,  of  St.  Louis; 
Mrs.  Ruth  Ann  Thiers,  of  Elgin;  and  Su- 
sanna Clement,  who  married  Hiram  George. 
William  C.  Kimball  grew  to  manhood  in 
his  native  state,  and  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Groton.  In  1835  he  mar- 
aied  Caroline  Willard,  daughter  of  William 
R.  and  Eleanor  (Mann)  Willard.  From 
Groton,  New  Hampshire,  he  removed  to 
Sherbrooke,  Canada,  where  he  engaged  in 
mercantile  business  for  a  time,  but  in  1837 
sold  out  and  came  to  Elgin,  Illinois,  and 
purchased  a  large  tract  of  land,  but  turned 
his  attention  principally  to  the  mercantile 
business,  opening  a  store  and  for  years 
being  successfully  engaged  in  trade.  The 
country  was  then  new  and  his  trade  ex- 
tended for  many  miles  in  each  direction. 
He  later  erected  a  flouring  mill,  which  was 
called  the  Waverly  Mill,  and  which  is  now 
owned  and  operated  by  the  Stewart  Broth- 
ers. This  was  the  first  mill  erected  in  this 
part  of  the  country  and  its  patrons  came 
from  far  and  near. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


335 


The  next  venture  of  Mr.  Kimball  was 
the  erection  of  a  hotel  which  was  given  the 
name  of  Waverly  house.  Previous  to  its 
erection  he  lived  over  his  store,  but  on  the 
completion  of  the  hotel  he  moved  into  it, 
and  for  some  years  served  as  landlord  in  ad- 
dition to  his  other  business.  With  his 
brother  Samuel, he  purchased  large  tracts  of 
land  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  which  he 
sold  off  in  parcels  from  time  to  time. 

In  1856  Mr.  Kimball  met  with  some  re- 
verses in  his  business  interests  in  Elgin,  and 
later  lost  quite  heavily  in  operating  some  of 
the  lead  mines  of  Missouri,  the  ore  not 
being  as  extensive  as  anticipated.  His  re- 
verses, however,  did  not  cripple  to  any  ex- 
tent his  milling  business,  which  he  continued 
until  his  death.  His  business  interests 
were  of  such  a  nature  as  to  require  a  large 
number  of  employees,  and  his  trade  was  for 
many  years  very  large.  His  name  was  a 
household  word,  and  he  was  known  far  and 
near  for  his  good  deeds  and  his  charity. 
He  had  a  soul  that  sympathized  with  those 
in  distress  and  would  do  all  in  his  power  for 
their  relief. 

In  his  political  belief,  Mr.  Kimball  was 
a  stanch  Democrat,  and  was  ever  ready 
with  time  and  money  to  advance  the  inter- 
ests of  his  party,  though  he  never  cared  for 
official  position.  On  the  urgent  solicitation 
of  friends  he  ran  for  mayor  of  Elgin  and  was 
duly  elected,  serving  one  term  in  a  satisfac- 
tory manner.  He  was  a  great  admirer  of 
Stephen  A.  Douglas,  the  "Little  Giant," 
and  followed  his  lead  through  the  stormy 
political  career  of  that  statesman.  Like 
his  great  leader,  when  the  question  came  up 
for  final  settlement  as  to  whether  the  union 
of  states  should  be  maintained,  he  sunk  the 
partisan  in  the  patriot  and  unhesitatingly 
declared  for  the  union.  While  not  in  the 


service,  his  sympathies  were  with  those  en- 
gaged in  putting  down  the  rebellion. 

In  his  religious  views  Mr.  Kimball  was 
a  Universalist,  believing  in  the  fatherhood 
of  God,  and  brotherhood  of  man,  and  that 
while  man  might  stray  from  the  paths  of 
virtue  and  right,  a  just  God  was  always 
ready  to  welcome  the  return  of  the  prodigal 
and  receive  him  again  in  favor.  His  wife 
believed  with  him  in  these  great  views  and 
was  likewise  a  member  of  the  Universalist 
church. 

After  a  long  and  useful  life,  Mr.  Kimball 
was  called  to  his  reward  May  5,  1875,  and 
his  body  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  beautiful 
cemetery  at  Elgin.  The  city  council  of 
Elgin,  on  the  announcement  of  his  death, 
passed  the  following  complimentary  pre- 
amble and  resolutions: 

WHEREAS,  this  council  has  learned  of 
the  death  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
highly  esteemed  citizens,  an  honored  ex- 
mayor  of  the  city,  and  wishing  to  express 
our  feelings  and  the  sense  of  the  people 
upon  the  sad  event;  therefore 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  William 
C.  Kimball,  the  city  has  lost  an  honored 
and  highly  respected  citizen,  whose  private 
and  public  record  was  characterized  by  in- 
dustry, purity  and  generosity. 

Resolved,  That,  as  a  fit  expression  of 
our  feelings  and  a  slight  honor  to  his  mem- 
ory, this  council  attend  the  funeral  in  a 
body. 

Resolved,  That  the  business  men  of  the 
city  be  requested,  as  a  further  mark  of  re- 
spect, to  close  their  places  of  business  at 
the  hour  appointed  for  the  funeral,  to  re- 
main closed  for  the  space  of  one  hour. 

Resolved,  That  we  tender  to  the  family 
of  the  deceased,  our  heartfelt  sympathy  at 
the  great  loss  which  has  overtaken  them. 


336 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


The  resolutions  were  ordered  spread 
upon  the  records  of  the  council  and  an  en- 
grossed copy  furnished  the  widow  and  pub- 
lished in  the  city  papers.  Mrs.  Kimball 
survived  her  husband  some  years,  dying 
January  3,  1883.  They  were  the  parents 
of  seven  children:  William,  who  died  young; 
Leonidas,  who  also  died  young;  Eugene, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years; 
Ernma  and  Ella,  twins,  the  latter  being  the 
wife  of  John  J.  Williford,  and  residing  in 
Anna,  Illinois;  Anna,  who  died  in  child- 
hood; and  Charles  W.,  who  lives  in  Elgin. 

Emma  Kimball  grew  to  womanhood  in 
Elgin  and  was  educated  in  its  public  schools. 
On  the  25th  of  June,  1863,  she  married 
Charles  J.  Hawkins,  a  native  of  Cayuga 
county,  New  York,  and  a  son  of  Joseph  and 
Lucy  (Adams)  Hawkins.  To  them  have 
been  born  five  children:  Frank  J.,  who  is 
now  operating  the  home  farm,  married  Rose 
Grove,  and  has  two  children — Morris  and 
Mabel;  William  J.  and  Morris  B.  are  at 
home;  Lucy  died  at  the  age  of  one  year; 
and  Ella  W.  is  at  home. 

On  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California, 
Mr.  Hawkins,  though  quite  young,  started 
to  the  new  Eldorado,  and  is  numbered 
among  the  '49ers.  His  experience  going 
and  coming  and  his  life  in  that  rich  field  can 
never  be  forgotten.  On  his  return,  about 
four  years  later,  he  went  to  his  home  in 
Genoa,  New  York,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming  until  he  came  west  in  1857,  settled 
in  Elgin,  and  engaged  in  the  business  of 
loaning  money  for  several  years.  In  1869 
he  purchased  the  farm  in  Cook  county,  near 
Elgin,  consisting  of  about  three  hundred 
and  twelve  acres,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided, and  for  a  number  of  years  gave  a  part 
of  his  time  to  its  cultivation.  He  is  now 
living  retired.  Politically  he  is  a  stanch 


Democrat.  Religiously  Mrs.  Hawkins  is  a 
Universalist.  Like  her  father  she  is  hon- 
ored and  respected  by  a  large  circle  of  friends 
and  acquaintances,  who  appreciate  her  lov- 
ing kindness  and  many  acts  of  true  Christian 
charity.  A  life-long  resident  of  Elgin  and 
vicinity,  she  has  witnessed  with  pride  its 
growth  and  prosperity.  The  poor  have  al- 
ways had  in  her  a  true  friend,  and  many 
sacrifices  has  she  made  to  alleviate  the  suf- 
ferings of  others. 


FRANK  W.  JOSLYN,  the  efficient  state's 
attorney  for  Kane  county,  now  serving 
his  second  term,  is  the  senior  member  of 
the  firm  of  Joslyn  &  Schultz,  with  offices  in 
the  Spurling  block,  Elgin,  Illinois.  He  was 
born  in  that  city  April  27,  1860,  and  is  the 
son  of  Edward  S.  and  Jennie  (Padelford) 
Joslyrl,'  the  former  a  native  of  New  York 
and  the  latter  of  Massachusetts. 

Edward  S.  Joslyn  was  by  profession  a 
lawyer,  and  in  1835,  when  but  seven  years 
of  age,  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Mc- 
Henry  county,  Illinois,  where  he  grew  to 
manhood.  His  primary  education  was  ob- 
tained In  the  subscription  schools  of  McT 
Henry  county.  When  fifteen  years  of  age 
he  went  into  a  blacksmith  shop  to  learn  the 
trade,  and  there  continued  for  five  years. 
He  then  took  a  course  in  Elgin  Academy, 
later  read  law  in  the  office  of  Paul  R. 
Wright,  and  after  examination  was  admitted 
to  the  bar.  Like  all  attorneys  of  an  early 
day,  he  mixed  politics  with  his  legal  business, 
and  in  1856  stumped  the  state  for  Fremont, 
the  first  presidential  candidate  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  For  some  cause,  in  1859 
he  endorsed  the  views  of  Stephen  A.  Doug- 
las, and  was  known  as  a  Douglas  Democrat 
during  the  remainder  of  his  life. 


UBKARY 
0*  1HE 

Of   1U1N01S. 


FRANK  W.  JOSLYN. 


COL.    E.  S.  JOSLYN. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


34' 


Like  his  lamented  leader,  Edward  S. 
Joslyn  was  a  strong  Union  man,  and  when 
the  south  attempted  to  secede  he  took  up 
arms  in  defense  of  the  Union.  He  was 
first  commissioned  captain  of  Company  A, 
Seventh  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  which 
was  the  first  company  of  the  first  regiment 
from  Illinois,  with  which  he  served  six 
months.  Resigning  his  commission,  he 
came  home  and  assisted  in  organizing  the 
Thirty-sixth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Infantry, 
and  was  commissioned  lieutenant-colonel. 
With  his  regiment  went  to  the  front,  and 
was  actively  engaged  until  the  battle  of  Pei''». 
Ridge,  where  he  was  wounded.  Soon  after 
the  battle,  and  on  account  of  his  wound, 
and  also  from  having  contracted  dysentery, 
he  received  a  furlough  and  returned  to  his 
home  in  Elgin.  His  health  not  being  re- 
stored as  soon  as  anticipated,  he  tendered 
his  resignation.  His  bravery  being  recog- 
nized by  his  superior  officers,  the  resigna- 
tion was  not  accepted,  but  the  time  of  his 
furlough  was  extended.  This  extension  was 
made  several  times  with  the  hope  that  he 
could  return  to  his  post  of  duty,  brave  men 
and  efficient  officers  being  then  in  great  de- 
mand. On  the  statement  of  his  physician, 
his  resignation  was  finally,  but  reluctantly, 
received,  and  his  discharge  granted  in  the 
fall  of  1862. 

It  was  some  time,  however,  before  he 
regained  his  usual  health.  In  the  meantime 
he  gradually  resumed  his  law  practice,  and 
for  many  years  was  recognized  as  one  of  the 
ablest  criminal  lawyers  in  Illinois,  and  as  a 
general  practitioner  had  few  superiors. 
Among  the  most  noted  cases  in  which  he 
figured  was  that  of  the  Emma  mine  case  in 
Utah,  involving  some  three  million  dollars, 
which  he  won  for  his  clients. 

As  an  orator,   his   reputation    extended 

16 


far  and  wide.  While  in  Utah  obtaining 
evidence  in  the  case  just  mentioned,  he 
dressed  as  a  mountaineer,  in  buckskin 
breeches,  jacket,  wore  a  sombrero  hat,  and 
went  in  and  out  among  the  natives  as  one 
of  them.  His  oratorical  ability  was  soon 
discovered,  and  was  often  called  upon  for  a 
speech,  and  responding  spoke  upon  various 
subjects  to  the  edification  of  all.  By  the 
citizens  of  that  region  he  was  dubbed  "the 
old  man  eloquent  of  the  mountains. "  While 
there  he  defended  the  accused  in  two  mur- 
der cases,  winning  them  both.  At  home  he 
was  often  called  upon  on  short  notice  for  a 
speech,  and  it  mattered  not  what  the  sub- 
ject, he  Was,  always  ready.  His  imitative 
powers  were  great,  and  few  were  the  public 
men  but  what  he  could  imitate  their  style  of 
speech.  His  speeches  always  abounded  in 
apt  illustrations,  bright  witicisms,  and 
caught  the  crowd. 

As  a  citizen  he  was  at  all  times  progress- 
ive and  devoted  much  time  to  advancing  the 
material  interests  of  his  adopted  city.  For 
a  number  of  years  he  served  as  alderman 
and  for  two  terms  was  mayor  of  Elgin.  A 
friend  of  education  he  helped  establish  the 
free  school  system  for  the  state.  Relig-. 
iously  he  was  a  Baptist,  of  which  church  his 
wife  is  also  a  member.  His  death  occurred 
at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years,  and  his  loss 
was  felt  most  deeply,  not  alone  by  his  good 
wife,  who  still  survives  him,  but  by  many 
friends  throughout  the  county  who  knew  his 
worth  as  a  lawyer  and  as  a  man. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
Lindsey  Joslyn,  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  of 
English  origin.  In  early  life  he  followed 
farming  and  the  millwright  trade.  About 
1858  he  came  to  Kane  county,  where  he 
practiced  law  and  served  as  justice  of  the 
peace  some  years.  He  was  better  known 


342 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


among  the  settlers  of  Crystal  Lake  and 
around  Woodstock,  McHenry  county,  where 
he  lived  many  years.  His  death  occurred 
in  Elgin,  when  seventy-three  years  of  age. 

The  maternal  grandfather,  Rodolphus 
W.  Padelford,  was  born  at  Savoy,  Berk- 
shire county,  Massachusetts,  in  1806,  and 
came  west  in  1842,  locating  in  Elgin.  He 
was  of  English  descent,  a  descendant  of 
Jonathan  Padelford,  who  came  across  the 
water  in  a  very  early  day.  In  early  life  he 
followed  farming,  but  learning  the  daguer- 
reotype business  he  established  the  first  gal- 
lery in  Elgin,  and  followed  that  profession 
until  1866,  when  he  was  burned  out.  A 
friend  of  liberty,  while  residing  in  Buffalo, 
New  York,  he  conducted  a  station  on  the 
underground  railroad,  and  many  a  poor 
colored  person  owed  his  liberty  to  Mr.  Pa- 
delford's  watchful  care.  Owen  Lovejoy, 
Wendell  Phillips  and  other  noted  abolition- 
ists were  numbered  among  his  personal 
friends. 

Few  men  were  ever  better  known  in 
Kane  county  than  Adolphus  Padelford.  On 
the  organization  of  the  city  of  Elgin  in  1854, 
he  was  elected  its  first  city  clerk,  and  con- 
tinued in  that  office  for  twenty  years  consec- 
utively. In  1866  he  was  elected  clerk  of 
the  city  court  of  Elgin,  and  served  as  such 
until  1889.  In  1886  he  was  elected  police 
magistrate  of  Elgin  and  held  that  office  two 
terms.  A  strong  Baptist,  he  was  clerk  of 
the  Baptist  Association  of  Illinois  from  1850 
until  ,his  death,  and  was  clerk  of  the  First 
Baptist  church  of  Elgin  for  over  forty  years, 
and  deacon  for  the  same  length  of  time. 
He  was  clerk  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the 
Northern  Illinois  Hospital  for  the  Insane  for 
twenty  years,  and  township  treasurer  of  El- 
gin for  twenty-five  years.  As  a  bookkeeper 
and  accountant  he  had  few  superiors.  His 


death  occurred  at  Elgin  in  1894  at  the  age 
of  eighty-eight  years,  four  months  and 
twenty-four  days. 

Frank  W.  Joslyn,  our  subject,  was  born 
and  reared  in  Elgin,  and  here  has  spent  his 
entire  life.  His  primary  education  was  ob- 
tained in  the  public  schools  of  the  place, 
and  his  higher  literary  education  in  the 
Elgin  Academy,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  1 88 1.  The  succeeding  three  years  he 
spent  in  teaching,  and  during  his  leisure 
moments  read  law,  passed  a  successful  ex- 
amination, and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1884.  He  commenced  practice  in  his  native 
city  and  while  as  a  rule  it  is  true  that  "a 
prophet  is  never  without  honor,  save  in  his 
own  country,"  here  where  he  grew  up  and 
was  well  known  in  boyhood  and  youth,  he 
began  his  life  work  and  success  has  crowned 
his  efforts.  Since  1894  he  has  been  in  part- 
nership with  Fred  W.  Schultz. 

On  the  7th  of  December,  1886,  Mr.  Jos- 
lyn was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Carrie 
A.  Mead,  daughter  of  F.  W.  and  Emma 
(Colby)  Mead,  and  one  son— Paul — has  been 
born  unto  them. 

Religiously  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joslyn  are 
identified  with  the  Baptist  church.  Frater- 
nally he  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows, 
Knights  of  Pythias,  Modern  Woodmen, 
Home  Forum,  Maccabees,  and  Sons  of 
Veterans.  In  woodcraft  he  has  taken  espe- 
cial interest  and  from  1886  to  1890  he  was 
consulting  attorney  for  the  Modern  Wood- 
men. In  behalf  of  that  order  he  has  made 
addresses  in  four  or  five  states  of  the  union. 

Politically,  he  is  a  Republican  and  for 
the  principles  of  the  party  he  has  taken  an 
active  part  in  several  campaigns,  speaking 
in  Kane  and  adjoining  counties.  In  1885 
he  was  elected  city  attorney  of  Elgin  and 
served  two  terms.  In  1 889  he  was  appointed 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


343 


master  in  chancery  in  the  city  court  of  El- 
gin, and  in  1892  was  elected  state's  attorney 
for  Kane  county,  and  re-elected  in  1896, 
and  is  now  serving  his  second  term.  As  a 
prosecutor  he  discharges  his  duty  faithfully 
without  fear  or  favor,  and  has  had  remark- 
able success,  securing  the  conviction  of  a 
very  large  proportion  of  those  prosecuted. 
Inheriting  the  talents  of  his  father  as  a  pub- 
lic speaker,  he  makes  a  good  impression  be- 
fore a  jury,  and  in  the  trial  of  cases  holds 
his  own  with  the  best. 


DANIEL  TUTTLE,  a  -substantial  and 
enterprising  farmer  of  Kane  county, 
first  came  to  the  state  in  1847.  He  is  a 
native  of  New  York,  born  in  Oswego  coun- 
ty, February  11,  1824,  and  is  the  son  of 
Ethel  Tuttle,  a  native  of  Vermont.  His 
grandfather,  David  Tuttle,  was  a  native  of 
Tuttle  Hill,  England,  and  in  1816  settled 
in  Oswego  county,  New  York,  where  he 
purchased  a  farm  and  lived  until  the  age  of 
ninety-four  years.  Ethel  Tuttle  grew  to 
manhood  and  in  Oswego  county  married 
Rhoda  A.  McAlpine,  a  Scotch  lady.  Her 
father,  John  McAlpine,  was  an  early  settler 
of  Oneida  county,  New  York,  and  when 
Mrs.  Tuttle  was  a  child  moved  to  Oswego 
county.  After  their  marriage  Ethel  Tuttle 
and  his  wife  resided  in  Oswego  county  a 
few  years,  and  in  1829  moved  to  Madison 
county,  New  York,  and  located'  on  a  farm, 
where  he  reared  his  family.  In  the  spring 
of  1849  he  moved  west,  and  settled  in  De- 
Kalb  county,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming  for  a  few  years.  In  1852,  accom- 
panied by  one  of  his  sons,  he  went  overland 
to  California,  where  he  remained  five  years, 
engaged  in  mining  and  freighting.  He  was 


only  fairly  successful,  and  in  1857  returned 
home,  but  soon  went  to  Missouri,  where  he 
purchased  land  to  which  he  later  removed 
with  his  family.  He  there  spent  the  last 
years  of  his  life,  dying  in  1863.  He  was  an 
old  Jackson  Democrat  in  his  political  views. 
His  wife  died  in  De  Kalb  county  in  1860. 

Daniel  Tuttle  is  the  oldest  of  five  sons 
born  to  Ethel  and  Rhoda  A.  Tuttle.  Milo, 
the  next  in  order  of  birth,  settled  in  De  Kalb 
county,  and  some  years  later  moved  to  Iowa, 
bought  a  large  tract  of  land  near  Webster 
City,  engaged  in  stock-raising,  and  there 
died.  George  W.  married  in  De  Kalb 
county,  where  he  lived  some  years,  and 
later  removed  to  Kansas,  and  now  resides 
in  Eldorado,  that  state.  Joel  grew  to  ma- 
ture years,  went  to  California  with  his  fa- 
ther, and  there  died  some  years  ago.  David 
married  in  De  Kalb  county,  there  resided 
for  a  time,  but  later  moved  to  Iowa,  locat- 
ing at  Clear  Lake,  where  he  now  resides. 

In  Madison  county,  New  York,  our  sub- 
ject spent  his  boyhood  and  youth,  and  re- 
ceived a  fair  education  in  its  common  schools. 
When  eighteen  years  of  age  he  began  life 
for  himself,  purchasing  his  time  from  his 
father,  giving  him  therefor  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars.  For  several  years  he  engaged 
in  lumbering  in  his  native  state,  with  fair 
success.  He  then  determined  to  come  west, 
and  in  1847  moved  to  De  Kalb  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land,  and  later  went  to  Wisconsin,  and  for 
a  few  years  engaged  in  lumbering,  going 
back  and  forth  during  the  time.  In  1852 
he  made  a  permanent  settlement  on  his 
land  in  De  Kalb  county,  and  also  bought 
out  his  father's  improvements,  and  began 
farming.  This  land  was  located  near  the 
present  village  of  Waterman,  and  by  subse- 
quent purchase  he  made  a  fine  farm  of  two 


344 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


hundred  and  forty  acres,  on  which  he  erected 
a  good,  substantial  residence,  good  barn,  and 
made  of  it  one  of  the  best-improved  places 
in  that  vicinity.  He  there  remained  until 
1870,  when  he  rented  the  place  and  moved 
to  Aurora,  to  give  his  children  the  advan- 
tages of  its  public  schools.  Some  years 
later  he  sold  his  De  Kalb  county  farm  and 
purchased  the  Lawton  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  just  outside  of  the  corporate 
limits  of  the  city,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  In 
1889  he  bought  the  residence  where  he  now 
resides,  but  still  gives  his  personal  attention 
to  his  farm. 

In  February,  1854,  in  De  Kalb  county, 
Illinois,  Mr.  Tuttle  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Margaret  Platt,  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, but  who  removed  with  her  father, 
John  Platt,  to  Prince  Edward  Island  in 
early  childhood,  where  she  was  reared  and 
educated,  and  came  with  him  to  De  Kalb 
county,  Illinois,  in  1853.  By  this  union 
are  four  children:  the  oldest,  John,  is  now 
married  and  engaged  in  business  in  Aurora; 
Rhoda  remained  at  home;  Margaret  is  the 
wife  of  Frank  Minard,  of  Aurora,  and  Jane 
Elizabeth,  also  at  home. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Tuttle  was  a  Democrat, 
but  believing  in  the  principle  of  liberty  for 
all  men,  he  became  a  Republican  on  the 
organization  of  the  party,  casting  his  vote 
for  its  first  presidential  candidate,  John  C. 
Fremont,  in  1856.  While  residing  in  De- 
Kalb  county  he  served  as  highway  commis- 
sioner and  assessor,  and  also  served  for  some 
years  as  a  member  of  the  school  board. 
Since  that  time  he  has  steadfastly  declined 
all  official  honors.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tuttle  are 
members  of  the  United  Presbyterian  church, 
in  which  he  has  been  actively  engaged  for 
nearly  forty  years.  In  the  work  of  the  Mas- 


ter they  have  always  taken  great  interest, 
giving  of  their  time  and  means  to  advance 
the  cause. 


JAMES  ROCKWELL,  of  Batavia,  Illi- 
nois, has  spent  sixty-four  years  of  a 
long  and  useful  life  in  Illinois,  and  all  but 
four  years  of  that  time  in  Batavia.  He  is 
a  native  of  Connecticut,  born  at  Ridgefield, 
November  9,  1812.  His  father,  Thomas 
H.  Rockwell,  was  also  born  in  the  same 
town  and  state,  May  21,  1776.  The  Rock- 
well family  are  of  English  descent,  the  first 
coming  to  this  country  some  years  prior  to 
the  Revolutionary  war,  locating  in  Connect- 
ticut.  Thomas  H.  Rockwell,  the  father  of 
our  subject,  at  Ridgefield,  Connecticut, 
married  Polly  Smith,  a  daughter  of  Capt. 
David  Smith,  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  He 
built  the  home  residence  at  Ridgefield, 
which  was  first  used  for  a  hotel.  Observing 
the  tendency  of  the  liquor  traffic,  even  in 
that  early  day,  he  took  out  the  bar,  de- 
stroyed the  liquor  and  soon  gave  up  the  ho- 
tel business.  He  was  an  influential  man  at 
Ridgefielcl,  where  he  reared  his  family  and 
spent  his  entire  life.  He  died  there  Sep- 
tember 25,  1865,  and  his  wife  died  February 
27,  1869. 

To  Thomas  H.  and  Polly  (Smith)  Rock- 
well ten  children  were  born:  Harry  Smith, 
who  died  in  infancy;  Phebe  M.,  grew  to 
mature  years,  married  Rev.  Moses  Hill,  and 
died  March  18,  1832;  William  S.,  born 
February  24,  1806,  died  at  sea  about  1823. 
Rev.  Thomas  Burr,  a  minister  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  came  west,  locating 
in  Batavia,  where  he  died;  David  S.  mar- 
ried and  died  in  New  Canaan,  Connecticut; 
James  of  this  review;  George,  who  died  in 
1865,  injunction  City,  Kansas;  Francis  A., 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


345 


who  died  in  Ridgefield,  Connecticut;  John, 
who  died  in  infancy;  and  John  Wesley,  who 
lives  in  the  old  homestead. 

In  his  native  town,  James  Rockwell 
grew  to  manhood,  and  there  learned  the 
cabinet-maker's  trade  and  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  went  to  New  Haven,  Connecticut, 
where  he  remained  a>bout  one  year,  working 
at  his  trade.  The  wages  being  small  and 
the  opportunities  for  advancement  very 
meager,  he  determined  to  try  the  west,  of 
which  he  had  heard  such  glowing  accounts. 
Arriving  at  Detroit,  Michigan,  he  set  out  on 
foot  from  that  place  for  Chicago,  and  was 
eight  days  in  making  the  trip.  Chicago  at 
that  time  was  composed  of  but  a  few  shan- 
ties, but  he  there  went  to  work  at  his  trade 
and  in  a  short  time  built  a  factory,  where 
he  employed  twelve  men.  He  remained  in 
Chicago  about  four  years,  until  the  failure 
of  the  state  banks  and  then  discontinued 
his  business  and  came  to  Kane  county,  ar- 
riving in  Batavia,  in  February,  1838. 

Soon  after  coming  to  Batavia,  Mr.  Rock- 
well was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mar- 
garet Van  Nortwick,  a  native  of  Argyle, 
New  York.  Her  father,  William  Van  Nort- 
wick, was  one  of  the  first  settlers  on  the  Fox 
river.  In  1840,  Mr.  Rockwell  again  com- 
menced working  at  his  trade,  and  for  a  few 
years  was  a  manufacturer  of  furniture.  He 
then  retired  from  business  three  or  four 
years  and  then  engaged  in  general  mer- 
chandising, in  which  he  continued  up  to 
1885. 

Mr.  Rockwell  lost  his  first  wife,  who 
passed  away  September  30,  1857,  leaving 
two  children — Frances  Minerva,  who  mar- 
ried J.  M.  Davidson,  and  now  resides  in 
York  county,  Nebraska;  and  Martha  Jane, 
who  died  in  1850.  In  1848  Mr.  Rockwell 
married  Miss  Susan  Grow,  who  was  born  at 


Clyde,  New  York,  where  she  was  reared 
and  educated.  The  children  by  this  mar- 
riage are:  Margaret,  married  N.  C.  Twin- 
ing, now  living  in  Batavia,  and  who  has 
been  librarian  of  the  public  library  about 
ten  years;  Anna  Maria,  living  with  her  par- 
ents; and  Hattie  L. ,  who  died  in  childhood. 
Mr.  Rockwell  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  assisted  in  the 
organization  of  the  first  church  of  that  de- 
nomination in  Chicago,  and  also  in  Batavia; 
he  served  as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school,  both  in  Chicago  and  Batavia,  and 
was  very  active  in  church  work  until  his 
health  failed.  On  April  18,  1898,  he  at- 
tended the  sixtieth  anniversary  of  the  First 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  Chicago,  and 
with  Rev.  J.  P.  Brushingham  and  G.  W. 
Dixon,  took  part  in  the  exercises.  As  the 
first  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school  of 
that  church  he  gave  an  historical  account  of 
its  organization  and  progress.  From  the  or- 
ganization of  the  party,  he  has  ever  been  a 
stanch  Republican.  For  more  than  sixty 
years  he  has  gone  in  and  out  among  the  peo- 
ple of  Batavia,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  and 
honored  citizens,  well-known  throughout 
Kane  and  adjoining  counties.  The  poor  and 
needy  have  ever  found  in  him  a  friend,  and 
no  man  in  Kane  county  is  more  highly 
honored. 


C  DALLAS  MONROE,  superintendent 
of  the  Illinois  Creamery  Company,  at 
Elgin,  was  born  in  Hazleton  township, 
Shiawassee  county,  Michigan,  June  i,  1875. 
His  father,  Hiram  Monroe,  is  a  native  of 
Tompkins  county,  New  York,  and  is  the 
youngest  in  a  family  of  three  children  whose 
parents  were  Isaiah  and  Phcebe  Monroe, 
worthy  representatives  of  old  colonial  fam- 


346 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


ilies.  On  reaching  manhood  Hiram  Mon- 
roe married  Miss  Louisa,  daughter  of  Mar- 
vin Monroe,  a  distant  cousin  of  President 
Monroe.  Her  parents  moved  to  Michigan, 
where  her  father  resides  at  the  age  of 
eighty-three  years,  the  mother  at  the  age 
of  seventy-eight,  after  having  celebrated 
their  golden  wedding.  The  mother  of  our 
subject  was  a  native  of  Tioga  county,  New 
York,  and  although  bearing  the  same  name 
as  her  husband,  they  were  not  related  pre- 
vious to  their  marriage.  He  is  a  stanch 
supporter  of  the  Republican  party. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  obtained  a 
good  practical  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Owosso,  Michigan,  which  he  at- 
tended until  sixteen  years  of  age.  On  start- 
ing out  upon  his  business  career,  he  was  em- 
ployed for  two  years  as  a  glazier  in  a  casket 
factory  in  Owosso,  and  for  a  year  and  a 
half  held  a  position  in  the  electric  light  sta- 
tion. Coming  to  Chicago  March  10,  1896, 
he  remained  in  that  city  until  June,  exper- 
imenting for  the  company  with  which  he  is 
now  connected,  perfecting  their  system  for 
reworking  country  butter  to  convert  it  into 
creamery  butter.  A  member  of  the  firm 
while  traveling  in  Michigan  met  Mr.  Mon- 
'roe,  was  pleased  with  him,  and  recognizing 
his  business  qualifications  thought  he  would 
make  a  good  manager  for  their  business  in 
Elgin.  This  resulted  in  his  engagement, 
and  on  coming  here  he  rebuilt  the  old  fac- 
tory at  North  Elgin,  where  they  conducted 
operations  until  May,  1897,  when  they  re- 
moved to  their  present  large  factory,  built 
under  the  direction  of  our  subject.  The 
main  building  is  one  hundred  feet  square 
and  two  stories  in  height,  while  the  engine 
room  is  forty  by  sixty  feet.  Here  thirty 
thousand  pounds  of  common  butter  can  be 
converted  into  creamery  butter  in  one  day. 


The  idea  of  reworking  the  butter  is  not 
original  with  Mr.  Monroe,  but  the  peculiar 
method  of  doing  so  is  his  invention  and  is  a 
secret  process.  The  development  of  the 
business  is  due  not  a  little  to  his  energy, 
activity  and  excellent  management,  for  he 
is  a  wide-awake  young  business  man  of 
sound  judgment  and  progressive  ideas. 

In  Owosso,  Michigan,  Mr.  Monroe  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Anna,  daugh- 
ter of  M.  A.  and  Helen  (Whimple)  Parks, 
the  former  a  carpenter  and  builder  by  oc- 
cupation. Mrs.  Monroe's  uncle,  Davis  Parks, 
a  pensioner  of  the  war  of  1812,  lived  to 
the  extreme  old  age  of  one  hundred  and  four 
years,  dying  in  1894.  At  the  age  of  one 
hundred  and  two,  he  and  his  wife,  aged 
ninety-six  years,  visited  Owosso,  Michigan, 
and  walked  quite  a  distance  from  the  depot 
to  the  residence  of  relatives.  Mrs.  Monroe's 
great-grandfather  Whimple,  a  friend  of 
General  Washington,  served  as  an  Indian 
interpreter  for  that  commander  during  the 
Revolutionary  war,  and  for  his  services  re- 
ceived a  large  grant  of  land. 


HENRY  RANG,  the  efficient  superin- 
tendent of  streets  of  Aurora,  was  born 
in  Bavaria,  Germany,  October  3,  1838. 
His  father,  Adam  Rang,  and  his  mother, 
Margaret  (Hoffeker)  Rang,  were  also  natives 
of  Germany,  were  there  married,  and  there 
the  father  died  in  1844  when  about  forty- 
eight  years  of  age.  He  was  a  potter  by 
trade,  and  ran  a  pottery  in  Bavaria.  A  pro- 
gressive and  enterprising  man,  and  a  good 
and  worthy  citizen,  he  was  honored  with 
several  local  offices.  They  were  the  parents 
of  seven  children. 

In  1852  two  of  the  children,  Fred  and 
Minnie,    came    to    the    United    States    and 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


347 


located  in  Aurora.  They  were  so  favorably 
impressed  with  the  country  that  the  remain- 
der of  the  family  determined  to  come,  and 
on  the  loth  of  March,  1853,  our  subject  and 
his  sister,  Margaret,  set  sail  for  America. 
They  were  on  the  ocean  fifty- six  days,  and 
had  a  good  time,  good  treatment,  plenty  to 
eat,  and  plenty  to  see  of  seastorms,  sharks 
almost  by  the  acre.  While  encountering 
some  terrible  storms,  no  accident  occurred. 
They  landed  at  New  York  Saturday,  May 
21,  1853,  and  left  the  Monday  evening  fol- 
lowing, and  arrived  in  Aurora  on  Saturday. 
They  came  all  the  way  by  rail,  except  from 
Buffalo  to  Detroit.  The  same  trip  can  now 
be  made  in  twenty-five  hours.  The  train 
ran  slowly,  stopped  at  about  every  station, 
and  from  Detroit  to  Chicago  required  an 
entire  day. 

In  the  fall  of  1853  the  mother  and  the 
other  children  came  to  America,  and  joined 
the  others  at  Aurora.  A  few  weeks  after 
their  arrival  Barbara,  aged  ten  years,  and 
Christina,  aged  twenty-seven,  died  from 
fever.  This  was  a  very  sad  event,  and  was 
a  hard  blow  to  the  mother,  coming  so  soon 
after  their  arrival  here.  Of  the  other  chil- 
dren, William  now  resides  in  Aurora;  Fred, 
who  for  many  years  was  shoe  merchant  in 
Aurora,  died  in  1890;  Henry  is  the  subject 
of  this  sketch;  Margaret  is  now  the  wife  of 
John  Grometer,  of  Aurora;  Minnie  married 
Fred  Kehm,  a  wagon-maker  by  trade,  who 
removed  to  Chicago,  where  his  death  oc- 
curred May,  1894,  she  surviving  him,  dying 
November,  1895,  when  about  sixty-five 
years  of  age.  The  mother  died  in  Aurora 
in  July,  1868,  when  sixty-six  years  of  age. 

Henry  Rang  received  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Bayerberg,  Bavaria,  where 
he  completed  a  course.  On  his  arrival  in 
Aurora,  he  worked  four  weeks  on  a  farm 


near  the  city,  and  on  the  4th  of  July,  1853, 
began  working  for  the  Chicago,  Burlington 
&  Quincy  Railroad  Company,  carrying  wa- 
ter, running  errands,  and  doing  such  work 
as  a  boy  of  fifteen  could  do.  The  road  at 
that  time  was  in  process  of  construction, 
and  he  continued  to  be  thus  employed  until 
it  was  finished  to  Mendota.  In  the  winter 
of  1853-4  he  was  unemployed  on  account 
of  sickness,  but  in  the  spring  began  working 
on  the  railroad  again,  continuing  until  Sep- 
tember. He  then  found  employment  in  a 
dry-goods  store  as  a  clerk,  where  he  re- 
mained a  year  and  a  half.  Believing  it 
essential  that  he  should  have  a  trade,  he 
engaged  with  a  carpenter  and  served  three 
years.  He  then  worked  three  years  in  the 
bridge  department  of  the  railroad  company, 
and  from  1866  to  1891  he  was  in  the  build- 
ing department,  becoming  quite  proficient, 
and  a  valuable  man.  During  the  years  that 
had  passed  he  mingled  more  or  less  in  so- 
ciety, and  served  his  city  as  alderman  for 
some  time,  and  thus  familiarized  himself 
with  the  needs  of  the  city.  On  leaving  the 
railroad  company  in  1891  he  was  appointed 
by  Mayor  Fisher  superintendent  of  streets 
of  Aurora,  which  position  he  still  holds.  He 
has  rendered  a  very  efficient  service,  as  is 
evinced  by  the  time  he  has  thus  been  em- 
ployed. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  1858,  he  married 
Miss  Margaret  Muchler.  By  this  union  are 
six  children,  as  follows:  Maggie,  now  the 
wife  of  W.  C.  Fickenscher,  is  the  mother  of 
four  children,  Metha,  Paul,  Arthur  and 
Hugo,  the  latter  being  twins,  and  the  fam- 
ily resides  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  where  Mr. 
Fichenscher  is  employed  in  the  parochial 
school;  Henry,  who  died  at  the  age  of  ten 
months;  Carl  H.  married  Josie  King,  by 
whom  he  has  one  son,  Carl,  Jr. ,  and  they 


348 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


reside  in  Rockford,  Illinois;  August,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  two  and  a  half  years; 
Bertha  and  Pauline,  at  home.  The  mother 
died  January  28,  1891,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
six  years.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Lu- 
theran church,  a  devout  Christian,  a  good 
mother,  and  did  much  to  make  a  happy 
home.  Mr.  Rang's  second  wife  was  Mrs. 
Catherine  Kemerle,  native  of  Germany,  and 
widow  of  Christian  Kemerle.  Their  mar- 
riage was  celebrated  November  5,  1896. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rang  are  members  of 
the  Lutheran  church,  in  which  he  has  held 
the  office  of  trustee  since  1862,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  one  or  two  years.  He  is  now 
the  treasurer  of  the  church.  Politically  he 
is  independent,  giving  more  attention  to  the 
man  to  fill  the  office  than  the  party  to  which 
he  belongs.  He  is  a  good  citizen,  true  to 
the  best  interests  of  the  community,  and 
represents  the  progressive  element  of  the 
German  population  of  Aurora. 


ARTHUR  A.  BENNETT,  the  efficient 
mayor  of  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  now 
serving  his  fourth  term,  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  the  city  since  1885.  He  is  of  Eng- 
lish and  Scotch  descent,  the  first  of  the 
family  coming  from  England  about  1700 
and  locating  in  Massachusetts.  His  great- 
grandfather, Andrew  Bennett,  was  a  native 
of  Vermont  and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolutionary  army.  William  Bennett,  the 
grandfather,  served  in  the  war  of  1812, 
and  was  in  the  battle  of  Plattsburg.  He 
was  also  a  native  of  Vermont.  George  H. 
Bennett,  the  father,  was  born  in  Mont- 
pelier,  Vermont,  where  he  married  Emeline 
Young,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Zebina  Young, 
a  minister  in  the  Baptist  church,  and  pas- 
tor of  the  church  at  Montpeiier.  To  Mr. 


and  Mrs.  George  II.  Bennett  were  born  six 
children,  of  whom  three  are  yet  living,  our 
subject  being  the  eldest.  The  second, 
Professor  William  Z.  Bennett,  is  a  gradu- 
ate of  Harvard  University,  and  was  seventh 
in  a  class  of  one  hundred  and  ninety-two. 
He  now  occupies  the  chair  of  physics  and 
.English  literature  in  Wooster  University,  at 
Wooster,  Ohio.  Adela  E.  Bennett  now 
resides  with  her  brother.  The  mother  died 
in  1865,  and  the  father,  who  was  well 
known  in  business  circles  throughout  Ver- 
mont and  Massachusetts,  passed  away  in 
August,  1896. 

Mr.  Bennett,  whose  name  introduces 
this  sketch,  was  born  in  Montpeiier,  Ver- 
mont, July  31,  1847,  and  was  educated  at 
Dartmouth  College.  When  his  school  days 
were  over  he  engaged  in  farming  in  Ver- 
mont for  several  years,  also  became  inter- 
ested in  the  creamery  business,  establishing 
about  thirty  creameries  in  the  Province  of 
Quebec,  which  he  successfully  operated  for 
seven  years.  That  business  naturally  led 
to  the  manufacture  of  sugar  of  milk,  and 
for  three  years  he  carried  on  operations 
along  that  line  in  Burlington,  Vermont. 
In.  1885  at  the  end  of  that  time  he  came 
to  St.  Charles,  removing  his  plant  to  this 
place,  where  he  has  since  successfully  en- 
gaged in  business.  This  is  the  only  manu- 
factory of  the  kind  in  the  state,  and  three- 
fourths  of  all  the  sugar  of  milk  manufactured 
in  the  world  is  now  made  in  St.  Charles. 
From  the  beginning  Mr.  Bennett's  business 
has  rapidly  increased  until  it  has  assumed 
extensive  proportions  and  has  become  quite 
profitable.  His  refinery  is  located  at  St. 
Charles,  and  he  has  five  other  evaporators, 
all  in  the  Elgin  district. 

In  1869,  in  Brookfield,  Vermont,  Mr. 
Bennett  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 


A.  A.   BENNETT. 


0* 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


35i 


Harriet  French,  a  native  of  that  state,  who 
was  reared  and  educated  in  Brookfield.  Her 
father,  Otis  French,  was  a  business  man  and 
early  settler  of  Barre,  Vermont.  Mrs.  Ben- 
nett died  in  1879,  leaving  one  daughter, 
Clara  E. ,  who  was  provided  with  a  good 
education,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  Rev.  W. 
E.  Clark,  of  St.  Charles,  an  evangelist, 
professor  and  teacher  now  located  in  Boyd- 
ton,  Virginia.  In  Montpelier,  Vermont, 
Mr.  Bennett  was  again  married,  in  1883,  his 
second  union  being  with  Miss  Eleanor.  C. 
Needham,  also  a  native  of  the  Green  Mount- 
ain state,  and  a  daughter  of  Captain  Sidney 
R.  Needham,  of  Montpelier,  who  for  twenty 
years  was  captain  of  a  merchant  vessel  sail- 
ing between  Liverpool  and  Sidney,  Australia. 
Two  sons  have  been  born  of  the  second 
marriage,  namely:  Edward  Ellsworth  and 
Sidney  Royal. 

Since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  General  Grant  in  1868,  Mr.  Bennett  has 
been  an  ardent  Republican,  and  earnestly 
advocates  a  protective  tariff  and  sound 
money.  He  has  taken  quite  an  active  and 
prominent  part  in  local  politics,  is  a  recog- 
nized leader  of  his  party  in  his  community, 
and  in  1891  was  elected  mayor  of  St.  Charles, 
to  which  office  he  has  been  continuously  re- 
elected  up  to  the  present  time,  plainly  indi- 
cating his  popularity  and  the  confidence  and 
trust  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow-citizens. 
The  reins  of  city  government  have  never 
been  in  more  capable  hands,  for  he  is  a  pro- 
gressive man,  pre-eminently  public-spirited, 
and  all  that  pertains  to  the  public  welfare 
received  his  hearty  endorsement.  Mr.  Ben- 
nett is  a  Master  Mason,  having  joined  Seneca 
lodge,  No.  40,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Milton,  Ver- 
mont, many  years  ago,  and  both  he  and  his 
wife  are  active  and  prominent  members  of 
the  Congregational  church  of  St.  Charles. 


HON.  WILLIAM  F.  DICKINSON,  pres- 
ident of  the  Aurora  Silver  Plate  Man- 
ufacturing Company,  but  who  is  practically 
living  a  retired  life,  has  been  a  resident  of 
Kane  county  since  1866.  He  is  a  native  of 
Vermont,  born  in  the  town  of  Washing- 
ton, Orange  county,  April  19,  1814.  The 
family  was  originally  from  England,  the 
first  of  the  name,  Nathaniel  Dickinson, 
coming  to  the  New  World  in  1629.  In 
England  the  family  occupied  a  prominent 
position  and  had  its  coat  of  arms.  Gideon 
Dickinson,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  in  his 
day  was  quite  prominent.  His  son  Joshua 
Dickinson  was  also  born  in  Massachusetts, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood  and  married 
Mrs.  Prudence  Stone,  nee  Fuller,  who  was 
then  a  widow  and  a  daughter  of  Simeon 
Fuller.  They  became  the  parents  of  six 
children,  of  whom  Emily  married  Nehe- 
miah  S.  Tinker  and  settled  in  Chelsea, 
Vermont,  afterwards  moving  to  Derby, 
Vermont,  where  her  death  occurred;  Joshua 
B.,  who  removed  to  Mt.  Clemens,  Michi- 
gan, and  married  Katherine  Lee  of  that 
city.  He  was  elected  first  mayor  of  the 
city,  and  died  while  the  incumbent  of  that 
office;  William  F. ,  of  this  review;  Pru- 
dence, who  married  Judge  Thurston,  re- 
moved to  Mt.  Clemens,  Michigan,  and  there 
died;  Franklin,  who  married  a  daughter  of 
Judge  Peasley,  located  in  Chelsea,  Ver- 
mont, was  sheriff  of  his  county  for  some 
years  and  died  at  that  place;  Fannie  who 
married  Judge  Porter  Kibbey,  of  Randolph, 
Vermont,  and  who  afterwards  removed  to 
Detroit,  Michigan,  where  he  served  as 
judge  of  the  probate  court;  Persis  Jane, 
who  married  Edward  Blackwell,  of  New 
York;  he  is  now  deceased,  while  she  is 
living  at  Montpelier,  Vermont;  her  son-in- 


352 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


law,  James  C.  Houghton,  is  vice-president 
and  general  manager  of  the  National  Life 
Insurance  Company. 

Joshua  Dickinson,  soon  after  his  mar- 
riage, removed  to  Washington,  Vermont, 
where  he  engaged  in  merchandising  for 
some  years.  About  1815,  he  moved  to 
Chelsea,  there  engaged  in  business,  and 
was  elected  judge  of  the  county  court,  and 
held  other  positions  of  honor  and  trust. 
He  subsequently  removed  to  Mt.  Clemens, 
Michigan,  where  he  and  his  wife  both  died. 
He  was  a  man  of  prominence  wherever  he 
lived,  and  was  held  in  high  esteem. 

William  F.  Dickinson  grew  to  manhood 
in  Chelsea,  Vermont,  and  there  received 
his  education  in  the  public  schools.  His 
youth,  when  not  in  school,  was  spent  in  his 
father's  store,  where  he  received  a  thor- 
ough, practical  business  training.  After 
arriving  at  manhood,  he  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business,  at  Plainfield,  Vermont, 
and  was  there  two  years.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Chelsea,  where  he  succeeded  his 
father  in  business,  and  was  thus  engaged 
for  twenty-six  years.  During  this  time  he 
took  an  active  part  in  public  affairs,  and 
rilled  various  official  positions. 

Mr.  Dickinson  was  married  in  February, 
1837,  at  Tonbridge,  Vermont,  to  Mary 
Helen  Hall,  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  a 
daughter  of  Jonathan  C.  Hall,  a  business 
man  of  Tonbridge,  where  she  was  reared 
and  educated.  Three  children  were  born 
of  this  union,  as  follows:  Chase  Hall,  who 
grew  to  mature  years,  married  Ruth  S. 
Pitkin,  of  Delavan,  Wisconsin,  and  for 
some  years  was  a  merchant  at  Kalamazoo, 
Michigan,  and  there  died  in  1897.  He  was 
a  prominent  and  successful  merchant  and 
had  the  .reputation  of  being  one  of  the  best 
business  men  of  the  place.  He  left  a  wife 


and  son,  Bartlett  C.  Dickinson,  now  a 
student  in  the  Michigan  University,  Ann 
Arbor.  His  daughter,  Helen  Louise,  met 
her  death  by  drowning,  while  bathing  in  a 
lake  near  Kalamazoo,  Michigan.  Helen 
Louise,  married  Henry  B.  Towne,  Novem- 
ber, 1871.  She  died  in  April,  1873.  Henry 
B.  Towne  died  in  Chicago  in  1885.  Marcia 
Isabel,  who  remains  with  her  father  at 
home. 

In  October,  1866,  Mr.  Dickinson  moved 
with  his  family  to  Aurora,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  lumber  business.  For  some  years  he 
had  been  interested  in  the  lumber  interests 
at  South  Haven,  Michigan,  having  invested 
largely  in  pine  lands  in  that  region.  After 
continuing  the  business  some  eight  years  at 
Aurora,  he  sold  his  lumber  interest  and  ac- 
cepted the  position  of  secretary  and  general 
manager  of  the  Aurora  Silver  Plate  Man- 
ufacturing Company,  in  which  capacity  he 
served  for  several  years.  He  was  then 
elected  president  of  the  company,  which 
position  he  still  continues  to  hold.  The 
factory  is  one  of  the  important  industries  of 
Aurora,  and  much  of  the  credit  of  its  success 
is  due  to  Mr.  Dickinson. 

Mr.  Dickinson  cast  his  first  presidential 
ballot  for  Martin  Van  Buren.  He  continued 
to  act  with  the  Democratic  party  until  the 
organization  of  the  Republican  party,  and 
in  1856  was  a  delegate  to  the  first  National 
Republican  Convention,  at  Philadelphia,  and 
assisted  in  the  nomination  of  the  "Great 
Pathfinder,"  General  John  C.  Fremont. 
For  several  years  he  served  as  treasurer  of 
Orange  county,  Vermont,  and  in  1859  was 
elected  judge  of  probate  for  the  district  of 
Randolph,  and  re-elected  in  1860,  serving 
two  terms  in  that  office.  He  was  also 
elected  in  1860  a  member  of  the  state  legis- 
lature, and,  being  re-elected,  served  two 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


353 


terms.  While  a  member  of  that  body,  he 
served  on  several  important  committees,  in- 
cluding that  of  banking.  He  was  later 
elected  state  railroad  commissioner,  in 
which  position  he  also  served  two  terms. 
Since  coming  to  Aurora  he  was  elected  and 
served  two  terms  as  alderman  of  the  city, 
and  for  some  years  served  as  assistant  super- 
visor on  the  county  board.  In  whatever 
position  he  was  called  upon  to  fill,  he  made 
a  faithful  and  efficient  officer. 

Mr.  Dickinson  was  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  Second  National  Bank,  of  Aurora, 
and  was  elected  director,  a  position  he  held 
during  its  existence.  He  also  served  as  a 
director  of  the  Old  Second  National  Bank, 
which  succeeded  the  former  organization. 
While  residing  in  Orange  county,  Vermont, 
he  was  also  a  director  in  a  bank,  being  as- 
sociated with  Senator  Morrill.  For  more 
than  fifty  years  he  was  a  bank  director,  a 
a  term  of  service  of  which  there  are  but  few 
equals. 

Mrs.  Dickinson  died  in  Aurora,  in 
March,  1872.  She  was  a  woman  of  great 
refinement  and  lovable  character,  and  her 
friends  were  many  wherever  known.  Mr. 
Dickinson  and  his  daughter,  who  are  rnem- 
of  the  New  England  Congregational  church, 
reside  in  a  beautiful  home  on  Downer  Place, 
where  they  delight  to  entertain  their  many 
friends.  For  almost  a  third  of  a  century 
he  has  been  a  resident  of  Aurora,  and  in 
that  time  has  done  much  to  advance  its 
material  interests.  Few  men  have  more  or 
stronger  friends. 


pvIETRICH  LAUE  is  one  of  the  leading 
\~J  farmers  of  Hampshire  township,  his 
large  farm  lying  in  sections  2  and  3.  Of 
the  many  races  that  make  up  the  component 


parts  of  our  mixed  nationality,  none,  per- 
haps, have  added  more  to  the  national 
wealth  than  the  sturdy  sons  of  the  Father- 
land. Germany  has  furnished  to  America 
many  who  have  become  prominent  in  the 
councils  of  the  nation.  In  her  fleets  and 
armies,  and  in  her  works  of  peace,  many 
have  risen  to  places  of  honor  and  trust.  In 
the  commercial  world  and  upon  the  farm, 
many  have  obtained  wealth  and  prominence. 
The  family  from  which  sprang  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  one  of  wealth  and 
prominence  in  the  old  kingdom  of  Hanover. 
In  the  days  prior  to  its  absorption  by  Prus- 
sia, Hanover  was  the  richest  of  the  German 
kingdoms.  The  public  treasury  was  so  well 
filled  that  interest  of  the  kingdom's  capital 
was  sufficient  to  sustain  their  army,  and  the 
peaceful  avocations  of  life  were  not  as 
heavily  taxed  as  now  to  keep  them  on  a 
war  footing.  All  its  sons  were  not  then  re- 
quired to  spend  three  or  four  years  in  the 
army,  and  their  time  was  not,  therefore, 
withdrawn  from  the  pursuits  of  peace.  This 
was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  Dietrich 
Laue,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  removed 
from  France  to  the  kingdom  of  Hanover 
with  his  parents,  who  were  French.  When 
an  old  man  it  was  his  delight  to  call  his 
grandchildren  around  him  and  relate  in- 
cidents of  earlier  times,  and  talk  to  them  in 
French,  in  which  he  was  a  fluent  speaker, 
much  to  their  amusement,  their  cars  being 
accustomed  only  to  the  German  tongue.  He 
was  a  man  of  wealth  and  prominence,  a 
large  land  owner  for  the  time  in  which  he 
lived  and  one  having  a  fine  education.  For 
many  years  he  was  a  magistrate,  and  the 
leading  man  of  Hemsem,  the  village  and 
district  in  which  he  lived.  It  is  related  that 
it  fell  to  his  duty  to  find  quarters  for  some 
thousands  of  French  soldiers  who  were  sta- 


354 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Honed  there  during  the  Napoleonic  wars. 
During  this  time,  at  noon  each  day,  he  was 
required  to  act  as  escort  to  the  women  who 
took  food  to  their  husbands  in  the  field, 
they  fearing  the  troops  of  the  foreign  in- 
vader. He  attained  a  good  old  age,  passing 
away  when  eighty-two  years  and  four  months 
old,  revered  by  several  generations  of  the 
Hemsem  villagers.  He  was  twice  married, 
first  to  a  widow  lady,  and  to  extinguish  title 
to  property,  of  the  former  husband's  estate, 
he  gave  the  daughter  a  thousand  dollars  as 
a  settlement,  a  very  large  sum  of  money  at 
that  time,  showing  him  to  be  a  man  of  more 
than  ordinary  wealth  at  the  time.  After 
her  death  he  married  a  Miss  Pinne,  who  be- 
came trie  mother  of  Henry  Laue,  father  of 
the  sub'ject  of  this  review. 

Henry  Laue  was  born  in  the  village  of 
Hemsem,  in  1812,  and  attended  the  schools 
conducted  by  the  Lutheran  church,  and  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  was  confirmed  and  ad- 
mitted to  membership  in  the  church.  He 
devoted  himself  to  farming  and  lived  most  of 
his  life  on  a  comfortable  farm  of  sixty  acres, 
which  in  that  county,  under  their  system 
of  cultivation,  amounts  to  two  or  three 
times  that  number  of  acres  in  this  country. 
In  1 88 1,  he  came  to  America,  and  for  seven 
years  made  his  home  with  his  son  near  Har- 
mony, Illinois.  But  it  is  hard  to  transplant 
an  old  tree  into  new  soil.  Thoughts  of 
the  fatherland  crowded  themselves  upon 
him,  and  finally  the  longing  for  the  old 
home  became  too  great  to  be  withstood.  In 
1888,  he  returned  to  the  home  of  his  child- 
hood, and  in  January,  1891,  went  to  his 
rest,  having  lived  a  long  and  useful  life  of 
which  his  children  may  well  be  proud. 

Henry  Laue  married  Mary  Vogel,  daugh- 
ter of  Dietrich  Vogel,  who  was  a  farmer  in 
comfortable  circumstances  in  Hemsem. 


The  mother  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-one,  a 
woman  full  of  Christian  virtues.  To  them 
were  born  seven  children  as  follows:  Hen- 
ry, who  lives  on  the  old  home  farm;  served 
during  the  Franco-Prussian  war,  and  was 
detailed  for  service  at  the  officers'  quarters 
because  of  his  faithfulness  and  steady  hab- 
its; Louisa,  who  married  Henry  Deusing, 
and  lives  in  Germany;  Fred,  who  also 
served  .during  the  Franco- Prussian  war, 
and,  like  Henry,  because  of  his  faithfulness, 
was  retained  at  headquarters  with  the  pay- 
master, receiving  mail,  and  handling  money; 
he  came  to  America  in  1882,  and  now  owns 
a  fine  farm  in  McHenry  county,  near  Har- 
mony; Dietrich,  our  subject,  who  was 
named  for  his  grandfather;  August,  who  is 
engaged  in  farming  in  the  old  country,  and 
who  never  came  to  America;  William,  who 
came  to  America  some  years  after  our  sub- 
ject, and  now  owns  two  fine  large  farms  in 
McHenry  county,  not  far  from  the  Kane 
county  line;  and  Sophia,  who  married  Pat- 
rick Kain,  and  lives  in  Chicago. 

Dietrich  Laue  was  born  in  the  village  of 
Hemsem,  near  the  market  town  of  Nien- 
burg,  July  29,  1848,  the  year  of  the  revolu- 
tion of  the  German  states.  He  attended 
the  parochial  school  as  usual,  but  owing  to 
the  family  residence  having  been  burned, 
and  the  necessity  of  his  being  employed  in 
some  capacity,  he  was  passed  through  the 
school  a  year  earlier  than  common,  though 
he  passed  all  the  examinations  to  the  satis- 
faction of  the  teacher  in  charge.  At  an 
early  age  he  was  employed  on  a  large  es- 
tate, keeping  watch  over  the  cattle  in  the 
fields  for  several  years,  when  he  was  ap- 
pointed, and  for  four  years  had  full  charge 
of  the  sheep  of  a  large  estate.  The  last 
six  months  before  sailing  for  America  he 
was  employed  at  ordinary  farm  work. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


355 


When  it  came  to  breaking  home  ties, 
the  grief  of  the  family  was  profound.  The 
aged  grandfather  threw  his  arms  around 
the  neck  of  his  favorite  grandson,  named 
for  him,  and  implored  him  to  remain.  Sail- 
ing from  Bremen  October  16,  1868,  in  the 
Hansen,  the  largest  and  safest  vessel  of  the 
line,  after  a  fair  voyage  of  ten  days  our  emi- 
grant landed  at  New  York,  and  came  di- 
rectly west  to  Chicago,  the  time  occupied 
by  the  emigrant  train,  in  which  he  took 
passage,  being  five  days.  At  this  time  he 
was  thirteen  dollars  in  debt,  and  this  is  the 
start  he  had  in  this  country. 

From  Chicago,  Mr.  Laue  went  to  Bloom- 
ingdale,  Du  Page  county,  securing  work 
with  Henry  Harmoning,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained one  year.  The  four  following  years 
he  was  employed  on  the  farm  of  Lewis  Bart- 
lett,  and  then  returned  to  his  former  em- 
ployer, remaining  two  years.  It  is  a  no- 
ticeable fact  that  Mr.  Laue  remained  for  a 
long  period  of  time  at  each  place,  and  re- 
ceived from  forty  to  fifty  dollars  a  year 
more  than  others  working  for  the  same  per- 
son. His  employers  could  rest  easy  when 
away  from  home,  knowing  that  Dietrich 
Laue  was  in  charge  and  that  everything 
would  be  as  well  cared  for  as  if  they  were 
on  the  place.  One  of  the  secrets  of  Mr. 
Laue's  success,  was  that  he  always  endeav- 
ored to  take  as  careful  interest  in  his  em- 
ployer's affairs,  as  if  they  were  his  own. 

Mr.  Laue  was  married  in  Chicago,  Feb- 
ruary 24,  1875,  to  Miss  Sophia  Reinking,  a 
native  of  Ontarioville,  Illinois,  daughter  of 
Dietrich  Reinking  and  Dora  (Fisher)  Reink- 
ing. By  this  marriage,  have  been  born 
seven  children,  all  of  whom  yet  remain  un- 
der the  parental  roof.  They  are — Fred- 
erick, Emma,  William,  Herman,  Tillie, 
August  and  Lena. 


At  the  time  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Laue 
had  saved  fourteen  hundred  dollars.  He 
then  came  to  Hampshire  township  and  pur- 
chased two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  sec- 
tion 2,  on  which  he  made  a  payment  of 
twelve  hundred  dollars.  He  then  began  a 
career  of  unusual  success,  which  has  made 
him  the  owner  of  a  large  tract  of  as  fine  land 
as  lies  in  the  state  of  Illinois.  Before  he 
had  completed  the  deferred  payments  on 
his  first  purchase  he  bought  one  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  adjoining'his  farm  on  section 
3,  on  which  stands  a  substantial  house  and 
barn.  On  the  first  tract  he  erected  a  large 
two-story  frame  house  and  a  fine  basement 
barn,  36x80.  He  follows  dairy  farming 
and  keeps  on  hand  from  one  hundred  to 
one  hundred  and  ten  milch  cows,  the  prod- 
ucts of  which  he  ships  to  Chicago.  A  man 
of  unusual  good  business  management,  he 
is  training  his  sons  in  the  same  energetic 
ways. 

The  family  are  all  members  of  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  church,  of  Harmony. 
In  politics  Mr.  Laue  is  a  Republican,  and 
sees  no  present  reason  why  he  should  ever 
make  a  change.  He  has  served  a  number  of 
years  as  school  director  for  his  district, 
which  extends  into  McHenry  county,  and  in 
the  spring  of  1898  was  elected  one  of 
the  road  commissioners  of  Hampshire  town- 
ship. His  life  of  patient  industry,  should 
be  an  incentive  to  others  who  would  succeed 
in  life. 

JOHN  A.  McQUEEN,  residing  on  sec- 
tion i,  Plato  township,  Kane  county, 
has  spent  almost  sixty  years  of  his  life  in 
this  county.  The  McQueen  family  is  one  of 
the  oldest  and  most  respected  of  the  Scot- 
tish yeomanry.  For  many  generations,  rep- 
resentatives of  the  family  were  to  be  found 


356 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  southwest  Scotland.  The  first  to  come 
to  America  was  George  McQueen,  who  was 
born  in  Wigtonshire,  Scotland,  in  1805,  and 
was  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  ten  chil- 
dren. He  was  educated  for  the  ministry, 
but  feeling  no  call  for  clerical  life,  became 
an  ironmonger  in  Scotland.  His  father  was 
well-to-do  and  owned  a  large  farm,  on 
which  George  was  reared.  The  latter  was 
also  a  farmer,  as  well  as  a  merchant. 

In  1836  George  McQueen  sold  his  prop- 
erty in  Scotland  and  came  to  America,  and 
for  three  years  lived  at  Croton  Point,  New 
York,  on  the  Hudson  river.  In  1839  he 
came  west  by  boat  to  Troy,  New  York, 
thence  by  canal  to  Buffalo,  and  from  there 
to  Chicago  by  lake.  He  came  at  once  to 
Kane  county  and  purchased  two  hundred 
and  thirty  acres  in  section  i,in  Plato  town- 
ship, where  the  remainder  of  his  life  was 
passed,  he  dying  in  1859.  Before  leaving 
Scotland  he  married  Margaret  McCornack, 
born  in  Scotland  in  1807,  and  the  eldest  of 
a  family  of  six  children  born  to  Andrew  and 
Helen  (McGeogh)  McCornack.  Her  par- 
ents came  to  America  in  1837  and  her  father 
died  here  at  the  age  of  ninety-nine  years. 
She  died  in  1860  at  the  age  of  fifty-three 
years.  To  George  and  Margaret  McQueen 
seven  children  were  born,  as  follows:  El- 
len, who  married  Alexander  Caskey,  of  Chi- 
cago Heights,  and  is  now  deceased;  Will- 
iam, who  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years; 
Andrew,  living  in  Adams  county,  Washing- 
ton; John  A.  of  this  review;  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  James  Rosborough,  of  Plato  township; 
Janet,  wife  of  W.  J.  Christie,  of  Elgin;  and 
Mary  H.,  wife  of  W.  J.  McEldowney,  of 
Chicago  Heights. 

John  A.  McQueen  was  born  at  Croton 
Point,  April  14,  1839,  and  was  but  three 
months  old  when  his  parents  came  to  Kane 


county.  He  grew  to  manhood  on  his  fa- 
ther's farm  and  attended  the  public  schools 
at  Udina  and  also  Elgin  Academy  until  the 
age  of  eighteen  years.  He  then  taught 
school  for  two  years,  and  on  his  father's 
death,  in  1859,  he  took  charge  of  the  home 
farm  until  his  mother's  death,  one  year 
later.  He  continued  to  remain  on  the  farm 
until  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion,  when  he 
enlisted  August  17,  1861,  in  Company  B, 
a  calvary  company  attached  to  the  Thirty- 
sixth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  His  com- 
pany was  mustered  in  at  Camp  Hammond, 
Aurora,  and  was  from  there  sent  to  Benton 
Barracks,  where  the  regiment  remained  one 
month,  engaged  in  drilling.  It  was  then 
sent  to  Camp  Rolla,  where  it  remained  un- 
til Januar.y,  1862,  and  was  in  the  battle  of 
Pea  Ridge,  under  Curtis.  It  then  marched 
to  Cape  Girardeau,  where  it  took  a  steamer 
to  Pittsburg  Landing,  and  marched  thence 
to  Corinth,  participating  in  the  siege  of  that 
place.  The  regiment  was  then  sent  to 
Nas  hvilleand  took  part,  under  Buell,  in  the 
race  with  Bragg  for  the  Ohio  river  at  Lou- 
isville, Kentucky.  It  was  in  the  battle  of 
Perryville,  and  later  in  the  battles  of  Stone 
River  and  Murphrysboro.  In  the  Chatta- 
nooga campaign  it  participated  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Chickamauga  and  Lookout  Mount- 
ain, under  Hooker,  in  that  engagement  so 
graphically  described  as  the  battle  above 
the  clouds.  It  was  then  in  the  campaign 
and  the  battles  around  Atlanta. 

While  in  Lookout  Valley,  Mr.  Mc- 
Queen's time  expired,  and  he  re-enlisted 
for  three  years  or  "until  the  close  of  the 
war."  From  Atlanta,  under  Howard,  the 
regiment  marched  to  Savannah,  on  the 
world  famed  march  to  the  sea.  With  the 
division  that  moved  to  Beaufort  by  the 
steamer  and  thence  to  Pocotalico,  the  regi- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


357 


ment  moved  on  to  Columbia  and  Goldsbor- 
ought  where  Sherman  and  Scofield  made  a 
junction.  After  leaving  Beaufort  Mr.  Mc- 
Queen had  charge  of  General  Howard's 
scouts,  and  was  recognized  as  one  of  the 
most  daring  of  men  in  that  service  of  the 
many  fearless  ones  who  made  enviable  rec- 
ords during  the  war. 

Two  days  after  leaving  Columbia,  while 
out  with  a  scouting  party,  Mr.  McQueen 
was  riding  a  white  horse  that  he  had  picked 
up,  his  own  having  become  disabled.  This 
made  him  conspicuous,  and  in  consequence 
he  was  an  easy  mark  for  the  enemy,  and 
received  a  severe  wound  in  the  groin. 
After  lying  twenty-four  hours  in  a  nearby 
cabin  he  was  captured.  From  this  time  on 
his  experience  reads  like  a  romance.  Dur- 
ing the  time  of  the  disorder,  when  Columbia 
was  burned  during  its  occupancy  by  the  fed- 
eral troops,  Mr.  McQueen  used  every  effort 
to  restrain  the  troops  and  posted  a  guard  to 
protect  the  residence  of  an  aged  couple.  It 
proved  to  be  that  of  Rev.  A.  Toomer  Porter, 
chaplain  of  a  confederate  general  and  a 
man  of  great  influence  in  the  south.  Be- 
cause of  this  fact  the  minister  gave  him  a 
letter  addressed  to  Gen.  Wade  Hampton 
or  any  confederate  officer  into  whose  hands 
it  might  fall,  stating  the  fact  and  commend- 
ing him  to  their  consideration.  After  re- 
ceiving the  wound,  Mr.  McQueen  was  re- 
moved to  the  home  of  a  southern  soldier 
who  had  lost  an  arm  in  the  battle  of  Peters- 
burg, under  General  Lee.  He  carried  our 
subject  one  mile  to  his  home,  and  there 
cared  for  and  protected  him.  That  letter 
secured  for  him  the  consideration  he  re- 
ceived. A  noted  guerrilla  came  to  the  cabin 
with  the  intention  of  killing  him,  but  was 
prevented  by  the  owner,  who  would  have 
protected  him  with  his  life. 


When  Rev.  Porter  learned  of  the  wound- 
ing of  Mr.  McQueen  he  came  to  him  and  se- 
cured his  removal  to  a  confederate  hospital 
at  Camden.  Here  he  was  commended  to 
the  favor  of  Bishop  Davis,  of  South  Caro- 
lina, and  by  his  own  generosity  to  fellow  in- 
mates in  dividing  the  food  sent  him  by 
friends  of  the  Bishop,  won  their  hearts  and 
was  given  better  treatment  than  he  would 
have  otherwise  received.  When  somewhat 
recovered  he  was  removed  to  trie  military 
prison,  and  here  the  Bishop's  son  came  to 
him  and  secured  for  him  the  best  to  be  had. 
While  here  he  saw  Dr.  Todd,  a  brother-in- 
law  of  President  Lincoln,  who  was  serving 
as  surgeon  in  the  confederate  army.  Bishop 
Davis  and  Rev.  Porter  also  visited  him 
while  in  the  prison,  and  as  soon  as  he  was 
able  to  travel  Rev.  Porter  took  him  to 
Chester,  South  Carolina.  Their  only  con- 
veyance to  Chester  was  a  rickety  old  buggy 
and  a  condemned  army  mule.  The  latter 
was  so  weak  that  he  could  not  draw  both 
men  in  the  buggy,  so  Mr.  Porter  walked  the 
greater  part  of  the  way. 

At  Raleigh  Mr.  Porter  secured  the  parole 
of  our  subject,  and  he  there  waited  the  ar- 
rival of  'Sherman's  army.  The  pages  of 
history  do  not  record  a  greater  expression  of 
gratitude  for  favors  shown  than  that  exhib- 
ited by  Rev.  Porter  to  Mr.  McQueen.  He 
traveled  with  him  more  than  thirteen  hun- 
dred miles,  the  greater  part  of  the  distance 
on  foot,  and  using  his  influence  with  supe- 
rior officers,  finally  secured  his  parole.  On 
several  occasions  he  was  instrumental  in 
saving  our  subject's  life.  At  a  G.  A.  R.  re- 
union at  Washington,  some  years  after  the 
close  of  the  war,  there  was  a  very  affecting 
meeting  of  Mr.  Porter  and  Mr.  McQueen. 
The  reverend  gentleman  now  conducts  a 
school  for  orphans  of  the  war,  both  union 


358 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  confederate,  and  for  its  maintenance 
secures  large  sums  of  money  from  the  north. 
Beginning  as  a  private,  Mr.  McQueen  was 
later  commissioned  first  lieutenant,  and  was 
known  as  a  fearless  and  daring  scout  of  great 
service  to  Sherman's  army. 

On  his  teturn  home  Lieutenant  McQueen 
purchased  from  the  other  heirs  the  old 
homestead  and  has  now  one  hundred  and 
ninety-five  acres  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation. On  the  place  he  has  erected  two 
dwellings  and  three  large  barns.  For  some 
six  years  after  the  close  of  the  war  he  made 
a  specialty  of  sheep  raising,  but  that  indus- 
try becoming  unprofitable  he  abandoned  it. 
About  1871  he  began  dairy  farming,  and 
ke.:ps  upon  the  place  about  one  hundred 
head  of  cattle.  The  Chicago,  Milwaukee 
&  St.  Paul  railroad  cutting  through  his 
farm,  a  station  was  there  located,  which  he 
named  Plato,  but  which  name  was  changed 
by  the  railroad  company  to  McQueen's 
Station.  Here  for  a  time  he  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business.  The  farm  is  now  con- 
ducted by  his  sons. 

Lieutenant  McQueen  was  united  in  mar- 
riage at  Chicago  Heights  November  28, 
1865,  with  Miss  Martha  E.  Eakin,  born 
May  22,  1845,  and  a  daughter  of  Stewart 
B.  and  Catherine  (McEldowney)  Eakin, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ireland.  By 
this  union  five  children  were  born  as  fol- 
lows: (i)  Catherine  Margaret,  who  at- 
tended the  Elgin  academy,  and  later  grad- 
uated from  the  Rockford  Female  College, 
and  who  is  now  holdings  position  in  the  Gail 
Borden  Library  at  Elgin.  (2)  Alice  J.,  a 
graduate  of  both  the  Elgin  Academy  and 
Rockford  Female  College.  She  is  a  teacher 
of  great  ability.  When  Professor  Welch 
resigned  as  principal  of  the  Elgin  Academy 
and  took  charge  of  Lake  Forrest  Seminary, 


he  insisted  on  Miss  McQueen  receiving  an 
appointment,  and  she  was  the  first  female 
teacher  in  that  institution.  (3)  William 
Charles,  a  graduate  from  the  Elgin  Acad- 
emy and  who  spent  one  year  at  Knox  Col- 
lege, Galesburg,  married  Irene  McCornack, 
daughter  of  Andrew  H.  and  Isabella  M. 
(Eakin)  McCornack.  The  latter  was  a 
daughter  of  Samuel  and  Jane  (Christy) 
Eakin,  Jane  being  a  daughter  of  William 
Christy.  Andrew  H.  McCornack  was  the 
son  of  William  and  Eliza  (Frazer)  McCor- 
nack, the  former  from  Wigtonshire,  and 
and  the  latter  from  Inverness-shire.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  William  and  Isabella  (Mc- 
Lean) Frazer.  William  McCornack  was 
the  son  of  Andrew  and  Ellen  (McGeough) 
McCornack.  To  William  C.  McQueen  and 
wife  two  children  have  been  born,  one  dy- 
ing in  infancy,  the  other  being  Martha  Isa- 
belle.  (4)  George  Stewart,  who  attended 
the  public  school  and  Elgin  Academy,  now 
engaged  in  farming  at  McQueen's  Station. 
He  married  Jenny  Mink,  daughter  of  Le- 
ander  and  Marcia  (Woodward)  Mink,  by 
whom  he  has  two  children,  Margaret  and 
Harry.  Leander  Mink  was  the  son  of  Rob- 
ert and  Jane  (Vantine)  Mink.  His  wife, 
Marcia,  was  the  daughter  of  Robert  and 
Mary  (Crandall)  Woodward.  (5)  John 
Walter,  a  graduate  of  the  Elgin  Academy, 
is  now  a  student  in  Beloit  College. 

Lieutenant  McQueen  is  a  member  of 
Elgin  post  No.  49,  G.  A.  R.  No  man 
stands  higher  in  the  community.  He  is 
conscientious  and  upiight,  a  good  citizen, 
thrifty  and  energetic. 


MT.  BARROWS,  now  living  a  retired 
life   in   Dundee,    Illinois,    has    been  a 
resident  of  the  state   since  January,   1856. 


LIBRARY 
Of  THE 

of  -it»-'«»n»s. 


M.  T.   BARROWS. 


MRS.   M.  T.   BARROWS. 


0* 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


363 


His  life  is  an  exemplification  of  the  fact 
that  there  are  no  rules  for  building  charac- 
ters, and  none  for  achieving  success.  The 
man  who  can  rise  from  the  ranks  to  a  posi- 
tion of  eminence  is  he  who  can  see  and 
utilize  the  opportunities  that  surround  his 
path.  The  essential  conditions  of  human 
life  are  ever  the  same,  the  surroundings  of 
individuals  differ  but  slightly.  When  one 
man  passes  another  on  the  highway  of  life 
it  is  because  he  has  the  power  to  use  advan- 
tages which  probably  encompass  the  whole 
human  race.  Among  the  most  prominent 
men  of  Kane  county,  is  the  one  whose 
name  heads  this  sketch.  He  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Corinth,  Saratoga  county,  New 
York,  July  15,  1834,  and  is  the  son  of  The- 
ron  Barrows,  born  in  the  same  town  in 
1812.  His  grandfather,  Joseph  BarYows, . 
was  also  a  native  of  New  York,  and  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  Saratoga  county,  where 
he  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  leading 
farmers.  The  family  are  of  English  de- 
scent, three  brothers  coming  to  this  country 
at  an  early  day,  one  locating  in  Connecti- 
cut, one  in  Massachusetts,  and  the  ancestor 
of  our  subject  in  New  York. 

Theron  Barrows  was  a  blacksmith  by 
trade,  which  occupation  he  followed  in  his 
native  state.  He  there  married  Marietta 
Grippin,  a  native  of  Saratoga  county,  New 
York,  and  a  daughter  of  William  Grippin,  a 
pioneer  farmer  of  that  county.  Both  re- 
ceived the  common-school  education  of  early 
days,  gleaning  their  greatest  knowledge  in 
the  stern  school  of  experience.  They  were 
brought  up  believers  in  the  Baptist  faith, 
and  joined  a  church  of  that  denomination  in 
the  town  of  Corinth,  New  York.  They  never 
changed  from  this  belief,  but  continued 
firm  to  the  end  of  their  lives.  At  the  early 
ages  of  nineteen  and  seventeen  years,  re- 

17 


spectively,  they  joined  hands  in  the  holy 
bonds  of  matrimony,  and  started  forth  on 
life's  journey,  spending  nearly  sixty  years 
together. 

In  1854  Theron  Barrows  moved  with  his 
family  to  Dundee,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  hardware  business,  which  he  success- 
fully conducted  for  a  number  of  years.  Clos- 
ing out  his  stock,  he  removed  to  Elgin,  and 
became  a  stockholder  and  vice-president  of 
the  Home  National  Bank,  with  which  insti- 
tution he  was  connected  until  his  death,  in 
December,  1892.  His  wife  survived  him  a 
few  months,  passing  away  in  1893.  They 
were  laid  to  rest  in  the  Dundee  cemetery. 
In  early  life  he  was  a  stanch  Whig  and  an 
enthusiastic  supporter  of  Henry  Clay.  He 
believed  in  maintaining  a  high  tariff  and  was 
•.  unalterably  opposed  to  slavery.  After  the 
change  of  "political  parties,  he  remained  a 
firm  Republican  to  the  end  of  his  life.  In 
his  business  relations  he  was  ever  accounted 
honest  and  upright,  valuing  his  word  higher 
than  written  guarantee.  Socially  he  was  a 
man  of  genial  and  pleasant  manners,  mak- 
ing and  retaining  many  friends. 

M.  T.  Barrows,  our  subject,  grew  to 
manhood  in  Greenfield  Centre,  Saratoga 
county,  New  York,  and  there  learned  the 
blacksmith's  trade,  at  which  he  worked  and 
carried  on  a  shop  for  some  years.  In  Jan- 
uary, 1856,  he  came  west,  locating  first  in 
Dundee,  where  he  operated  a  blacksmith 
shop  for  two  years,  when  he  sold  out  and 
removed  to  Barrington,  Cook  county,  where 
he  carried  on  a  shop  for  five  years.  Re- 
turning to  Dundee  he  took  an  interest  in  the 
hardware  store,  in  partnership  with  his  father, 
which  connection  was  continued  for  eight 
years.  He  then  purchased  his  father's  in- 
terest and  continued  the  business  with  grat- 
ifying success,  until  1888,  when  he  sold  out 


364 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  has  since  lived  a  retired  life.  He  has 
also  dealt  somewhat  extensively  in  real  es- 
tate, buying  and  selling  farm  land.  He 
now  owns  several  farms,  one  in  Kane  county, 
two  in  Cook  county,  one  in  Lake  county, 
one  in  Boone  county  and  one  of  nine  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  in  Howard  county,  Iowa, 
and  a  plantation  in  Monticello,  Jefferson 
county,  Florida,  of  over  five  hundred  acres. 
The  farms  are  all  for  stock  and  dairy  pur- 
poses, and  are  all  well  improved  places, 
comprising  a  total  of  three  thousand,  five 
hundred  acres. 

Mr.  Barrows  was  united  in  marriage  at 
Dundee,  Illinois,  in  December,  1856,  to 
Miss  C.  L.  Oatman,  only  daughter  of  Jesse 
Oatman,  a  pioneer  settler  of  Kane  county. 
There  were  ten  children  born  of  this  union, 
five  of  whom  died  in  infancy  and  early 
childhood.  The  living  are  Clara  M.,  wife 
of  Dr.  Briggs,  of  Elgin;  Herbert  A.,  in  the 
insurance  business  at  Dundee;  EltaV. ,  wife 
of  A.  C.  Crawford,  of  Freeport,  Illinois; 
Lucy  B.,  wife  of  Alfred  Ketchum,  a  farmer 
of  Dundee  township;  and  L.  Gertrude,  now 
taking  a  course  of  music  in  Newport,  New 
Hampshire. 

Politically  Mr.  Barrows  is  a  Republican, 
and  cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for 
Abraham  Lincoln  in  1860.  From  that  time 
to  the  present  he  has  voted  for  the  nominees 
of  that  party  for  president  at  each  election. 
While  preferring  to  give  his  time  and  atten- 
tion to  his  extensive  business  interests,  he 
was  elected  and  served  as  president  of  the 
town  board  three  terms.  When  a  young 
man  he  united  with  the  Odd  Fellows  and 
passed  all  the  chairs,  but  is  now  an  ancient 
Odd  Fellow.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Bap- 
tist church,  of  which  body  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren are  also  members. 

Mr.  Barrows  commenced  life  for  himself 


a  poor  boy,  working  for  twenty-five  cents  a 
day,  and  later  four  dollars  a  month.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  he  had  saved  one  hundred 
and  forty-nine  dollars,  with  which  he  com- 
menced blacksmithing  for  himself  at  Green- 
field Centre,  New  York.  By  his  own  in- 
dustry and  thrifty  habits,  he  has  acquired  a 
competency,  and  is  able  to  live  a  retired 
life.  When  he  came  west  he  had  about 
twelve  hundred  dollars,  which  he  invested 
in  business,  and  success  has  crowned  his 
efforts  in  a  remarkable  degree.  For  forty- 
two  long  years  he  has  been  a  resident  of  this 
vicinity,  and  is  well  known  in  Kane  and  ad- 
joining counties,  and  those  who  know  him 
best  hold  him  in  the  highest  regard. 


JOEL  GOODELL,  who  for  twenty  years 
has  been  the  efficient  assessor  of  St. 
Charles  township,  has  made  his  home  in 
the  city  of  St.  Charles  almost  continuously 
since  January  24,  1857,  and,  as  a  public- 
spirited  and  progressive  citizen,  he  has 
given  his  support  to  all  measures  for  the 
public  good. 

Mr.  Goodell  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence 
county,  New  York,  March  25,  1832,  a  son 
of  Levi  and  Elizabeth  (Covey)  Goodell. 
The  father  was  born  in  Salem,  Massachu- 
setts, about  1796,  and  died  in  1858,  while 
the  mother  died  in  Jefferson  county,  New 
York,  when  our  subject  was  about  twelve 
years  old.  In  their  family  were  five  children 
— four  sons  and  one  daughter — all  of  whom 
are  still  living  in  New  York,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  our  subject,  and  are  heads  of  fami- 
lies, and  Levi,  Daniel,  Hiram  and  Lucinda 
are  all  residents  of  Lewis  county,  that  state. 
About  1837  Joel  Goodell  accompanied 
the  family  on  their  removal  from  St.  Law- 
rence county  to  Jefferson  county,  New  York, 


L.  GERTRUDE  BARROWS. 


HERBERT  A.  BARROWS. 

M.  T.  BARROWS.  THERON  BARROWS. 

THERON  C.  BARROWS. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


365 


locating  sixteen  miles  from  Watertown, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood.-  As  his  educa- 
tional advantages  were  limited,  he  is  almost 
wholly  self-educated.  At  the  age  of  sixte'en 
he  began  learning  the  tanner's  and  currier's 
trade,  in  the  village  of  Champion,  -New 
York,  serving  a  four-years'  apprenticeship, 
but  after  working  as- a  journeyman  for  one 
year  in  Carthage,  his  health  failed,  and  dur- 
ing the  following  year  he  spent  most  of  his 
time  in  hunting  and  fishing  with  the  hope 
of  regaining  his  lost  strength.  He  then  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  a  year  or  two. 

In  Jefferson  county,  New  York,  Mr. 
Goodell  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Orrinda 
Everden,  September  i,  1855.  She  was 
born  at  Clayton,  Thousand  Islands,  in  the 
St.  Lawrence  river,  a  daughter  of  G.  W. 
Everden,  who  was  captain  of  a  vessel,  and 
was  drowned  the  night  of  November  11, 
1835,  when  his  ship  was  lost.  In  his  family 
were  only  two  children,  his  son  being  E.  G. 
Everden,  a  farmer  and  business  man  of 
Benona,  Oceana  county,  Michigan,  who  is 
married  and  has  a  family.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Goodell  have  one  son,  Ernest  F. ,  cashier  of 
the  banking  house  of  Bowman,  Warne  & 
Stewart,  of  St.  Charles.  He  is  a  well  edu- 
cated and  successful  business  man,  of  ster- 
ling worth  and  many  excellent  traits  of 
character.  He  is  married  and  has  two 
sons,  Harry  and  Ralph,  and  a  daughter, 
Charlotte  M. 

After  his  marriage,  Joel  Goodell  contin- 
ued to  engage  in  farming  in  his  native  state 
until  1857,  when  he  emigrated  to  St. 
Charles,  and  began  the  practice  of  veteri- 
nary surgery,  with  which  he  was  perfectly 
familiar,  his  father  having  been  connected 
with  that  profession.  At  the  end  of  a  year 
he  returned  to  New  York  to  care  for  his 
father  who  was  ill,  and  while  there  he  en- 


listed, in  1861,  in  the  Seventeenth  New  York 
Artillery,  stationed  at  Sackett's  Harbor, 
but  on  examination  he  was  relused.  Re- 
turning to  St.  Charles,  in  1863,  he  was  for 
about  a  year  in  the  government  employ, 
treating  horses  at  the  government  corral  in 
Chicago.  Subsequently  he  practiced  vet- 
erinary surgery  in  St.  Charles  for  a  number 
of  years. 

The  Republican  party  has  always  found 
in  Mr.  Goodell  a  stanch  supporter,  having 
voted  for  every  presidential  candidate  since 
casting  his  vdta-.for  J'ohn  C.  Fremont,  in 
1856,  with  the  e'jtce.priqri .  of  once  when 
not  at  home  during  the  election.  He  has 
been  a  delegate  to  many  county  ^conventions, 
has  taken  an  active  interest  in  local  politics, 
and  for  four  years  served  as  collector  of  St. 
Charles  township,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  assessor.  For  a  number  of  years  he 
was  also  a  member  of  the  school  board,  and 
has  most  capably  and  faithfully  discharged 
the  duties  of  whatever  office  he  has  been 
called  upon  to  fill,  including  that  of  deputy 
sheriff  of  Kane  county,  in  which  he -served 
for  three  years.  Although  not  a  member  of 
any  religious  organization,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Goodell  attend  the  Congregational  church, 
and  they  have  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all 
who  know  them. 


EJ.  BOLDT  is  one  of  the  important 
factors  in  the  business  circles  of  Elgin, 
and  his  life  is  an  exemplification  of  the  term 
"the  dignity  of  labor."  The  possibilities 
that  America  offers  to  her  citizens  he  has 
utilized,  and  though  he  came  to  this  coun- 
try in.  limited  circumstances  he  has  steadily 
and  perseveringly  worked  his  way  upward, 
leaving  the  ranks  of  the  many  to  stand 
among  the  successful  few.  He  now  con- 


366 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


ducts  in  Elgin  a  store  which  would  be  a 
credit  to  a  city  of  much  greater  size,  deal- 
ing in  wall  paper  and  paints  and  doing  a 
general  painting  and  decorating  business. 

Mr.  Boldt  was  born  in  Tessin,  Mecklen- 
burg Schwerin,  Germany,  November  6, 
1858,  a  son  of  Ernest  J.  and  Mary  (Hoff- 
man) Boldt,  also  natives  of  Germany.  The 
former  was  an  officer  on  board  a  German 
vessel  and  followed  the  sea  during  the 
greater  part  of  his  active  business  life,  mak- 
ing a  number  of  trips  to  India  on  merchant 
marines.  At  the  age  of  sixty-five  he  laid 
aside  business  cares  and  lived  retired  in  the 
enjoyment  of  a  well-earned  rest  until  his 
death,  in  1862.  He  was  at  the  time  in  his 
sixty-ninth  year,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  1791.  In  religious  belief  he  was  a  Lu- 
theran. Mrs.  Mary  Boldt,  who  was  his 
second  wife,  is  now  living  in  Elgin,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-three  years.  They  had  three 
children:  E.  J. ;  Adolph,  employed  in  the 
postal  service  of  Germany,  and  Caroline, 
wife  of  John  Wagner,  who  resides  on  a 
farm  near  Dundee,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Boldt,  of  this  sketch,  completed  his 
literary  education  by  his  graduation  in  a 
high  school  at  Tessin,  about  1873.  He 
then  entered  upon  an  apprenticeship  to  the 
painter's  and  decorator's  trade  under  Will- 
iam Toellrfer,  painter  and  decorator,  com- 
pleting his  term  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  but 
remaining  with  his  employer  through  the 
following  year.  When  twenty  years  of  age 
he  entered  the  German  army  and  on  the  ex- 
piration of  his  two  years'  term  went  to 
Hamburg,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for 
six  months.  He  then  again  entered  the 
army,  being  called  for  a  drill  of  six  weeks. 
On  once  more  returning  to  civil  life,  he  de- 
termined to  seek  a  home  in  America,  and 
on  the  22d  of  October,  1881,  landed  in 


New  York,  whence  .he  came  to  Elgin.  He 
made  this  place  his  destination  by  reason  of 
his  uncle,  F.  O.  Hoffman,  living  on  a  farm 
near  here.  After  visiting  his  uncle  for  two 
weeks  he  secured  employment  with  the  firm 
of  Day  &  Fencher,  painters  and  decorators. 
After  eight  months  Mr.  Day  removed  to 
Syracuse,  New  York,  and  Mr.  Boldt  entered 
into  partnership  with  Mr.  Fencher,  a  con- 
nection which  was  maintained  for  a  year. 

Since  that  time  Mr.  Boldt  has  been  alone 
in  business,  and  has  met  with  a  splendid 
success,  which  he  well  merits.  He  carries 
a  large  and  well-selected  stock  of  wall 
paper,  and  has  taken  contracts  for  papering, 
painting  and  decorating  some  of  the  finest 
structures  that  have  been  erected  in  this 
part  of  the  state.  His  business  has  con- 
stantly grown  in  volume  and  importance, 
and  has  now  assumed  extensive  proportions. 
The  frescoing  in  some  of  the  churches  in 
Elgin,  Barrington,  Hampshire  and  Geneva 
has  been  done  by  him  and  able  assistants. 
He  has  taken  contracts  for  painting  many 
of  the  public  buildings,  and  now  has  a  con- 
tract for  such  work  in  the  new  park  pavilion 
in  course  of  construction;  also  a  large  new 
club-house  at  Lake  Geneva,  Wisconsin.  He 
has  painted  and  tinted  the  inside  walls  of 
most  of  the  Elgin  school  buildings,  and  in 
papering  and  decorating  private  residences 
he  has  a  very  large  business.  His  artistic 
taste  at  once  recognizing  harmony  in  colors 
and  tints,  and  grasping  almost  intuitively 
the  effect  that  will  be  produced  by  certain 
combinations  proves  a  very  valuable  factor 
in  his  work.  He  keeps  always  on  hand  a 
force  of  employes,  and  during  the  busy 
season  frequently  has  as  many  as  sixteen 
skilled  workmen. 

On  the  4th  of  October,   1884,  Mr.  Boldt 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lizzie,  daugh- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


367 


ter  of  Fred  Yurs,  an  agriculturist  living  near 
Elgin.  They  now  have  an  interesting  family 
of  three  children:  Walter  A.,  A.  Herbert 
and  Hazel  Esther.  The  parents  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  church, 
and  in  social  circles  occupy  an  enviable 
position,  their  generous  hospitality  being 
enjoyed  by  many  friends.  Mr.  Boldt  gives 
his  political  support  to  the  Republican  party, 
but  has  never  aspired  to  office,  preferring  to 
devote  his  time  and  energies  to  his  business, 
in  which  he  has  met  with  signal  success. 


EBENEZER  P.  EATON,  deceased,  was 
widely  and  favorably  known  through- 
out various  sections  of  the  west,  with  whose 
business  interests  he  was  prominently  iden- 
tified. He  was  born  in  Northampton, 
Massachusetts,  in  1821,  and  when  a  lad  of 
ten  years  removed  to  Waterloo,  New  York, 
with  his  parents,  Ebenezer  and  Mary 
(Stuart)  Eaton.  His  father  was  a  descend- 
ant of  Francis  Benjamin  Eaton,  a  Pilgrim 
who  came  to  this  country  in  the  Mayflower. 
About  1843  or  1844  Mr.  Eaton  came 
west  and  first  located  in  Milwaukee,  Wis- 
consin, where  he  was  employed  as  a  clerk 
in  a  hotel  for  three  years.  Becoming  thor- 
oughly familiar  with  that  business,  he 
opened  a  hotel  in  Chicago,  which  he  con- 
ducted for  two  years,  and  subsequently  he 
was  successfully  engaged  in  the  same  busi- 
ness at  Elkhorn,  Walworth  county,  Wis- 
consin, for  sixteen  years.  In  1865  he  re- 
moved to  Clinton,  Iowa  where  he  engaged 
in  hotelkeeping  and  also  conducted  a  livery 
stable  for  ten  years.  Removing  to  Dixon, 
Illinois,  in  1875,  ne  carried  on  a  livery 
there  until  1880,  when  he  retired  from  act- 
ive business,  enjoying  a  well  earned  rest  at 
his  pleasant  home  in  Elgin,  where  he  lived 


for  two  years.  A  pleasant,  genial  gentle- 
man, he  made  a  most  popular  and  success- 
ful landlord,  and  his  house  was  always  a 
great  favorite  with  the  traveling  public. 
His  politicalsupportwasalways given  the  men 
and  measures  of  the  Democratic  party,  and 
fraternally  he  affiliated  with  the  Masonic 
order,  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows.  In  Clinton,  Iowa,  on  the  23d  of 
January,  1891,  he  was  called  to  his  final 
rest,  and  his  death  was  mourned  by  a  large 
circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances  as  well 
as  by  his  immediate  family. 

In  early  manhood  Mr.  Eaton  married 
Miss  Julia  Harriman,  a  native  of  Canada, 
born  at  Jerusalem,  thirty  miles  from  Mon- 
treal. She  is  a  representative,  however,  of 
some  of  the  oldest  and  most  highly 
respected  families  of  the  United  States. 
Her  paternal  grandfather,  Rufus  Harri- 
man, was  born  in  Vermont  of  New  Eng- 
land parentage,  and  married  Lucinda  Dav- 
is, a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  and  Abigail  (Clark)  Dav- 
is, who  were  also  descended  from  old 
Colonial  stock.  Mrs.  Eaton's  father,  Noah 
Harriman,  was  born  in  Vermont,  but  spent 
much  of  his  early  life  in  Canada  and  New 
York,  coming  west  in  1844  and  locating  in 
Elkhorn,  Wisconsin,  where  he  died  in  No- 
vember, 1894,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty- 
eight  years.  By  occupation  he  was  a  farm- 
er, and  he  had  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all 
who  knew  him.  Mrs.  Eaton,  who  is  a  most 
estimable  lady,  has  a  pleasant  home  at  No. 
363  Park  avenue,  Elgin,  where  she  expects 
to  spend  her  declining  years. 

Four  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Eaton,  as  follows:  (i)  Orien  C.,  who  makes 
his  home  with  his  mother  in  Elgin,  was  in 
the  one-hundred-days'  service  during  the 
Civil  war,  and  is  now  a  traveling  salesman 


368 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


for  a  Chicago  house.  He  married  Eva  Bab- 
cock,  now  deceased.  Politically  he  is  a 
Democrat,  and  socially  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  (2)  Edgar  Stewart, 
a  grocer  of  Elgin,  is  a  Republican  in  polit- 
ical sentiment,  and  is  also  a  Mason.  (3) 
Dora  Louisa  is  living  with  her  mother.  (4) 
Stella  M.  is  the  wife  of  Walter  Bates,  a 
traveling  salesman  of  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa, 
and  has  one  child,  Dorothy. 


/CHARLES  J.  ANDERSON,  farmer  and 
V>  station  agent  at  McQueen  Station, 
Plato  township,  is  a  native  of  Kane  county, 
born  in  Elgin,  October  31,  1855.  He  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  that  city  until 
about  fourteen  years  of  age,  when  it  became 
necessary  that  he  should  find  some  useful 
employment,  and  for  about  six  years  he 
worked  in  the  condensing  factory,  planing 
mill  and  in  other  places.  In  1875  his 
father  bought  a  farm  of  ninety  acres,  lying 
in  Plato  and  Rutland  townships,  to  which 
the  family  removed.  For  his  father  Charles 
worked  until  he  purchased  the  farm  to 
which  he  has  since  added  twenty  additional 
acres,  bought  of  Andrew  McCornack.  The 
farm  is  used  for  dairy  purposes,  Mr.  Ander- 
son shipping  the  products  to  Chicago. 

John  Anderson,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  the  city  of  Boroas,  Swe- 
den, and  came  to  America  in  1854,  sailing 
from  Gottenberg,  and  landing  at  Boston, 
where  he  remained  six  months.  He  then 
went  to  Chicago  and  thence  to  Elgin,  and 
labored  at  what  he  could  find  to  do.  For  a 
time  he  followed  mattress  making,  and 
worked  in  the  condensing  factory  until  he 
purchased  his  farm  in  1875.  He  has  now 
retired  from  active  work  and  makes  his 
home  with  our  subject.  While  residing  in 


Sweden,  he  married  Anna  Peterson,  by 
whom  he  had  seven  children,  five  of  whom 
reached  maturity — Andrew,  who  was  born 
in  Sweden,  six  months  before  sailing,  died 
in  Elgin,  at  the  uge  of  forty-seven  years; 
Sophia,  living  in  Chicago;  Louise,  now  Mrs. 
Peder  Rovelstad,  of  Elgin;  and  Charles  J., 
our  subject,  and  his  twin  brother,  William, 
who  resides  at  South  Manchester,  Con- 
necticut. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  married 
at  McQueen's  Station,  February  10,  1887, 
to  Miss  Christine  Caroline  Johnson,  a  na- 
tive of  Sweden,  who  came  to  America  with 
her  brother  in  1880.  By  this  union  five 
children  have  been  born — Agnes,  Anna, 
Antonia,  Clara,  and  Carl  William.  The 
first  named  died  at  the  age  of  three  years 
and  eight  months.  Mrs.  Anderson  died 
April  15,  1898.  Her  funeral  was  held  in 
Elgin,  and  was  attended  by  many  friends 
who  knew  her  in  this  life  and  who  grieved 
with  husband  and  motherless  children.  Her 
remains  were  laid  to  rest  in  Bluff  City 
cemetery. 

Since  September,  1882,  Mr.  Anderson 
has  served  as  station  agent  at  McQueen's 
Station,  and  has  been  postmaster  since 
Harrison  served  as  president.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church  of  El- 
gin, of  which  body  his  wife  is  also  a  mem- 
ber. In  politics,  is  a  thorough  Republican. 
As  a  citizesn,  he  stands  high  in  the  estima- 
tion of  his  fellow  men. 


LABAN  HAYWARD,  who  is  now  living 
retired  in  Aurora,  but  who  for  over 
forty  years  was  one  of  the  active,  enterpris- 
ing and  representative  business  men  of  the 
city,  dates  his  residence  in  the  state  since 
1849,  and  in  Aurora,  Kane  county,  since 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


369 


1865.  The  Hay  ward  family  are  of  English 
descent,  the  first  of  the  name  settling  in 
Vermont  at  a  very  early  day.  In  that  state 
Asa  Hayward  was  born  in  1784,  and  died  in 
1868.  His  son,  Willard  Hayward,  was 
born  in  Rutland  county,  Vermont,  in  1808. 
He  was  there  reared,  and  married  Betsy 
Bradish,  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  eight 
children  of  Jonas  M.  Bradish,  who  was  also 
a  pioneer  of  Vermont.  After  his  marriage 
Willard  Hayward  engaged  in  farming  in 
Rutland  county,  Vermont,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1849,  and  then  moved  west  by 
way  of  the  Erie  canal  and  the  lakes  to  Chi- 
cago, where  he  secured  teams  to  haul  his 
family  and  personal  effects  to  Will  county, 
Illinois.  He  there  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land,  and  commenced  the 
improvement  of  the  place.  For  thirteen 
years  he  resided  there,  engaged  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits,  then  moved  to  Aurora  and 
purchased  residence  property,  where  his 
death  occurred  in  1880,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-two years..  His  good  wife  survived 
him  for  over  eleven  years,  being  called  to 
her  reward  in  1892.  Their  remains  lie 
buried  in  Spring  Lake  cemetery,  where  a 
substantial  monument  marks  their  last  rest- 
ing place.  They  were  the  parents  of  two 
sons  and  one  daughter:  Henry,  who  for 
some  years  was  an  invalid,  died  in  1855; 
Mary  E.  married  William  Hattery,  who  is  a 
business  man  residing  in  Waterloo,  Iowa; 
Laban,  the  younger  son,  completes  the 
family. 

Laban  Hayward  was  born  in  Rutland 
county,  Vermont,  August  21,  1836,- and  was 
a  lad  of  thirteen  years  when  he  came  with 
the  family  to  Will  county,  Illinois.  He  there 
grew  to  manhood,  and  assisted  in  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  home  farm.  His  educational  ad- 
vantages were  limited,  but  he  acquired  suffi- 


cient knowledge  to  pass  an  examination, 
and  for  two  winters  engaged  in  teaching  in 
the  public  schools.  He  has  been  twice  mar- 
ried, his  first  union  being  with  Miss  Emer- 
ancy  Moore,  a  native  of  New  York,  where 
she  was  reared  and  educated,  and  who  for 
some  time  was  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools.  The  wedding  ceremony  took  place 
August  19,  1858.  On  the  3<Dth  of  Novem- 
ber, 1 86 1,  she  was  called  to  her  final  rest, 
leaving  two  children — Ada,  wife  of  James 
A.  Cook,  of  Waterloo,  Iowa,  and  Eva,  wife 
of  Mr.  Banister,  of  near  Dwight,  Illinois. 
Mr.  Hayward's  second  marriage  was  in 
Will  county,  September  24,  1863,  when  he 
wedded  Elizabeth  Barclay,  a  native  of  Glas- 
gow, Scotland,  born  November  18,  1841, 
and  who  came  with  her  father,  James  Bar- 
clay, to  this  country  in  1857.  Her  father 
was  for  years  a  prominent  farmer  in  Will 
county,  but  now  resides  in  Aurora,  living  a 
retired  life.  By  this  union  there  were  six 
children,  of  whom  one  is  deceased,  Clara, 
who  died  in  childhood.  The  living  are: 
Mary,  wife  of  S.  D.  Brown,  who  holds  a 
position  with  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  railroad;  Martha,  formerly  a  teach- 
er in  the  Aurora  public  schools,  residing  at 
home;  George,  Arthur  and  Charles,  who 
succeeded  their  father  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness at  the  old  stand. 

After  his  first  marriage,  Mr.  Hayward 
took  charge  of  the  old  homestead,  and  for 
nine  years  was  there  engaged  in  farming. 
He  then  moved  to  Aurora  and  engaged  in 
the  butchering  business  on  the  east  side. 
Three  years  later  he  built  a  business  house 
on  Broadway,  and  continued  in  the  meat 
business,  later  adding  a  stock  of  groceries. 
For  five  years  he  engaged  in  meat  packing, 
in  connection  with  his  other  lines  of  trade, 
also  in  buying  and  handling  fruit  and  veg- 


370 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


etables.  Until  January,  1898,  he  was  act- 
ively engaged  in  business,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  his  sons.  Success  crowned 
his  efforts  in  every  respect,  his  trade  at  all 
times  being  quite  extensive,  due  in  a  great 
measure  to  his  public  spirit  and  the  deter- 
mination to  succeed.  He  is  now  a  stock- 
holder, and  for  several  years  was  a  director 
in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Aurora.  He 
is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Home  Building 
and  Loan  Association,  the  Aurora  National 
Loan  Association,  and  the  Ice  Company. 
In  many  of  the  business  enterprises  of 
Aurora,  in  the  past  thirty  years,  he  has  lent 
a  helping  hand. 

The  first  ballot  cast  by  Mr.  Hayward 
for  president  of  the  United  States,  was  in 
1860,  when  he  voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln. 
From  that  time  to  the  present,  he  has  been 
an  earnest  advocate  of  the  principles  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  has  voted  for  each  of 
its  presidential  nominees.  For  two  years 
he  served  as  alderman  of  his  ward,  during 
which  time  he  was  on  several  important 
committees,  including  the  railroad  commit- 
tee, that  secured  the  building  of  the  viaduct 
over  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy 
railroad.  In  his  second  year  he  was  chair- 
man of  the  committee  on  sewers,  and  was 
instrumental  in  having  built  the  large  sewer 
on  the  east  side.  He  has  ever  been  a  friend 
of  education  and  the  public  schools,  and 
has  given  earnest  support  to  every  effort 
calculated  to  advance  the  school  interest. 
While  not  a  member  of  any  church,  he  has 
assisted  in  the  erection  of  several  of  the 
church  buildings  in  the  city,  and  has  con- 
tributed of  his  means  to  other  benevolent 
purposes.  Mrs.  Hayward  is  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  a  Mason,  a  member  of  the 
blue  lodge  and  chapter,  and  has  represented 


the  former  several  times  in  the  grand   lodge 
of  the  state. 

Mr.  Hayward  has  been  a  resident  of 
northern  Illinois  for  forty-nine  years,  almost 
a  half  a  century.  For  thirty-three  years  he 
has  resided  in  Aurora.  He  has  witnessed 
the  growth  and  development  of  this  part 
of  the  state,  seen  it  change  from  a  wilder- 
ness, and  in  its  transformation  has  borne  no 
inconsiderable  part.  Identified  with  the 
institutions  of  the  city,  and  the  prosperity  of 
its  people,  he  is  numbered  among  the  hon- 
ored old  settlers  of  Kane  county.  He  is  a 
man  of  good  business  ability,  of  exemplary 
habits,  of  tried  integrity  and  worth,  and  he 
and  his  most  estimable  wife  and  family  are 
esteemed  and  respected  by  all,  and  their 
many  friends  will  be  pleased  to  read  this 
short  sketch  in  the  Biographical  Record  of 
Kane  county. 


JOHN  HENRY  KARL,  deceased,  was 
for  years  one  of  the  active  business  men 
of  Aurora,  and  one  of  its  most  highly- 
esteemed  and  valued  citizens.  He  was 
of  foreign  birth,  but  his  duties  of  citi- 
zenship were  performed  with  a  loyalty  equal 
to  that  of  any  native  son  of  America,  and, 
when  this  nation  was  imperiled  by  the 
hydra-headed  monster,  Rebellion,  he  went 
at  once  to  its  defense.  Mr.  Karl  Was  born 
in  the  principality  of  Reis,  Germany,  No- 
vember 15,  1835,  of  which  place  both  his 
father  and  mother  were  natives.  The 
father  was  by  trade  a  builder  and  contract- 
or and  emigrated  to  America  in  1850,  set- 
tling in  Buffalo,  New  York,  soon  after,  and 
there  engaged  in  business,  very  extensively, 
in  contracting  and  building. 

John    Henry   Karl  had  attended  school 
in  Germany  and    continued    his  studies  in 


J.   HENRY  KARL. 


tf 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


373 


Buffalo,  principally  at  a  night  school,  work- 
ing during  the  day.  In  that  city  he  learned 
the  drug  business  thoroughly,  then  removed 
to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  carried  on 
the  business  for  a  time.  In  1859  he  came 
to  Aurora,  in  response  to  a  call  from  John 
Stout,  and  entered  the  drug  business  with 
that  gentleman,  on  Broadway  street.  There 
he  continued  in  active  operation  until  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war  in  1861,  when  he 
hired  a  man  to  represent  him  in  the  busi- 
ness and  joined  the  Thirty-sixth  Regiment. 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Colonel 
Grisel,  his  position  being  that  of  hospital 
steward.  After  serving  eleven  months,  on 
account  of  sickness,  he  was  discharged  for 
disability.  Returning  home  to  Aurora,  and 
after  recuperating,  he  entered  into  the  act- 
ive duties  of  his  business  again,  still  in  part- 
nership with  Mr.  Stout.  The  business  was 
continued  until  1870,  at  which  time  the 
stock  was  sold  and  the  partnership  dis- 
solved. 

In  the  spring  of  1872,  Mr.  Karl  bought 
the  undivided  half  interest  in  the  Aurora 
stone  quarry,  in  partnership  with  Blasius 
Berthold,  and  the  business  was  carried  on 
under  the  firm  name  of  Berthold  &  Karl. 
The  same  year  Mr.  Berthold  was  killed  by 
the  explosion  of  a  pump  engine,  and  the 
widow  of  Mr.  Berthold  and  Mr.  Karl  car- 
ried on  the  business  in  partnership  for  a 
time,  until  she  sold  her  interest  to  Mr.  King. 
The  partnership  of  Karl  &  King  was  very 
brief,  a  brother  of  his  former  partner,  Mr. 
Berthold,  Antone  Berthold,  buying  Mr. 
King's  interest,  and  for  eight  years  Karl  & 
Berthold  successfully  worked  the  quarry. 
Ever  since  his  return  from  the  army  Mr. 
Karl  had  experienced  delicate  health,  and 
in  1880  he  sold  out  his  interest  in  the 
quarry  to  his  partner,  and  in  April,  1881, 


he  died  and  was  buried  in  Spring  Lake 
cemetery,  his  death  being  mourned  by  a 
large  circle  of  friends. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Karl  to  Elisabeth 
Leppert,  daughter  of  John  and  Helena 
(Baum)  Leppert,  was  solemnized  in  June, 
1867.  To  this  union  five  children  were 
born,  all  of  whom  are  yet  living — Robert 
Henry,  Edward  George,  Oda  Leonora, 
Louis  William  and  Harry  Herman.  All  are 
yet  residing  in  Aurora,  and  Robert  H.  was 
married  to  Martha  Swartz,  of  Columbus, 
Ohio.  Louis  and  Harry  are  competing  a 
drug  store  in  the  Coulter  block. 

Mr.  Karl  served  several  years  in  the 
volunteer  fire  department  of  Aurora,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  Aurora  Rifle  Com- 
pany. In  1867  he  erected  a  residence  on 
Broadway,  which  he  afterward  sold,  and 
then  erected  a  beautiful  home  at  189  South 
LaSalle  street,  in  which  the  family  yet  re- 
side, and  also  a  prominent  business  block, 
and  was  the  owner  of  other  business  prop- 
erty in  the  city.  A  good  business  man, 
conscientious  in  all  his  dealings,  his  death 
left  a  void  in  business  circles.  Mrs.  Karl 
and  the  family  occupy  a  prominent  position 
in  the  social  circles  of  Aurora  and  are  held 
the  in  highest  esteem. 


SN.  HOOVER  is  numbered  among  the 
ablest  young  attorneys  of  Kane  county, 
and  although  but  a  few  years  a  citizen'  of 
the  coiinty  he  has  attained  high  rank  at  the 
bar.  His  office  is  in  the  Mercantile  Block, 
Aurora.  He  was  born  in  Clermont  county, 
Ohio,  and  is  the  son  of  Peter  H.  and  Au- 
gusta A.  (Prather)  Hoover,  both  of  whom 
are  natives  of  Ohio.  The  father  has  been 
a  farmer  for  a  number  of  years.  He  came 
to  Illinois,  in  1868,  locating  in  Randolph 


374 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


township,  McLean  county,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  quarter  section  of  land,  and  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  is  now 
living  retired  in  the  city  of  Bloomington. 
Although  an  ardent  Republican,  and  one 
who  in  almost  every  campaign  has  made 
many  public  speeches  in  the  interest  of  his 
party,  he  has  never  aspired  to  office.  He 
favored  a  vigorous  prosecution  of  the  war, 
and  was  a  strong  Lincoln  man.  Although 
about  seventy-six  years  of  age,  he  is  a  well- 
preserved  man,  physically  and  mentally, 
and  is  yet  strong  in  the  faith  of  his  party, 
being  a  great  admirer  of  William  McKinley. 
His  wife  died  January  5,  1892,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-three  years.  Both  parents  were  of 
the  Methodist  faith  and  communion.  The 
Hoover  family  of  Lancaster  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, are  of  the  same  stock,  and  were 
originally  from  Frankfort-on-the-Main,  Ger- 
many. Our  subject  is  the  youngest  of  five 
children,  born  to  Peter  H.  and  Augusta  A. 
Hoover,  the  others  being  Orlando  J.,  a  res- 
ident of  Paoli,  Kansas;  Nettie,  now  Mrs. 
W.  P.  Jones,  of  Bloomington,  Illinois; 
Thomas  Henry,  a  resident  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, California;  and  William  W. ,  who  re- 
sides at  Manson,  Iowa. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated 
at  the  Illinois  Wesleyan  University,  at 
Bloomington.  Leaving  college,  he  studied 
law  with  Brock  &  Holly,  of  Bloomington, 
and  then  taught  school  at  Rankin,  for  two 
years.  Removing  to  Red  Cliff,  Colorado, 
he  there  engaged  in  teaching  for  two  years, 
and  on  June  i,  1891,  was  admitted  to  the 
bar,  and  began  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion at  that  place.  Soon  after  his  admis- 
sion to  the  bar,  he  was  elected  district  at- 
torney for  the  fifth  judicial  district  of  Col- 
orado; was  re-elected,  but  resigned  the 
position  to  come  to  Aurora,  in  1893.  In 


July,  1892,  he  was  chairman  of  the  commit- 
tee on  resolutions  in  the  silver  convention 
of  the  Pacific  states  in  Denver,  and  intro- 
duced a  resolution  by  which  the  convention 
declined  to  co-operate  with  any  political 
party.  This  resolution  being  carried  and 
Mr.  Hoover  having  taken  a  decided  stand 
in  a  speech  before  the  convention  in  its 
favor,  he  was  antagonized  by  Governor 
Waite  and  the  Populists  who  were  seek- 
ing to  commit  the  convention  to  the 
support  of  their  candidates.  While  in  Col- 
orado he  was  a  candidate  for  the  legislature 
on  the  Republican  ticket,  and  during  the 
campaign  of  1892  he  stumped  that  state 
for  General  Harrison.  While  attending  the 
Columbian  exposition  at  Chicago,  in  1893, 
he  determined  to  cast  his  lot  with  the  peo- 
ple of  Aurora,  and  removed  to  the  place  in 
the  fall  of  that  year.  He  then  formed  a 
partnership  with  Senator  George  E.  Bacon. 
Mr.  Bacon  died  in  1896,  since  which  time 
Mr.  Hoover  has  been  alone  in  the  practice. 
His  ability  was  soon  recognized  by  his  fel- 
low members  at  the  bar,  and  he  was  ap- 
pointed in  1894,  assistant  state's  attorney 
for  Kane  county,  which  position  he  resigned 
in  July,  1896,  at  which  time  he  left  the  Re- 
publican party,  on  account  of  his  position 
on  the  silver  question,  which  was  antago- 
nistic to  the  party  platform,  adopted  at  St. 
Louis,  in  the  convention  which  nominated 
William  McKinley.  His  position  on  the 
silver  question,  and  the  ability  displayed 
by  him,  in  presenting  his  views  to  the  peo- 
ple, secured  for  him  the  nomination  for 
congress,  in  the  Eighth  congressional  dis- 
trict, by  the  free  silver  Republicans  and  the 
Democratic  party.  At  the  convention, 
where  his  nomination  was  made,  in  Aurora, 
he  made  a  speech,  that  was  attentively 
listened  to  by  the  large  crowd  assembled, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


375 


and  which  carried  conviction  to  the  minds 
of  many  personsr  Notwithstanding  the 
strong  canvass  made,  and  that  he  ran  ahead 
of  his  'ticket,  he  was  defeated  for  election 
by  Mr.  Hopkins,  the  candidate  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  which  has  an  overwhelming 
majority  in  the  district. 

Mr.  Hoover  was  married  August  29, 
1888,  to  Miss  Carrie  I.  Lowry,  a  daughter 
of  James  B.  Lowry,  of  Yorkville,  Kendall 
county,  Illinois,  to  which  place  Mr.  Lowry 
removed  from  Erie  county,  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  had  attained  prominence,  and  had 
served  as  the  first  county  clerk  of  Erie  county. 
He  came  to  Illinois,  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
forties,  and  was  numbered  among  the  early 
settlers  of  Kendall  county.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hoover  one  child,  James  Elaine  Hoover, 
was  born,  January  23,  1893. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Hoover  is  a  Mason,  and 
in  politics  is  a  silver  Republican,  and  is  a 
committee  man  at  large  for  the  state  of  Illi- 
nois. He  is  recognized  as  an  able  orator, 
and  since  coming  to  Aurora  has  built  up  a 
large  and  profitable  practice,  and  occupies 
a  position  second  to  none  as  a  member  of 
the  Kane  county  bar. 


JAMES  W.  HIPPLE,  an  enterprising 
farmer  residing  on  section  32,  Elgin 
township,  was  born  in  Landisburg,  Perry 
county,  Pennsylvania,  September  11,  1835. 
His  father,  Jesse  Hippie,  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  as  was  his  grandfather,  John 
Hippie.  The  latter  dying  when  quite  young, 
but  little  is  known  of  his  ancestry,  save  that 
the  family,  consisting  of  five  brothers,  came 
to  this  country  prior  to  the  Revolutionary 
war.  John  Hippie  was  a  blacksmith  by 
trade,  and  was  employed  in  that  capacity 
during  the  war  for  independence.  He  owned 


a  farm  which  he  sold  about  the  close  of 
hostilities  and  was  paid  in  Continental  money, 
which  proved  to  be  worthless,  so  all  was 
lost.  Our  subject  has  some  of  the  old 
money  yet  in  bills  of  twenty  dollars,  eight 
dollars,  one  dollar  and  other  smaller  denom- 
inations. 

Jesse  Hippie,  our  subject's  father,  was 
born  October  n,  1800,  and  died  at  the  age 
of  eighty-three  or  eighty-four  years,  at  Ge- 
neva, New  York.  In  early  life  he  learned 
the  tailor's  trade,  which  occupation  he  fol- 
lowed until  retiring  at  an  advanced  age.  He 
married  Miss  Mary  Stone,  born  in  Juniata 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  daughter  of  Rich- 
ard Stone,  who  came  from  London,  Eng- 
land, and  who  was  an  only  child  of  his  par- 
ents. He  left  his  native  land  when  quite 
young,  and  never  but  once  visited  his  par- 
ents in  the  old  country,  since  which  time  all 
trace  of  them  was  lost.  Their  estate  is  still 
due  the  heirs.  To  Jesse  and  Mary  Hippie 
were  born  six  children — George,  living  re- 
tired in  Chicago;  Catherine,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  six  years;  Jane,  wife  of  Israel  Knettle, 
of  Elgin;  Martha,  widow  of  Lysamder 
Stowell,  now  living  in  Elgin;  Ann,  wife  of 
David  R.  Shively,  of  Chicago;  and  our  sub- 
ject. 

James  W.  Hippie  remained  under  the 
parental  roof  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  and 
during  that  time  received  a  good  common- 
school  education.  He  then  went  to  Geneva, 
New  York,  and  worked  at  the  tailor's  trade 
and  was  there  engaged  in  business.  He 
later  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother, 
which  continued  a  few  years,  and,  being 
dissolved,  he  went  to  New  York  City  and 
for  a  time  was  engaged  as  a  traveling  sales- 
man for  a  wholesale  house  dealing  in  men's 
furnishing  goods.  While  residing  in  Geneva, 
New  York,  he  was  united  in  marriage,  Feb- 


376 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ruary  15,  1859,  with  Miss  Arrietta  T.  Beck- 
er, a  native  of  New  York  City,  and  daugh- 
ter of  Vrooman  Becker,  who  was  born  in 
Schoharie  county,  New  York,  July  4,  1808, 
and  died  July  16,  1865,  in  Chicago.  In  early 
life  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  in 
1855  came  west  to  Chicago,  and  became  an 
extensive  lumber  merchant  in  that  city,  his 
business  being  later  transferred  to  his  son 
and  our  subject.  He  was  four  times  mar- 
ried, becoming  the  father  of  ten  children. 
His  first  marriage  was  with  Eliza  Van  Dol- 
son,  daughter  of  Garrett  Van  Dolson,  a 
soldier  of  the  war  of  1812.  She  was  born 
February  24,  1814,  in  New  York  City,  and 
died  in  Geneva,  New  York,  March  19,  1842. 
His  second  marriage  was  with  a  Miss  Ans- 
ley,  and  his  third  one  with  Martha  Van  Dol- 
son, a  sister  of  his  first  wife,  who  became 
the  mother  of  two  children,  both  deceased. 
His  fourth  marriage  was  with  Miss  Cornelia 
Dodge,  by  whom  he  had  four  children: 
Edwin  D.,  Sarah  L. ,  Albert  and  Kate.  Of 
the  four  children  by  his  first  wife,  two  sur- 
vive: Helen,  wife  of  George  Hippie,  of 
Chicago;  and  Arrietta,  wife  of  our  subject. 
The  deceased  were  Gideon  L. ,  who  was 
a  partner  with  our  subject  in  the  lumber 
business;  and  John  William,  who  served 
during  the  late  war  and  was  wounded  at  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  who  died  in  Chicago 
in  1897. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  five  children 
were  born:  (i)  Jesse  Vrooman,  born  Janu- 
ary 30,  1862,  married  Lena  Peterson,  daugh- 
ter of  Peter  Peterson,  by  whom  he  has  three 
children,  James  David,  John  Becker,  and 
Annie  Elizabeth.  (2)  Gideon  Becker,  at 
home.  (3)  James  Stone,  a  student  of  me- 
chanical engineering  in  the  state  university 
at  Champaign,  Illinois.  (4)  Marietta,  a 
graduate  of  the  Elgin  Academy,  and  in  the 


class  of  1898,  University  of  Michigan,  Ann 
Arbor.  (5)  Annie  Louisa,  a  graduate  of 
the  Nurses'  Training  School  of  Elgin. 

After  being  upon  the  road  for  some  time 
Mr.  Hippie  decided  to  again  go  into  busi- 
ness, and  located  at  Watkins,  New  York, 
but  soon  removed  to  Geneva,  at  the  other 
end  of  the  lake,  and  opened  a  store  next  to 
that  of  his  brother.  After  remaining  there 
a  short  time  he  sold  out  to  his  brother,  re- 
moved to  Chicago,  and  worked  for  his 
father-in-law  in  an  agricultural  implement 
factory  for  one  year,  at  the  expiration  of 
which  time  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness until  the  great  fire  of  1871  wiped  him 
out.  Soon  after  the  fire,  in  partnership  with 
Jacob  Oestmann,  he  opened  a  lumber  yard 
and  conducted  the  same  until  1875,  when 
our  subject  disposed  of  his  interests,  and  in 
the  spring  of  that  year  moved  to  his  present 
farm  which  he  had  purchased  some  time 
previous  to  the  fire. 

The  experience  of  Mr.  Hippie  and  his 
family  were  thrilling  during  the  fiery  ordeal. 
Owning  teams  for  delivery  of  lumber,  he  was 
enabled  to  move  his  household  effects  to 
vacant  property  at  a  safe  distance,  and  by 
strenuous  efforts  saved  his  house  from  burn- 
ing and  prevented  robbery  by  the  lawless 
thugs  that  infested  all  parts  of  the  city, 
from  which  the  inhabitants  had  fled. 

On  coming  to  his  farm,  a  fine  tract  of 
three  hundred  acres,  Mr.  Hippie  began  its 
improvement.  He  rebuilt  the  barn,  which 
is  now  forty  by  one  hundred  and  forty-eight 
feet,  with  high  basement  stables  for  nearly 
one  hundred  head  of  cattle.  He  also  built 
an  addition  to  the  dwelling  house  making  it 
one  of  the  most  comfortable  country  resi- 
dences in  the  county.  A  good  tenant  house 
was  also  erected,  a  residence  for  his  married 
son.  A  horse  barn  was  also  built  separate 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


377 


from  the  main  cattle  barn,  and  a  nice  milk 
house,  where  milk  is  cooled  before  taking  to 
market.  The  farm  is  now  thoroughly  under- 
drained,  with  some  twenty  miles  of  tiling, 
main  and  lateral.  Two-thirds  of  the  land 
is  under  cultivation  and  all  crops  are  used 
on  the  farm.  He  keeps  an  average  of  eighty 
milk  cows  in  addition  to  young  stock. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Hippie  is  a 
Republican.  He  would  never  accept  public 
office  save  of  that  of  school  director,  which 
he  filled  for  six  years,  preferring  to  give  his 
entire  time  and  attention  to  his  private 
business  interests.  The  family  is  held  in 
the  highest  esteem  throughout  the  commu- 
nity. Religiously,  Mrs.  Hippie  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which 
our  subject  is  an  attendant. 


T HERON  BAKER,  a  %vell-known  resi- 
dent of  St.  Charles,  is  a  man  whose 
successful  struggle  with  adverse  circum- 
stances shows  what  can  be  accomplished 
by  industry  and  economy,  if  guided  by 
sound  judgment  and  good  business  ability. 
From  the  early  age  of  fourteen  years  he 
was  obliged  to  make  his  own  way  in  life 
without  the  aids  which  are  usually  consid- 
ered essential  to  success,  but  now  in  his  de- 
clining years  he  is  able  to  live  retired  and 
enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil. 

Mr.  Baker  was  born  in  Genesee  county, 
New  York,  November  7,  1817,  a  son  of 
George  and  Phoebe  (Hall)  Baker,  also  na- 
tives of  the  Empire  state,  the  latter  born 
in  the  town  of  Hartford,  Washington  coun- 
ty. The  Baker  family  is  of  Welsh  descent, 
and  was  founded  in  New  York  at  an  early 
day  in  the  history  of  this  country.  Our 
subject's  father  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of 
1812,  and  for  his  services  he  subsequently 


received  a  pension.  In  Genesee  county, 
New  York,  he  followed  farming  until  1843, 
when  he  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  in 
Waukegan.  Later  he  removed  to  Bureau 
county,  this  state,  but  spent  his  last  years 
in  Wichita,  Kansas.  In  his  family  were 
nine  children — five  sons  and  four  daughters 
— all  of  whom  reached  years  of  maturity, 
and  three  sons  and  two  daughters  are  still 
living. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  in  Genesee  and  Wyoming 
counties,  New  York,  acquiring  .a  very  mea- 
ger education,  but  his  training  at  farm  work 
was  not  limited.  In  Wyoming  county  he 
was  married,  December  22,  1842,  to  Miss 
Isabella  Culberson,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who 
came  to  the  New  World  when  a  child  of 
ten  years.  Coming  west  in  1843,  they  first 
located  in  the  town  of  Delavan,  Walworth 
county,  Wisconsin,  where  Mr.  Baker  had 
entered  a  tract  of  forty  acres  the  year  pre- 
vious. Upon  the  place  he  built  a  log 
house,  and  to  the  improvement  and  cul- 
tivation of  his  land  he  devoted  his  ener- 
gies for  thirteen  years,  transforming  it 
into  a  good  farm.  He  then  sold  and  re- 
moved to  Green  county,  Wisconsin,  where 
he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  wild  land  and  opened  up  another  farm, 
making  this  place  his  home  for  fifteen 
years.  On  disposing  of  that  property  he 
came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1870,  and  bought  a  farm  of  forty-one 
and  one-half  acres  in  St.  Charles  township, 
on  the  Elgin  road,  two  miles  from  St. 
Charles.  He  completed  the  house,  built  a 
good  barn  and  substantial  outbuildings,  set 
out  an  orchard,  and  made  many  other  im- 
provements upon  the  plnce  which  added 
greatly  to  its  value  and  attractive  appear- 
ance. After  successfully  operating  the  farm 


378 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


for  twenty-two  years,  he  sold  it  and  bought 
a  residence  lot  in  St.  Charles,  on  which  he 
erected  a  comfortable  home,  where  he  is 
now  living.  Besides  this  property  he  owns 
one  good  residence  which  he  rents,  and  also 
seven  building  lots. 

Mr.  Baker  lost  his  first  wife  December 
12,  1 887,. and  in  Kane  county  was  again 
married,  September  12,  1888,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Harriet  Butler,  a  sis- 
ter of  O.  M.  Butler,  an  early  settler  and 
prominent  manufacturer  of  St.  Charles. 
She  was  born  in  Rochester,  Windsor  coun- 
ty, Vermont,  and  was  reared  in  Essex, 
Chittenden  county,  that  state.  She  ob- 
tained a  good  education,  and  in  early  life 
was  a  successful  teacher  in  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  having  come  to  the  west  in  1847. 
Religiously  she  is  a  member  of  the  Congre- 
gational church  of  St.  Charles  and  takes  an 
active  interest  in  its  work. 

Politically  Mr.  Baker  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican, and  has  never  failed  to  cast  his  ballot 
for  its  candidates  at  every  presidential  elec- 
tion since  voting  for  John  C.  Fremont  in 
1856.  He  has  never  aspired  to  office,  how- 
ever, preferring  to  give  his  attention  to  his 
private  affairs.  His  business  undertakings 
have  been  crowned  with  success,  and  he 
has  not  only  secured  a  comfortable  compe- 
tence, but  has  gained  the  respect  and  es- 
teem of  all  who  know  him. 


LYMAN  D.  MORGAN,  who  resides  on 
section  25,  Hampshire  township,  was 
one  of  the  ' '  boysin  blue, "  who,  at  their  coun- 
try's call,  went  out  in  defense  of  the  Union, 
and  gave  between  two  and  three  years  of  his 
young  life  to  the  service  of  his  country.  He 
was  born  in  Coral  township,  McHenry  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  May  9,  1845,  ar>d  is  the  son  of 


Lyman  Morgan,  Jr.,  who  was  born  in  Pom- 
pey,  Onondago  county,  New  York,  and  who 
married  Polly  Thomas,  also  a  native  of 
Pompey  and  a  daughter  of  John  Thomas, 
of  that  place.  The  paternal  grandfather, 
Lyman  Morgan,  Sr. ,  was  likewise  a  native 
of  Pompey,  New  York,  and  there  died  when 
about  eighty  years  of  age.  Lyman  Morgan, 
Jr.,  left  his  native  state  in  1839,  came  west 
and  settled  in  McHenry  county,  Illinois, 
and  there  engaged  in  farming,  and  where 
he  died  in  1866,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years. 
His  family  consisted  of  seven  children  of 
whom  two  only  are  now  living — LeRoy, 
who  is  living  at  Platte,  Michigan,  and  who 
served  during  the  war  in  the  Fifty-second 
Regiment,  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry;  and 
Lyman  D.,  our  subject. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  man- 
hood on  his  father's  farm  and  attended  the 
district  schools  until  the  age  of  fourteen 
years.  In  1859  the  family  moved  into  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  locating  on  the  farm  which 
is  now  owned  by  our  subject.  Mr.  Mor- 
gan enlisted  October  17,  1862,  as  a  member 
of  Company  B,  Seventeenth  Illinois  Cav- 
alry, and  served  until  December  15,  1865. 
He  went  first  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  near  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  and  thence  to  Alton,  Illi- 
nois, guarding  prisoners.  At  that  place  he 
was  taken  ill,  from  impure  water  and  food, 
and  would  have  died  but  for  the  kindness 
and  care  of  an  old  Scotch  woman.  He 
was  next  sent  to  St.  Joseph,  Missouri, 
thence  to  Weston,  south  of  St.  Joseph, 
doing  scouting  duty,  which  kept  him  out 
most  of  the  night  in  order  to  prevent  bush- 
whackers and  thieves  from  depredation. 
From  Weston  he  went  to  Macon  City, 
Missouri,  then  to  Brookfield  and  Laclede. 
For  a  while  he  was  stationed  at  Fort  Leav- 
enworth,  and  then  sent  to  do  scouting  duty 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


379 


around  Fort  Scott  and  west  of  that  place 
to  Humboldt,  Kansas.  While  there  they 
learned  that  their  command  had  been  or- 
dered to  Lawrence,  Kansas,  at  the  close  of 
the  war  to  be  discharged.  The  troops  be- 
came incensed  at  the  officers  for  not  com- 
plying with  orders.  The  officers  desired 
promotion  before  disbanding  and  for  that 
reason  withheld  the  orders.  The  troops 
mutinied,  when  they  learned  that  instead  of 
being  mustered  out  they  were  to  be  sent 
west  to  fight  Indians,  and  many  of  them 
deserted.  Those  who  stayed  went  west  to 
guard  the  Butterfield  overland  dispatch  and 
the  government  mail.  Some  stole  cavalry 
horses  and  escaped  with  them.  Our  sub- 
ject was  sergeant  of  the  guard  during  the 
last  days  and  tried  to  hold  deserters  in  check. 
He  was  at  last  mustered  out,  at  Fort  Leav- 
enworth  and  was  discharged  at  Springfield, 
Illinois. 

After  receiving  his  discharge,  Mr.  Mor- 
gan returned  home  and  worked  for  his  father 
until  the  latter's  death  in  1866,  about  the 
time  he  attained  his  majority.  He  promised 
his  father  on  the  latter's  deathbed  to  remain 
with  his  mother.  He  intended  to  study  for 
a  profession,  having  a  thirst  for  learning, 
and  was  well  fitted,  mentally,  for  success  in 
any  profession.  His  life  work,  however, 
was  changed  by  the  death  of  his  father. 
After  returning  home  he  attended  school 
for  two  years  in  winters,  one  year  of  which 
time  he  was  in  Elgin  Academy,  and  being  a 
diligent  student  he  secured  a  teacher's  cer- 
tificate and  taught  in  the  old  village  of 
Hampshire. 

Mr.  Morgan  was  promised  the  home  farm 
on  condition  that  he  take  care  of  his  mother, 
but  had  to  buy  the  interest  of  the  other 
heirs  in  the  estate.  He  secured  sixty  acres 
of  the  original  farm  and  bought  ten  acres 


additional.  In  1871  he  went  to  Otter  Creek, 
Michigan,  and  went  into  the  wood  business 
in  partnership  with  an  uncle,  supplying  wood 
to  be  used  in  an  iron  furnace.  The  iron 
company  failed  and  they  had  thirteen  hun- 
dred cords  of  wood  left  on  their  hands, 
which  was  a  severe  financial  loss.  In  1874 
he  returned  to  the  farm  and  has  here  since 
resided. 

On  the  pth  of  May,  1874,  at  Platte, 
Benzie  county,  Michigan,  Mr.  Morgan  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Ann 
Helmer,  born  at  Rainham  Centre,  Haldirnan 
county,  Canada,  and  a  daughter  of  Jonas 
E.  and  Sophie  (Miller)  Helmer.  The  father 
of  the  latter,  Joseph  E.  Miller,  was  a  soldier 
under  the  great  Napoleon.  Jonas  E.  Helmer 
was  born  in  Ohio,  from  which  state  he  moved 
to  Canada,  where  he  lived  several  years, 
and  in  1858  returned  to  Ohio.  In  the  latter 
state  Mrs.  Morgan  grew  to  womanhood. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morgan  seven  children 
were  born:  Alice  M.,  deceased,  was  burned 
to  death,  her  clothes  taking  fire  while  burn- 
ing brush;  Ora,  Mabel  L. ,  Izo  T. ,  Ambert 
Delos,  Eugenia  and  Lyman  Judd.  Ora  at- 
tended the  State  Normal  school  two  years 
and  has  taught  school  in  the  district  in  Mc- 
Henry  county,  where  his  father  attended 
when  a  boy.  Mabel  has  also  engaged  in 
teaching,  and  for  three  years  had  charge  of 
a  school  at  Old  Hampshire,  where  her  father 
taught  when  a  young  man. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Morgan  is  a  member  of 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  Knights 
of  the  Globe,  and  of  the  Royal  Neighbors. 
In  the  latter  order  Mrs.  Morgan  also  holds 
membership.  They  attend  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  in  politics  he  is  a 
Republican.  Among  the  local  offices  held 
by  him  is  that  of  school  trustee  and  school 
director.  As  a  citizen  he  is  held  in  the 


380 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


highest  esteem  and  is  ever  ready  to  do  his 
part  in  whatever  tends  to  advance  the  in- 
terest of  his  county  and  state. 


MOSES  W.HAWES,  deceased.  In  stud- 
ying the  lives  and  characters  of  prom- 
inent men,  we  ars  naturally  led  to  inquire 
into  the  secret  of  their  success  and  the  mo- 
tives that  prompted  their  action.  Success 
is  a  question  of  genius,  as  held  by  many, 
but  is  it  not  rather  a  matter  of  experience 
and  sound  judgment?  When  we  trace  the 
career  of  those  who  stand  highest  in  public 
esteem,  we  find  in  nearly  every  case  that 
they  are  those  who  have  risen  gradually, 
fighting  their  way  in  the  face  of  all  opposi- 
tion. Self-reliance,  conscientiousness,  en- 
ergy, honesty — these  are  the  traits  of  char- 
acter that  insure  the  highest  emoluments 
and  greatest  success.  To  these  we  may  at- 
tribute the  success  that  crowned  the  efforts 
of  our  subject. 

Moses  W.  Hawes  was  born  September 
2,  1814,  in  Watertown,  New  York,  receiv- 
ing his  early  education  in  that  city.  Later 
he  went  to  Baltimore  where  he  learned 
civil  engineering,  and  'in  1837  was  sent 
from  that  city  to  the  province  of  Conception, 
Chili,  South  America,  to  erect  and  put  into 
operation  the  second  flouring  mill  in  that 
country.  He  was  chosen  from  among  one 
hundred  applicants  for  the  position.  In 
that  country  he  became  a  very  prominent 
man  and  there  continued  to  live  for  over 
twenty  years.  Being  a  first-class  engineer 
he  became  a  large  government  contractor 
and  built  many  bridges,  docks,  etc.  While 
residing  in  Chili,  he  married  a  Spanish  lady, 
by  whom  he  had  six  children,  only  one  of 
whom  is  now  living,  a  daughter  who  mar- 
ried Bernardo  Bambach.  He  died  in  1877, 


and  his  widow  now  resides  in  Tome,  Chili. 
In  1859  Mr.  Hawes  went  to  China  and 
completing  the  circumnavigation  of  the 
globe  returned  to  the  United  States.  His 
wife  having  died,  Mr.  Hawes  was  married 
February  12,  1860,  to  Miss  Jennie  Rosen- 
crans,  who  was  born  October  4,  1833,  and 
is  the  daughter  of  Asa  and  Jane  (Cole)  Ros- 
encrans.  On  the  first  of  August,  1860,  ac- 
companied by  his  wife  Mr.  Hawes  went  to 
Chili,  where  he  remained  until  the  autumn 
of  1869,  when  they  returned  to  the  United 
States  and  first  located  in  Elgin,  Illinois. 
In  1870  he  went  to  Mendota,  Illinois, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness until  1872,  when  he  returned  to  Elgin. 
After  a  short  time  he  went  to  Europe  and 
subsequently  made  two  other  trips  across 
across  the  ocean. 

In  1877  Mr.  Hawes  was  called  home  to 
serve  as  president  of  the  Home  National 
Bank,  which  position  he  resigned  in  1879 
and  again  moved  to  Mendota.  In  1892  he 
once  more  returned  to  Elgin  where  he  re- 
mained until  his  death,  November  22,  1894, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years.  He  was  a 
consistent  member  of  the  Congregational 
church,  to  which  Mrs.  Hawes  also  belongs. 
She  is  a  lady  of  pleasing  presence,  and 
scholarly  attainments,  and  is  the  only  rep- 
resentative of  the  Rosencrans  family  once  so 
prominent  in  Kane  county. 


JAMES  C.  BROWN,  whose  home  is  at 
No.  403  North  Spring  street,  Elgin, 
was  for  many  years  prominently  identified 
with  the  agricultural  interests  of  Kane 
county,  but  is  now  living  retired.  He  was 
born  in  Steuben  county,  New  York,  March 
20,  1832,  a  son  of  Henry  and  Lois  (Colvin) 
Brown,  the  former  a  native  of  Dublin,  Ire- 


M.  W.    HAWES. 


vu 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


383 


land,  the  latter  of  Connecticut.  While 
living  in  the  east  the  father  worked  at  the 
tailor's  trade,  but  after  coming  to  Illinois, in 
1844,  he  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits,  buying  a  tract  of  government  land 
in  Hampshire  township,  Kane  county,  which 
he  transformed  into  a  good  farm.  His  wife 
died  in  May,  1845,  at  about  the  age  of 
thirty-six  years,  and  he  subsequently  mar- 
ried Lavina  Gleason.  He  cared  nothing  for 
official  honors,  perferring  to  devote  his  en- 
tire time  and  attention  to  the  development 
and  improvement  of  his  farm.  In  1850, 
accompanied  by  our  subject,  he  went  to 
California  by  the  overland  route,  starting 
from  Grundy  county,  Illinois.  On  reaching 
Green  River,  Utah,  the  son  was  taken  ill, 
so  that  he  did  not  reach  his  destination  un- 
til in  1851.  The  father  remained  on  the 
Pacific  slope,  dying  in  Oregon, in  1870,  when 
about  seventy  years  of  age.  He  was  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist 
church,  to  which  the  mother  of  our  subject 
also  belongs.  Fraternally  he  was  a  Mason 
of  high  standing.  In  the  family  of  this 
worthy  couple  were  nine  children,  of  whom 
five  are  still  living:  Betsy  A.,  now  residing 
on  Ashland  avenue,  Elgin,  is  the  widow  of 
Willard  B.  Allen,  who  died  at  Baton  Rouge, 
Louisiana,  while  serving  in  the  Union  army 
during  the  Civil  war;  Charlotte  is  a  resident 
of  Hampshire,  Kane  county;  James  G.  is 
next  in  order  of  birth;  and  Lois  V.  and 
Henry  W.  are  both  residents  of  California. 
In  the  schools  of  New  York,  James  C. 
Brown  began  his  education,  which  was 
completed  after  the  removal  of  the  family 
to  Illinois  in  1844,  by  attending  the  public 
schools  in  Kane  county.  He  assisted  his 
father  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm  until 
the  ist  of  May,  1850,  when  they  started  for 
California.  For  eleven  months  he  remained 

18 


in  Salt  Lake  City,  becoming  well  acquainted 
with  Brigham  Young,  and  at  balls  would 
dance  with  several  of  his  wives  the  same 
evening.  He  attended  one  wedding  where 
the  bridegroom,  a  Mr.  Cook,  married  two 
sisters,  standing  up  between  them,  the  veil 
being  over  them  all.  This  was  a  common 
occurrence  in  Salt  Lake  City  at  that  time. 
Mr.  Brown  boarded  with  a  man  who  had 
four  wives  living  in  the  same  home.  Meet- 
ing with  many  interesting  experiences,  he 
thoroughly  enjoyed  his  trip  to  California,  in 
which  state  he  engaged  in  mining  for  a 
year,  and  later  farmed  in  the  Suisun  Valley 
for  two  years. 

After  about  four  years  spent  upon  the 
Pacific  slope,  Mr.  Brown  returned  to  Illinois 
in  the  fall  of  1853,  having  met  with  mod- 
erate success.  Two  years  later,  on  the  23d 
of  September,  1855,  Mr.  Brown  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Teressa  P.  Harney, 
who  was  born  in  Massillon,  Stark  county, 
Ohio,  a  daughter  of  T.  }.  and  Mary  (Bur- 
gess) Harney,  natives  of  Canada.  She  was 
educated  in  a  private  school  on  the  Western 
Reserve  in  that  state,  and  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  began  teaching  near  Massillon. 
After  coming  to  Kane  county,  in  1854,  she 
taught  in  the  schools  of  Hampshire,  teach- 
ing boys  and  girls,  whose  children  years 
later  attended  a  school  conducted  by  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  Hollenbeck.  Mrs.  Brown 
is  the  only  survivor  in  a  family  of  six  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  died  when  young. 
Thomas,  the  oldest,  was  a  soldier  of  the 
Mexican  war,  and  Sarcfield  M.  was  a  sol- 
dier of  the  Civil  war.  He  was  the  first  sol- 
dier whose  remains  were  brought  back  to 
Elgin  for  interment. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  were  born  four 
children,  namely:  (i)  Lillie  was  educated 
in  the  Elgin  Academy,  began  teaching  in 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  schools  of  Hampshire  township,  and 
later  taught  for  six  years  in  the  graded 
schools  of  Elgin.  In  1884  she  married 
Ralph  D.  Hollenbeck,  who  is  a  prominent 
attorney  and  graduated  in  the  same  class 
with  his  wife,  by  whom  she  has  one  child, 
Helen.  In  1891  she  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  school  board  and  served  in  that  ca- 
pacity for  two  terms,  being  chairman  of  the 
teachers  committee  for  three  years.  Since 
its  organization  she  has  been  identified  with 
the  Woman's  Club,  which  is  one  of  the  best 
and  largest  clubs  of  the  kind  in  the  state 
outside  of  Chicago.  It  has  erected  and  con- 
ducts an  excellent  hospital  in  Elgin,  and 
has  taken  an  active  part  in  many  enterprises 
for  the  good  of  the  city.  In  its  work  Mrs. 
Hollenbeck  has  borne  an  active  and  promi- 
nent part.  (2)  Ira  J.,  the  second  child  of 
our  subject,  finished  his  education  at  the 
Elgin  Academy,  and  is  general  milk  solicitor 
for  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  having 
charge  of  all  the  milk  carried  by  that  road. 
He  married  Estella  Wilcox,  by  whom  he 
has  three  children — Calvin  W. ,  James  P. 
and  Harry  H. — and  they  live  in  Genoa,  Illi- 
nois. (3)  Dairy  died  at  the  age  of  eleven 
years.  (4)  Mary  L.  is  the  wife  of  Walter 
P.  Johnson,  a  grandson  of  Gail  Borden,  and 
they  live  in  southern  California.  Their  chil- 
dren are  Borden,  Calvin,  Gail  and  Richard. 
On  his  return  from  California  Mr. 
Brown  invested  his  capital  in  a  farm  in 
Kane  county,  to  which  he  added  from  time 
to  time  until  he  had  one  of  the  most  val- 
uable and  desirable  places  in  the  commu- 
nity. To  agricultural  pursuits  he  devoted 
his  energies  until  elected  sheriff  in  1870, 
when  he  removed  to  Geneva  to  assume  the 
duties  of  that  office,  which  he  so  acceptably 
discharged  that  in  1872  he  was, re-elected, 
serving  in  all  two  terms. 


In  October,  1861,  during  his  country's 
hour  of  peril,  Mr.  Brown  laid  aside  all  per- 
sonal interests  and  enlisted  in  Company  B, 
Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry,  under  Colonel  Farns- 
worth.  For  three  years  he  was  in  the  serv- 
vice,  participating  in  all  the  battles  in 
which  his  command  took  part,  and  when 
his  term  of  service  had  expired,  he  was  hon- 
orably discharged  October  18,  1864.  For- 
tunately he  was  never  wounded,  taken  pris- 
oner, sent  to  the  hospital,  nor  confined  in 
the  guard  house  during  the  entire  time, 
though  he  met  with  many  narrow  escapes. 
For  a  time  he  was  on  detached  service. 
Since  his  retirement  from  the  office  of 
sheriff  he  has  made  his  home  in  Elgin. 

Socially  Mr.  Brown  affiliates  with  the 
Masonic  order  and  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  while  politically  he  is  iden- 
tified with  the  Republican  party.  Besides 
serving  as  sheriff  of  the  county,  he  has  filled 
all  the  township  offices  while  residing  in 
Hampshire  township,  and  has  always  been 
recognized  as  one  of  the  valued  and  useful 
citizens  of  his  community.  His  wife  and 
some  of  their  children  are  members  of  the 
Congregational  Church,  and  in  social  cir- 
cles the  family  is  one  of  prominence. 


JOSEPH  CLARK,  one  of  the  highly  re- 
J  spected  citizens  of  St.  Charles,  who  for 
nearly  half  a  century  has  been  identified 
with  the  interests  of  Kane  county,  is  a  na- 
tive of  England,  born  in  the  city  of  London, 
August  27,  1837.  His  father,  Edward  Clark, 
also  a  native  of  that  country,  emigrated  with 
his  family  to  the  New  World  in  1852,  the 
voyage  across  the  Atlantic  consuming  six 
weeks.  The  vessel  on  which  they  sailed, 
the  American  Eagle,  carried  them  safely 
from  London  to  New  York,  whence  they 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


385 


proceeded  by  wa}-  of  the  great  lakes  to 
Chicago,  and  in  May,  1852,  they  arrived  in 
Kane  county.  St.  Charles  was  then  the  ter- 
minus of  the  railroad.  About  a  mile  and  a 
half  from  the  village  the  father  purchased  a 
tract  of  ninety-one  acres  of  land,  which  he 
at  once  commenced  to  clear  and  improve, 
erecting  thereon  a  good  frame  residence. 
Upon  that  place  he  continued  to  make  his 
home  until  about  two  years  prior  to  his 
death,  when  he  removed  to  St.  Charles, 
where  he  passed  away  March  i,  1886.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  died  in  England,  and 
there  the  father  was  again  married,  his  sec- 
ond wife  dying  in  Kane  county,  in  1853. 

The  children  born  of  the  first  marriage 
were  Ellen,  wife  of  W.  H.  Britt,  of  Chicago; 
William,  now  deceased;  Joseph,  of  this 
sketch;  Mrs.  Cooley,  of  Batavia,  Kane 
county;  Mrs.  J.  F.  Elliott,  of  St.  Charles; 
and  Edward,  who  during  the  Civil  war  was 
a  member  of  the  Thirty-sixth  Illinois  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  and  died  from  effects  of 
wounds  received  while  defending  the  old  flag 
and  the  cause  it  represented. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen,  Joseph  Clark 
came  to  the  United  States  with  his  father, 
and  in  Kane  county  grew  to  manhood.  He 
had  received  good  educational  advantages 
in  his  native  land,  but  after  coming  to  this 
country  attended  school  but  very  little. 
Remaining  at  home  he  assisted  his  father  in 
the  arduous  task  of  developing  the  wild  land 
into  highly  cultivated  fields.  Although  of 
foreign  birth,  he  had  great  love  for  his 
adopted  country,  and  during  her  hour  of 
peril  he  offered  his  services  to  the  govern- 
ment to  assist  in  putting  down  the  rebellion. 
In  August,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company 
E,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-seventh  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  which  was  assigned  to 
the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  and  with  his 


command  he  participated  in  the  engagement 
at  Tallahassee;  followed  Price  while  on  his 
raid;  was  in  the  first  siege  at  Chickasaw 
Bayou;  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Arkansas 
Post,  and  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  He 
was  then  detailed  for  hospital  service  at 
Young's  Point,  where  he  remained  for  some 
time,  and  from  March  until  July,  1863,  he 
served  on  a  hospital  boat  on  the  river.  On 
account  of  illness  he  was  then  discharged 
and  returned  home,  where  he  remained  un- 
til he  had  somewhat  regained  his  lost 
strength. 

The  following  year  Mr.  Clark  began 
farming  upon  rented  land  and  continued  to 
follow  that  occupation  for  a  few  years.  He 
then  removed  to  St.  Charles,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  lot  and  erected  his  present  resi- 
dence in  1876,  while  he  engaged  in  teaming 
for  some  years.  After  his  father's  death  he 
bought  the  interests  of  the  other  heirs  in 
the  old  homestead  and  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits again  turned  his  attention,  successfully 
operating  the  farm  until  1892,  when  he 
rented  it  and  returned  to  St.  Charles,  where 
he  is  now  living  retired.  Upon  the  farm  he 
has  made  a  number  of  useful  and  valuable 
improvements. 

On  the  22d  of  October,  1863,  in  Kane 
county,  Mr.  Clark  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Amanda  A.  Wood,  a  native  of 
Erie  county,  Pennsylvania,  who,  when  a 
child  of  three  years,  was  brought  to  Illinois. 
Her  father,  William  Wood,  was  a  pioneer 
of  Kane  county,  first  locating  in  Blackberry, 
and  later  in  Batavia,  where  he  spent  his 
last  years.  Mrs.  Clark  grew  to  woman- 
hood and  was  educated  in  Kane  county. 

The  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark 
are  as  follows:  Hattie  A.  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two  years;  Mabel  A.  is  the  wife  of 
S.  W.  Durant,  formerly  of  St.  Charles,  but 


386 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


now  of  Huntley,  Illinois;  William  Edward 
married  Clara  Bennett,  of  St.  Charles,  a 
daughter  of  A.  A.  Bennett,  whose  sketch 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  They 
are  both  connected  with  the  Boydton  Mis- 
sionary School,  at  Boydton,  Virginia,  where 
Mrs.  Clark  is  serving  as  a  teacher  and  Mr. 
Clark  as  an  editor  and  publisher.  They 
are  well  educated  and  both  were  formerly 
teachers.  Mary  J.,  the  next  of  the  family, 
was  for  a  time  matron  of  the  Boydton 
School,  but  is  now  at  home;  Joseph  O., 
Anson  I.  and  Ruth  Ellen  are  all  at  home. 

The  Republican  party  finds  in  Mr.  Clark 
a  stanch  supporter  of  its  principles,  and  he 
has  voted  for  every  presidential  nominee  of 
the  party  since  casting  his  vote  for  John  C. 
Fremont  in  1856.  Although  he  has  never 
sought  office,  he  was  elected  and  acceptably 
served  as  collector  of  St.  Charles  for  four 
or  five  years.  Mrs.  Clark,  her  oldest  sons 
and  two  daughters,  are  members  of  the 
Congregational  church,  the  services  of  which 
Mr.  Clark  also  attends,  although  not  a 
member,  and  to  its  support  he  contributes 
of  his  means.  As  a  citizen  he  has  always 
been  true  and  faithful  to  every  trust  reposed 
in  him,  so  that  his  loyalty  is  above  ques- 
tion, being  manifest  in  days  of  peace  as 
well  as  when  he  followed  the  old  flag  to 
victory  on  southern  battle  fields.  As  an 
nonored  pioneer  and  representative  man  of 
the  community  he  is  also  worthy  of  the 
high  regard  in  which  he  is.  uniformly  held. 


REV.  CALEB  FOSTER,  who  resides  at 
No.  93  South  Fourth  street,  Aurora, 
Illinois,  has  been  a  minister  of  the  Gospel 
for  sixty-one  years  and  in  that  time  has 
been  instrumental  in  bringing  many  into  the 
kingdom,  and  has  left  the  impress  of  his 


mind  upon  the  minds  and  hearts  of  thou- 
sands of  persons  where  he  has  broke  the 
bread  of  life.  He  was  born  February  14, 
1812,  near  Franklin,  Venango  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and 
Mary  (Martin)  Foster,  both  of  whom  be- 
came residents  of  the  Keystone  state,  in 
early  life  accompanying  their  respective 
parents  from  Baltimore,  Maryland,  during 
the  last  century. 

John  Foster  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, owning  a  farm  on  the  banks  of  the 
Allegheny  river,  where  he  and  his  wife  re- 
sided until  his  death,  the  former  in  1837, 
at  the  age  of  fifty-one  years,  though  natu- 
rally a  healthy  man.  When  Caleb  Foster 
was  four  months  old  his  father  was  drafted 
into  the  war  of  1812 — being  drafted  a  sec- 
ond time.  His  wife  survived  him  many 
years,  dying  at  the  age  of  eighty-four. 
They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children, 
who  reached  maturity:  Ross;  James,  who 
is  still  living  in  Pennsylvania,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-nine  years;  Caleb,  now  in  his  eighty- 
seventh  year;  Mary,  who  married  William 
De  Woody,  and  raised  a  large  family  of 
children,  most  of  whom  grew  to  be  men 
and  women,  is  still  living  in  Pennsylvania 
at  an  advanced  age;  John;  Julia  Ann,  who 
married  John  Temple;  and  Eliza,  the  young- 
est of  the  family,  who  married  Seth  Tem- 
ple, all  of  Pennsylvania. 

Caleb  Foster  began  his  education  in 
the  common  subscription  schools  of  his 
state,  where  it  was  often  found  difficult  to 
support  the  schools  for  lack  of  funds.  He 
afterwards  attended  Allegheny  College,  at 
Meadville,  Pennsylvania,  during  parts  of 
1834-5-6.  He  entered  the  ministry  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  received 
an  appointment  July,  1846,  at  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Erie  conference  at  Meadville, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


387 


Bishop  Soule,  presiding,  and  Bishop  Morris 
by  his  side.  From  that  organization  he 
was  transferred  to  the  Pittsburg  conference 
and  was  assigned  to  Florence  circuit,  Alle- 
gheny county,  then  Kittanning  circuit,  then 
Somerset,  then  Fish  Creek  Mission  in  Vir- 
ginia, then  Harrison  circuit,  West  Virginia, 
Lewis  circuit,  West  Virginia,  and  from  there 
he  was  transferred  back  to  his  native  state 
and  assigned  to  Blairsville,  where  he  formed 
the  acquaintance  of  Miss  P.  J.  Waterman, 
who  afterward  became  his  wife,  and  from 
there  to  the  Pittsburg  Wesleyan  Chapel. 

Mr.  Foster  was  married  in  October, 
1843,  to  Miss  Parmelia  Jane  Waterman, 
daughter  of  Lyman  and  Parmelia  Wat- 
erman, of  Blairsville,  Pennsylvania,  her 
father  at  that  time  being  a  wholesale 
merchant  at  Blairsville.  Subsequently 
removing  to  Pittsburg,  he  continued  in 
the  same  line  of  business  for  some  time. 
The  year  after  his  marriage,  our  sub- 
ject removed  to  East  Liberty  circuit, 
where  he  remained  two  years;  then  to 
Chartier  circuit,  near  the  city  of  Pittsburg, 
one  year;  then  to  Asbury  Chapel,  Pittsburg, 
two  years.  While  here  he  was  a  member 
of  the  committee  on  publication  of  the  Pitts- 
burg "  Advocate. "  He  was  next  assigned  to 
Brownsville,  two  years;  then  to  Mononga- 
hela  City,  two  years;  then  back  to  Asbury 
Chapel,  one  year.  In  1854  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Rock  River  conference,  and 
was  stationed  at  Peoria,  Illinois,  one  year, 
and  was  then  at  Canton,  Illinois,  two  years. 
Rock  River  conference  being  divided  at  that 
time,  he  fell  in  with  the  southern  division, 
and  took  his  certificate  of  location  and 
moved  to  Ottowa,  Illinois,  where  he  spent 
one  year,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was 
re -admitted  to  the  Rock  River  conference 
at  Waukegan  and  sent  to  Mendota,  where 


he  remained  two  years,  and  was  then  as- 
signed Sandwich  for  two  years  and  Oswego 
one  year.  While  there,  in  September,  1863, 
he  received  the  appointment  of  agent  for 
Clark's,  now  Jennings'  seminary  at  Aurora, 
in  which  he  was  engaged  for  three  years, 
and  so  active  were  his  exertions  that  in  that 
time  he  raised  by  voluntary  contributions 
the  sum  of  eighteen  thousand  dollars  to 
apply  to  the  benefit  of  the  seminary. 

In  the  fall  of  1866  Mr.  Foster  retired 
from  that  work,  and  being  quite  worn  out 
by  his  excessive  labor,  sought  needed  rest, 
but  for  a  brief  period  only,  as  the  limited 
state  of  his  finances  urged  further  active 
exertions.  His  many  friends  ill-advisedly 
counselled  him  to  take  a  supernumerary  re- 
lation to  the  church,  which  he  tried  without 
much  reward,  turning  his  attention  to  vari- 
ous occupations,  until  February,  1871.  In 
that  year  he  was  invited  to  enter  into  the 
American  Bible  work,  a  position  he  accepted, 
and  has  ever  since  been  actively  engaged  in 
it  with  most  gratifying  success,  and  al- 
though eighty-six  years  of  age,  is  as  vigorous 
and  energetic  as  most  men  who  are  thirty 
years  his  junior. 

To  Mr.  Foster  and  wife  were  born  seven 
children,  five  of  whom  are  now  living,  as 
follows:  Mary  Emma,  Parmelia  A.,  Ly- 
man W.,  Ada  J.  and  Robert  N.  Parmelia 
A.  is  now  the  wife  of  Rev.  W.  H.  Burns, 
D.  D.,  of  Oak  Park,  Cook  county,  Illinois. 
Mr.  Foster  is  the  oldest  member,  as  well  as 
being  the  oldest  man,  on  the  board  of  trus- 
tees of  Jennings  seminary,  and  has  been 
trustee  a  longer  period  than  any  man  ever 
connected  with  the  position.  He  is  widely 
known  and  respected  by  all  who  have  the 
pleasure  of  his  acquaintance,  and  he  pos- 
sesses a  wonderful  retentive  memory  of 
people  and  events  of  the  past,  and  his  mind 


388 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


is  no  less  active  on  those  of  the  present.  A 
good  conversationalist,  genial  and  pleasant 
with  all,  he  finds  pleasure  in  his  work  and 
health  in  the  active  exercise  pertaining 
thereto.  At  his  own  request  his  relation  to 
the  conference  is  now  that  of  superanuate. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 


DUANE  B.  BALDWIN,  a  farmer  re- 
siding on  section  24,  Hampshire  town- 
ship, traces  his  ancestry  back  to  Joseph 
and  Elizabeth  Baldwin,  his  great,  great- 
grandparents,  who  were  natives  of  New 
England,  the  former  dying  January  9,  1808, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years,  and  the 
latter  March  13,  1808,  at  the  age  of  sixty 
years.  Their  son,  Thomas  Baldwin,  was 
born  in  April,  1784,  probably  in  Connecti- 
cut. He  was  a  blacksmith  and  tool-maker 
by  trade,  and  during  dull  seasons  of  the 
year  would  take  his  tools  that  he  had  manu- 
factured and  sell  them  through  the  coun- 
try. On  the  1 9th  of  April,  1817,  in  Con- 
necticut, he  married  Polly  Lanfear,  who 
was  born  in  1798,  and  who  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Mary  Lanfear.  Shortly 
after  their  marriage  they  moved  to  Dorset, 
Vermont,  where  he  died  July  4,  1854, 
she  surviving  him,  dying  in  1872. 

Lucian  Baldwin,  son  of  Thomas  and 
Polly  Baldwin,  was  born  at  Dorset,  Ver- 
mont, March  29,  1819.  He  there  grew  to 
manhood  and  married  Maria  J.  Lanfear  in 
May,  1843.  She  was  born  at  Ticonderoga, 
New  York,  and  in  childhood  made  the  old 
fort  a  playground.  Her  father,  David  Lan- 
fear, was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  He 
married  a  Miss  Phillips  and  came  west  with 
Mr.  Baldwin,  later  went  to  California, 
where  he  died  in  1870,  at  the  residence  of 
a  daughter.  Lucian  Baldwin  came  to  Kane 


county,  Illinois,  in  July,  1843,  and  settled 
on  the  farm  now  owned  by  our  subject.  It 
was  all  in  timber  at  the  time,  and  he 
cleared  the  land,  split  rails  to  fence  it,  built 
the  log  house  in  which  our  subject  was 
born,  there  lived  for  some  twenty  years, 
and,  in  1872,  built  the  present  large  frame 
house.  He  died  January  29,  1889.  To 
Lucian  and  Maria  J.  Baldwin,  four  chil- 
dren were  born — Charles  H.,  who  lives  at 
Pingree  Grove;  Duane  B. ,  our  subject; 
Ella  J.,  wife  of  Scott  Phillips,  an  employee 
of  the  watch  factory  in  Elgin;  and  Anna 
M.,  wife  of  Silas  E.  Crane,  a  carpenter 
living  on  section  25,  Hampshire  township. 
Duane  B.  Baldwin,  was  born  on  the  farm 
on  which  he  now  resides,  November  22, 
1849.  His  education  was  obtained  in  the 
district  schools  of  Hampshire  township,  sup- 
plemented by  two  terms  at  the  Elgin  Acad- 
emy. The  first  school  he  attended  was  in 
an  old  log  house  with  puncheon  floor  and 
puncheon  benches.  He  attended  school 
until  about  nineteen  years  old,  in  the  mean- 
time assisting  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
home  farm.  In  1869  he  took  charge  of  the 
farm,  and  continued  its  cultivation  until 
1873,  with  the  exception  of  a  short  time 
in  1870,  when  he  operated  a  sawmill  in 
Kansas  City,  Missouri.  In  1873,  ne  went 
to  California  and  at  Truckee,  Nevada  coun- 
ty, engaged  in  the  lumber  and  wood  busi- 
ness. He  remained  in  California  until 
1876,  a  part  of  which  time  he  was  working 
in  the  interest  of  the  Bank  of  California, 
getting  out  timber  and  lumber  at  Virginia 
City.  Returning  home,  from  1876  to  1891, 
he  was  engaged  in  farming,  then  moved  to 
the  village  of  Hampshire,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  cultivating  land  near  there,  and 
also  in  bailing  hay  and  other  occupations. 
On  the  ist  of  March,  1898,  he  returned  to 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


389 


the  home  farm  which  comprises  one  hun- 
dred and  sixteen  acres,  and  is  used  for 
dairy  purposes.  He  keeps  about  twenty- 
five  head  of  cows  and  ships  the  product  to 
Chicago. 

Mr.  Baldwin  has  been  twice  married, 
first  in  Elgin,  February  11,  1879,  to  Miss 
Etta  Allen,  daughter  of  John  A.  and  Pa- 
tience (Bowen)  Allen,  by  whom  he  had  one 
child,  Emory  D.,  who  is  with  a  relative  op- 
erating a  steamer  on  Lake  Michigan.  The 
second  marriage  of  our  subject  was  at  Co- 
lumbiana,  Ohio,  December  30,  1885,  when 
he  wedded  Verana  Sinsel,  a  -daughter  of 
Henry  and  Caroline  Sinsel.  By  this  union 
four  children  have  been  born — Ethel  M., 
Eva,  Walter  and  Iva. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Baldwin  is  a  member 
of  Hampshire  lodge,  No.  443,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican.  For 
years  he  served  as  assessor  of  his  township, 
and  has  served  as  road  commissioner  and 
school  director  for  several  terms  each.  He 
is  a  wholesouled,  genial  man,  very  popular, 
and  has  many  friends  throughout  Kane  and 
adjoining  counties. 


/~>EORGE  FREAR,  who  is  living  a  re- 
V_J  tired  life  in  Aurora,  was  for  many 
years  one  of  the  trusted  employees  of  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad 
Company,  and  also  a  contractor  and  build- 
er, having  charge  of  the  erection  of  a  num- 
ber of  the  substantial  buildings  of  the  city. 
He  has  been  a  resident  of  Aurora  since 
April,  1856.  A  native  of  Canada,  he  was 
born  in  Quebec,  February  4,  1821.  His 
father,  Joseph  Frear,  was  born  in  North- 
umberland county,  England,  April  2,  1777. 
In  coming  to  America,  he  was  nine  weeks 


in  crossing  the  Atlantic.  He  first  settled  in 
Oswego,  New  York,  but  remained  there 
only  a  short  time,  moving  to  Quebec,  Can- 
ada. He  married  Eleanor  Lee,  also  a  na- 
tive of  Northumberland  county,  England. 
By  trade  he  was  a  cabinet-maker,  joiner 
and  wheelwright,  having  served  an  appren- 
ticeship in  the  old  country.  In  Quebec  he 
worked  at  his  trade,  and  also  for  a  time  was 
engaged  in  merchandising.  In  1828  he  re- 
turned to  the  states,  locating  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  a 
number  of  years.  In  1839  he  moved  to 
Ulster  county,  New  York,  and  purchased  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  acres,  and  for  ten 
years  was  engaged  in  farming.  He  later  re- 
moved to  Binghamton,  New  York,  and 
there  died,  January  2,  1851.  His  wife 
passed  away  April  17,  of  the  same  year. 

George  Frear  is  the  youngest  and  only 
surviving  child  of  Joseph  and  Eleanor 
Frear.  While  residing  in  New  York  city 
he  attended  St.  John's  Academy,  where  he 
received  a  liberal  education.  He  there 
learned  the  carpenter  and  joiner's  trade,  but 
had  previously  worked  three  years  at  wood 
carving.  With  his  father  he  went  to  Ulster 
county,  New  York,  and  took  charge  of  the 
farm.  He  also  removed  with  him  to  Bing- 
hamton, and  there  worked  at  his  trade. 

While  residing  in  Ulster  county,  Mr. 
Frear  was  married  November  n,  1847,  to 
Miss  Jane  demons,  a  native  of  New  York, 
where  she  was  reared  and  educated,  and  a 
daughter  of  Ira  demons,  a  farmer  of  Ulster 
county.  By  this  union  they  became  the 
parents  of  four  children,  as  follows:  Mary 
Anna,  now  the  wife  of  E.  W.  Shepherd,  a 
soldier  of  the  late  war,  but  now  a  machinist 
of  Aurora;  Eleanor  L. ,  who  for  some  years 
was  a  successful  teacher  in  the  public 
schools  of  Aurora;  George  William,  who 


39° 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


died  in  early  childhood;  and  Maria  Emily, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years. 

After  residing  nearly  five  years  in  Bing- 
hamton,  Mr.  Frear  moved  back  to  Ellen- 
ville,  Ulster  county,  New  York,  where  he 
engaged  in  contracting  and  building  for  two 
years.  In  1856,  he  came  west,  located  in 
Aurora,  then  a  town  of  less  than  two  thou- 
sand inhabitants.  Here  he  also  engaged  in 
contracting  and  building  for  a  little  more 
than  two  years,  and  in  1859,  went  into  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  railroad 
shops,  working  in  various  departments, 
principally  as  a  pattern  maker,  and  also  in 
the  construction  and  the  repair  of  coaches. 
He  continued  with  the  road  some  five  years, 
and  then  purchased  a  farm  in  Cook  county, 
to  which  he  removed,  and  where  he  re- 
mained but  eleven  months.  Selling  out  he 
returned  to  Aurora  and  went  back  into  the 
shops,  where  he  remained  about  twenty -five 
years.  • 

Politically  Mr.  Frear  was  first  a  Whig, 
then  an  AbolitiDnist,  and  on  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Republican  party,  became  iden- 
tified with  it.  His  first  presidential  ballot 
was  cast  for  General  Winfield  Scott,  and 
his  first  Republican  ballot  for  John  C.  Fre- 
mont. He  has  never  desired  or  held  public 
office,  with  the  exception  of  being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board  for  three  years,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  used  his  influence  in  se- 
curing good  schools.  Religiously  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which 
he  has  been  an  elder  lor  a  number  of  years. 
Mrs.  Frear  is  also  a  member  of  that  church, 
and  both  take  a  lively  interest  in  whatever 
tends  to  promote  the  Master's  cause. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frear  celebrated  their 
golden  wedding  November  n,  1897,  at 
which  time  a  large  number  of  their  friends 
congregated  and  gladdened  the  hearts. 


They  were  the  recipients  of  a  number  of 
presents,  showing  the  friendship  and  esteem 
in  which  they  are  held.  The  session  of  the 
church  presented  him  with  a  gold-headed 
cane  on  that  occasion.  In  the  forty-two 
years  of  their  residence  in  Kane  county,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Frear  have  made  many  warm 
friends,  who  esteem  them  for  their  Christian 
character. 


LOUIS  A.  CONSTANTINE,  postmaster 
of  Aurora,  was  born  in  Buffalo,  New 
York,  March  13,  1853,  and  is  the  son  of 
Louis  A.  and  Fannie  (Case)  Constantine, 
the  former  born  about  1800,  in  Berlin,  Ger- 
many, while  his  father  was  a  member  of  the 
French  Legation.  He  came  to  the  United 
States  in  the  '303,  where  he  lived  for  some 
time  and  where  his  death  occurred  in  1865. 
On  coming  to  this  country,  he  adopted  the 
principles  of  the  Whig  party,  and  later  be- 
came a  Republican.  His  wife,  Fannie  (Case) 
Constantine,  was  born  in  Devonshire,  Eng- 
land, and  came  with  her  parents  to  Canada, 
when  she  was  eleven  years  of  age.  She  died 
in  1892,  at  Davenport,  Iowa,  where  she  was 
visiting  her  daughter.  Louis  A.  and  Fannie 
Constantine  were  the  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren, four  of  whom  are  yet  living:  Sidney 
M.,  an  attorney  at  Three  Rivers,  Michigan; 
Alice,  now  Mrs.  Charles  Stephens,  of 
Davenport,  Iowa;  Louis  A.,  our  subject; 
and  Benjamin  F.,  manager  of  the  "Post," 
Aurora.  The  deceased  are  William,  Carrie, 
Maria,  and  Mary. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended  the 
public  schools  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan.  He  then  entered  a  print- 
ing office  as  an  apprentice,  serving  through 
all  the  grades  and  was  then  transferred  to 
the  business  office.  His  first  work  was  in 


LOUIS  A.   CONSTATINE. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


393 


the  office  of  the  "Republican,"  at  Dowa- 
giac,  Michigan,  then  the  Grand  Rap- 
ids "Eagle,"  the  Jackson  "Citizen" 
and  the  "Gazette"  at  Davenport,  Iowa, 
and  the  Chicago  "Daily  News."  From  the 
"  News"  he  came  to  Aurora,  in  November, 
1877,  and  bought  the  "Post,"  which  he  has 
since  published.  This  paper  is  a  daily, 
seven-column  folio,  and  devoted  to  the  in- 
terest of  the  Republican  party.  It  has  been 
a  prosperous  paper  since  it  was  started,  and 
has  absorbed  the  "Democrat,"  "Times," 
"  The  Journal "  and  "  Blade,"  weekly  news- 
papers of  Aurora. 

Mr.  Constantine  was  united  in  marriage 
March  27,  1882,  at  Aurora,  with  Miss  Lil- 
lian Loomis,  daughter  of  William  and  Isabel 
(Seeley)  Loomis.  She  is  a  native  of  Aurora, 
and  her  parents  were  natives  of  Erie  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania.  They  had  three  children 
— William,  deceased;  Mary,  now  the  wife 
of  Dr.  Douglas  Long,  of  Detroit,  Michigan; 
and  Lillian.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Constantine  are 
members  of  the  Peoples  church,  Aurora. 

Since  attaining  his  majority,  Mr.  Con- 
stantine has  been  actively  engaged  in  poli- 
tics, and,  as  a  Republican,  has  been  a  leader 
in  the  councils  of  his  party.  He  was  clerk 
of  the  senate  committee  two  terms,  and 
was  private  secretary  pf  President  Bogardus, 
of  the  senate.  For  two  years  he  was  in  the 
internal  revenue  service,  in  Chicago,  under 
Christian  Mamer.  On  the  1 3th  of  January, 
1898,  he  was  appointed  by  President  Mc- 
Kinley,  postmaster  of  Aurora,  commissioned 
on  the  2Oth  and  took  possession  of  the  office 
February  i,  1898.  He  has  served  as  delegate 
to  many  county,  district  and  state  conven- 
tions, has  been  chairman  of  the  city  exec- 
utive committee,  and  chairman  of  the  sena- 
torial committee.  He  is  president  of  the 
Republican  press  association,  of  the  eighth 


congressional  district,  and  state  organizer 
of  the  Illinois  Republican  League.  A  man 
of  action,  pleasing  manners  and  good  ad- 
dress, he  has  many  friends,  not  only  in 
Kane  county,  but  throughout  the  state. 


DR.  WILLIAM  A.  PRATT,  proprietor 
of  the  Cedarside  Stock  Farm,  and 
breeder  of  Holstein-Friesian  cattle,  section 
i,  Elgin-  township,  has  the  reputation  of 
being  one  of  the  best  breeders  in  the  state 
of  Illinois,  his  stock  being  found  in  nearly 
every  state  and  territory  irT  the  Union.  He 
was  born  in  Naperville,  Du  Page  county, 
Illinois,  October  25,  1843,  and  is  the  son 
of  Dr.  Philomen  Brown  and  Mary  (Grimes) 
Pratt,  the  former  a  native  of  Brattleboro, 
Vermont,  born  in  1815,  and  the  latter  of 
Genesee  Valley,  New  York,  born  in  1818. 
Her  uncles  on  both  sides  participated  in  the 
war  of  1812.  Dr.  Philomen  B.  and  Mary 
(Grimes)  Pratt,  were  early  settlers  :of  Du- 
Page  county,  and-  he  was  one  of  the  first 
dentists  in  Illinois,  beginning  practice  in 
Chicago,  in  1850.  On  the  discovery  of 
gold  in  California,  he  made  a  trip  to  the 
new  Eldorado,  but  only  remained  one  year, 
returning  to  engage  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  having  previously  studied  under 
his  brother,  D.  Amos  Pratt.  In  early  life 
he  was  politically  a  Whig,  and  later  a 
stanch  Republican. 

When  our  subject  was  but  six  years  of 
age,  the  family  moved  to  Batavia,  Illinois. 
Young  as  he  was  he  drove  three  head  of 
cattle  twelve  miles,  on  foot.  After  living 
in  Batavia,  they  moved  to  his  present  farm, 
where  he  since  continued  to  reside,  a  period 
of  forty-seven  years.  He  came  soon  after 
a  railroad  was  built  to  Elgin,  and  when 
wolves  and  foxes  were  yet  seen  in  the  vicin- 


394 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


ity.  His  education  was  received  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Batavia  and  Elgin,  supple- 
mented by  an  attendance  at  Wheaton  Col- 
lege, then  under  the  presidency  of  the  elder 
Blanchard.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he 
began  the  practice  of  dentistry  with  his 
father  at  Elgin,  at  which  he  continued 
eight  years. 

Since  discontinuing  the  practice  of  den- 
tistry, Dr.  Pratt  has  given  his  entire  atten- 
tion to  stock  raising.  At  first  he  raised 
only  Jersey  cattle,  but  soon  changed  to  Hos- 
stein-Friesian  and  is  now  one  of  the  largest 
individual  breeders  in  America  of  that  stock. 
He  has  been  in  the  business  since  1880, 
and  has  three  farms  stocked  with  registered 
cattle.  The  home  farm  consists  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  acres,  partly  lying  in 
Cook  county.  He  has  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  near  Gilbert  and  one  hundred 
and  thirty-five  acres  near  Spaulding.  The 
following  are  some  of  the  noted  strains  that 
he  has  on  hand  in  the  spring  of  1898: 
Pauline  Paul,  Nierop,  Coronet,  Duchess  of 
York,  Mathilda  K.,  Ondine,  Empress, 
Snowflake,  Queen  Bess,  ZuiderZee,  Astrea, 
Countess  of  Flanders,  Maid  of  Twisk,  Echo, 
Aaggie,  Netherlands,  Cliftons,  Minks  and 
Mercedes. 

Dr.  Pratt  has  been  twice  married,  his 
first  union  being  with  Miss  Mattie  Patrick, 
born  in  Bloomingdale,  Illinois,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Hiram  Patrick.  After  her  death  he 
married  Katie  Gibbons,  daughter  of  John 
and  Mary  (Prendergast)  Gibbons,  by  whom 
he  has  six  children — Walter,  Matie,  Alice, 
Ada,  Alpha,  and  William  A.  The  first  two 
died  in  infancy. 

Dr.  Pratt  is  a  scientific  and  expert 
breeder  and  is  an  acknowledged  authority 
on  cattle.  Cedarside  farm,  which  adjoins 
the  corporate  limits  of  Elgin,  is  one  of  the 


best  known  farms  in  this  section  of  the 
state.  His  dwelling  house,  which  is  of  the 
Italian  style  of  architecture,  occupies  an  ex- 
ceedingly fine  location,  with  fine  groves  sur- 
rounding the  house  and  cedars  lining  the 
roadside.  Soon  after  electric  roads  were 
built  to  Dundee,  the  Doctor  laid  out  a  fine 
park  of  thirty-five  acres,  which  he  gave  the 
name  of  Trout  Park,  making  of  it  a  fine 
summer  resort.  All  kinds  of  outdoor 
amusements  are  provided  for  its  patrons  in 
the  summer  and  Trout  Lake  is  well  stocked 
with  brook  trout  secured  from  Seth  Green. 
Politically  Dr.  Pratt  is  aRepublican  and  fra- 
ternally a  member  of  Lochiel  lodge,  No. 
105,  K.  of  P.,  of  Elgin. 


BRYANT  DURANT.-- Years  of  quiet 
usefulness  and  a  life  in  which  the  old- 
fashioned  virtues  of  sincerity,  industry  and 
integrity  are  exemplified  have  a  simple 
beauty  that  no  words  can  portray.  Youth 
has  its  charms,  but  an  honorable  and  hon- 
ored old  age,  to  which  the  lengthening  years 
have  added  dignity  and  sweetness,  has  a 
brighter  radiance,  as  if  some  ray  from  the 
life  beyond  already  rested  upon  it.  Mr. 
Durant,  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  St. 
Charles,  is  also  one  of  the  honored  pioneers 
of  Kane  county,  where  he  has  made  his 
home  since  May,  1837,  and  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  no  citizen  of  the  community  is  held  in 
higher  esteem  than  he. 

In  the  town  of  Ware,  Hampshire  coun- 
ty, Massachusetts,  Mr.  Durant  was  born 
December  14,  1807,  and  is  of  the  eighth 
generation  of  the  family  in  this  country. 
His  ancestors  were  among  the  earliest  set- 
tlers of  the  old  Bay  state,  making  their 
homes  in  Boston  and  Newton,  and  arrtong 
their  number  were  several  who  participated 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


395 


in  the  Revolutionary  war,  aiding  the  col- 
onies in  their  struggle  for  independence. 
Our  subject's  grandfather,  Denny  Durant, 
was  born  in  Newton,  near  Boston,  of  French 
extraction,  and  the  father,  John  Durant, 
was  a  native  of  the  same  place.  The  latter 
engaged  in  merchandising  in  early  life,  but 
later  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  married  Abigail  Ward,  also  a 
native  of  Massachusetts,  and  a  daughter  of 
Elijah  Ward,  another  representative  of  one 
of  the  first  families  of  that  state,  and  a 
Revolutionary  soldier.  In  1849  John  Du- 
rant joined  our  subject  in  St.  Charles,  where 
he  spent  his  last  days,  and  now  he  and  his 
wife,  who  survived  him  about  two  years, 
sleep  side  by  side  in  the  cemetery  at  that 
place. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  state  to  a  limited 
extent,  but  is  principally  self-educated  and 
is  a  well-informed  man.  During  his  youth 
he  learned  the  bricklayer's  trade,  at  which 
he  worked  at  Cambridge,  Brighton  and 
Newton  for  about  sixteen  years,  and  also 
engaged  to  some  extent  in  farming  in  Mas- 
sachusetts. In  1837  he  came  to  Illinois,  by 
way  of  the  lakes  to  Chicago,  where  his 
brother  James  engaged  in  merchandising  for 
many  years.  He  arrived  in  that  city  in 
March,  and  the  following  May  came  to  Kane 
county,  where,  in  company  with  his  brother 
and  another  gentleman,  he  bought  a  claim 
of  .one  thousand  acres,  which  he  at  once 
began  to  open  up  and  improve.  After  fol- 
lowing agricultural  pusuits  for  two  years,  he 
had  the  farm  operated  by  others  while  he 
worked  at  his  trade  in  St.  Charles  and  in 
different  sections  throughout  Kane  county 
for  some  years,  though  he  still  continued  to 
live  upon  the  farm.  When  the  property 
was  divided  he  obtained  two  hundred  acres, 


on  which  he  erected  a  substantial  brick  res- 
idence, good  barns  and  other  outbuildings, 
and  made  many  other  valuable  improve- 
ments. The  place  is  pleasantly  located  only 
two  miles  from  St.  Charles.  About  1881  he 
rented  the  farm  and  removed  to  St.  Charles, 
where  he  has  since  lived  retired,  enjoying 
the  rest  he  has  so  well  earned  and  so  richly 
deserves. 

At  Genoa,  DeKalb  county,  Illinois,  Mr. 
Durant  was  married  in  1842,  to  Miss  Jerusha 
Shurtliff,  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
Lowell,  Massachusetts  Her  father,  David 
Shurtliff,  was  born  in  Plymouth,  that  state, 
and  belonged  to  one  of  its  earliest  families. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Durant  have  six  children, 
namely:  Julia  is  the  wife  of  J.  W.  Johnston, 
of  St.  Charles;  Henrietta  is  the  widow  of 
Frank  Herrington  and  now  resides  in  Ober- 
lin,  Ohio;  William  H.  is  a  business  man  of 
Chicago;  Emma  is  the  widow  of  Dr.  Lane, 
who  was  a  leading  physician  of  St.  Charles 
for  some  years,  and  she  now  resides  with 
her  parents,  while  she  is  successfully  en- 
gaged in  teaching  in  St.  Charles,  being  a 
lady  of  superior  education;  Abbie  is  the 
wife  of  Henry  Allen,  of  Iowa;  and  Charles 
is  married  and  engaged  in  farming  in 
Kansas. 

Since  the  election  of  General  Jackson  to 
the  presidency,  Mr.  Durant  has  always  been 
found  at  the  polls  on  each  election  day,  sup- 
porting first  the  candidates  of  the  Whig 
party,  and  since  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  party  has  been  one  of  its  earnest 
advocates,  voting  for  John  C.  Fremont  in 
1856.  He  attended  the  convention  that 
nominated  Abraham  Lincoln  for  the  presi- 
dency, and  was  always  a  warm  admirer  of 
the  martyr  president  and  his  policy.  Be- 
lieving that  a  protective  tariff  is  best  suited 
to  the  needs  of  the  American  people,  he 


396 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


gives  it  his  hearty  support,  and  he  is  also  a 
stanch  supporter  of  the  gold  standard  of 
currency.  With  the  Congregational  church 
he  and  his  wife  hold  membership.  Although 
their  lives  have  been  quiet  and  unassuming, 
they  have  made  hosts  of  friends  throughout 
Kane  county,  and  by  all  who  know  them 
they  are  held  in  high  regard. 


HORACE  J.  SEYMOUR,  a  well-known 
contractor  and  builder  residing  at  No. 
40  Jefferson  avenue,  Elgin,  is  a  native  of 
Illinois,  born  in  Cook  county,  February  10, 
1851,  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
oldest  and  most  distinguished  families  of  the 
United  States,  its  members  being  well 
represented  in  the  early  wars  of  the  coun- 
try. On  the  paternal  side  he  traces  his  an- 
cestry back  to  '  Richard  Seymour,  who 
came  to  the  New  World  about  1635,  ar>d 
was  the  first  mayor  of  Hartford,  Connect- 
icut, his  name  appearing  on  the  monument 
erected  to  the  first  settlers  of  that  place, 
in  Center  church  burying  ground.  His  son 
Thomas  was  the  father  of  Captain  Matthew 
Seymour,  whose  son,  Captain  Thomas  Sey- 
mour, took  an  active  and  prominent  part  in 
the  French  and  Indian  war.  The  son  of 
the  last  named,  Ebenezer  Seymour,  was 
born  May  16,  1729,  near  Greenwich,  Con- 
necticut, and  married  Ruth  Scribner,  who 
was  born  in  1730  and  died  in  1820.  Their 
son  Jesse,  who  was  the  great-grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  a  commissary  in  the 
war  of  the  Revolution,  and  emptied  his 
private  purse  to  pay  for  food  for  the  sol- 
diers. He  married  Mercy  Fancher,  of 
Dutchess  county.  New  York,  and  to  them 
were  born  fifteen  children. 

John    Seymour,     our    subject's    grand- 
father, married  Elizabeth  Wright,  who  was 


born  November,  1794,  and  was  one  of  a 
family  of  six  children,  whose  parents  were 
Ephraim  and  Martha  Wright,  the  former 
born  February  6,  1766,  the  latter  April  8, 
1770.  Her  grandparents  were  John  and 
Elizabeth  Wright,  the  former  born  Decem- 
ber 25.  1736,  the  latter  May  2,  1746.  John 
Wright  was  a  son  of  John  and  Ruth  Wright, 
the  former  born  April  5,  1703,  a  son  of 
Gideon  and  Margaret  W.  Wright.  Gideon 
Wright  was  born  in  Germany,  January  8, 
1675,  and  was  the  founder  of  the  branch  of 
the  family  in  America.  To  John  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Wright)  Seymour  were  born  the 
following  children:  Samuel,  Susan,  Wright, 
and  Ephraim,  all  deceased;  Hannah,  who 
is  still  living;  Elizabeth  and  Frederick, 
both  deceased;  and  Harvey,  Joseph,  John 
W.',  Cordelia,  deceased,  and  Deziah,  all 
living.  The  mother  of  these  children  died 
September  28,  1816,  aged  sixty-six  years, 
nine  months  and  twenty-seven  days,  and 
the  father  passed  away  at  the  home  of  John 
Seymour,  in  Elgin,  aged  ninety-seven  years, 
nine  months  and  seven  days.  Both  were 
laid  to  rest  in  the  cemetery  at  Barrington, 
Cook  county. 

Our  subject's  father,  Joseph  B.  Sey- 
mour, was  born  near  Dundee,  Steuben 
county,  New  York,  and  on  coming  west  in 
1844  located  upon  a  partially  improved 
farm  in  Barrington  township,  Cook  county, 
where  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
until  his  removal  to  Aurora  in  1867.  There 
he  still  continues  to  reside  at  the  age  of 
seventy-four  years..  He  married  Mary  S. 
Haven,  who  was  born  in  Carthage,  Jeffer- 
son county,  New  York,  November  28,  1832, 
a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Lydia  (Strong) 
Haven.  Her  mother  was  born  in  Stafford, 
New  Hampshire,  August  22,  1799,  and  died 
November  22,  1874.  Mrs.  Seymour  is  one 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


397 


of  a  family  of  seven  children,  of  whom  only 
two  are  now  living,  the  other  being  Martha 
Malvina,  who  was  born  in  Carthage,  New 
York,  July  9,  1836.  The  parents  of  our 
subject  are  both  earnest  and  consistent 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  are  held  in  high  regard  by  all  who  know 
them. 

Horace  J.  Seymour  was  reared  upon  the 
home  farm  in  Cook  county,  and  after  the 
removal  of  the  family  to  Aurora  continued 
his  education,  taking  a  miscellaneous  and 
business  course.  He  is  the  only  child 
of  his  parents.  After  his  marriage  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  three  years  in  Cook 
county,  and  for  the  following  four  years  was 
employed  as  clerk  and  driver  by  the  Amer- 
ican Express  Company  at  Aurora.  He  then 
engaged  in  fanning  near  Kankakee  for  three 
years,  after  which  he  lived  in  that  city  for 
two  years,  and  in  1884  came  to  Elgin  in 
time  to  vote  for  James  G.  Elaine  for  presi- 
dent. Having  learned  the  carpenter's 
trade  in  early  life,  he  has  successfully  en- 
gaged in  contracting  and  building  in  Elgin, 
erecting  residences  principally.  He  has  also 
been  interested  to  some  extent  in  the  real- 
estate  and  mercantile  business,  and  in  his 
undertakings  has  met  with  a  fair  degree  of 
success. 

On  the  2Oth  of  March,  1872,  Mr.  Sey- 
mour was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  R. 
Jennie  Smith,  a  daughter  of  Reuben  B. 
Smith,  of  Lament,  Cook  county.  Her  great- 
grandmother,  a  Mrs.  Streator,  of  Washing- 
ton county,  New  York,  lived  to  the  extreme 
old  age  of  one  hundred  six  years.  Her  seven 
brothers  all  went  as  volunteers  in  the  Con- 
tinental army  during  the  Revolutionary  war, 
while  the  sisters  were  left  at  home  to  carry 
on  the  farm.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seymour  have 
two  children:  Hattie  and  Fred  Wesley. 


The  former  is  now  the  wife  of  H.  T.  Pix- 
ley,  of  Marion,  Iowa,  and  has  two  children: 
Merle  Seymour  and  Ira  A. 

Our  subject,  his  wife  and  children  all 
hold  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church,  and  Mrs.  Seymour  is  a  teacher 
in  the  Sunday-school.  She  is  a  graduate 
of  the  Aurora  high  school,  and  for  several 
years  successfully  engaged  in  teaching  in 
that  city.  Mr.  Seymour  is  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  and  active  worker  in  the  Modern 
Woodmen  Society  of  Elgin,  of  which  he  was 
treasurer  for  several  years  after  its  organi- 
zation, and  is  at  present  a  member  of  the 
sick  committee,  which  during  the  past  year 
dispensed  about  two  thousand  dollars  for 
the  relief  of  the  sick.  Politically  he  is  an 
ardent  Republican,  and  has  rilled  the  office 
of  assistant  supervisor,  but  cares  nothing  for 
political  honors.  As  a  business  man  and 
citizen  he  enjoys  the  esteem  of  the  entire 
community. 


T  ESTER  M.  BURROUGHS,  M.  D.,  is 
I—/  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  successful 
practitioners  in  Kane  county,  and  has  been 
a  resident  of  Batavia  since  1861.  He  is  a 
native  of  Ohio,  born  in  Shalersville,  Portage 
county,  September  25,  1820.  His  father, 
Daniel  Burroughs,  Jr.,  was  born  in  New 
Hampshire,  but  reared  in  Williamstown, 
Vermont,  while  his  grandfather,  Daniel  Bur- 
roughs, Sr.,  was  a  native  of  Connecticut, 
born  in  May,  1755,  and  was  a  faithful  soldier 
in  the  Revolutionary  army.  The  family 
are  of  English  descent. 

In  1810  Daniel  Burroughs,  Sr.,  accom- 
panied by  his  father's  family,  located  in 
Portage  county,  Ohio,  and  were  among  the 
earliest  settlers  of  that  locality.  In  that 
county  Daniel  Burroughs,  Jr.,  married  Miss 


398 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Abigail  Hine,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  whose 
father,  Daniel  Hine,  was  also  a  native  of 
that  state.  He  located  in  Trumbull  county, 
Ohio,  in  1808.  By  trade  Daniel  Burroughs, 
Jr.,  was  a  brick  and  stone  mason,  but  in 
later  life  followed  fanning.  He  was  a  sol- 
dier in  the  war  of  1812,  and  at  Detroit  was 
among  the  number  surrendered  to  the  en- 
emy by  General  Hull,  but  was  soon  after 
paroled.  In  1836  he  moved  to  Illinois  and 
located  in  Kendall  county,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming.  His  last  years,  however, 
were  spent  at  Batavia,  and  his  death  oc- 
curred at  the  residence  of  his  son  in  1866. 
His  wife  passed  away  in  Kendall  county  in 
1863. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  Illi- 
nois with  his  parents  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
years.  His  literary  education  commenced 
in  the  common  schools  of  Ohio,  and  com- 
pleted in  the  public  schools  of  Illinois.  In 
early  life  he  conceived  the  idea  that  he 
would  make  the  medical  profession  his  life 
work.  Purchasing  some  books  he  com- 
menced reading,  and  later  entered  the  office 
of  Dr.  Gardiner,  of  Blackberry,  Illinois,  and 
under  his  instruction  continued  his  studies. 
He  then  took  a  special  course  of  lectures  in 
the  medical  college  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and 
later  spent  one  year  in  the  medical  college 
at  Kenosha,  Wisconsin.  After  some  three 
or  four  years'  study  he  commenced  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine.  Soon  after  he  commenced 
practice,  he  was  called  to  attend  a  small- 
pox patient,  and  before  his  patient  recov- 
ered he  was  called  to  treat  sixty-nine  other 
cases. 

While  residing  in  Blackberry,  Dr.  Bur- 
roughs was  united  in  marriage,  November 
24,  1849,  with  Miss  Almira  Wheeler,  a  na- 
tive of  Troy,  New  York,  who  came  with  her 
parents  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  in  1838. 


Her  father,  David  Wheeler,  was  a  promi- 
nent man  in  Troy,  and  there  served  as  post- 
master eight  years  under  General  Jackson. 
After  his  removal  to  Blackberry  he  served 
in  like  capacity  for  ten  years.  In  the  war 
of  1812  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Brit- 
ish, and  held  at  Barbados  for  some  time. 
He  married  Judith  Pearson,  of  Newberry- 
port,  Massachusetts,  in  1815.  He  reared  a 
family  of  eight  sons  and  one  daughter.  In 
Kane  county  he  was  quite  a  prominent  man 
until  his  death. 

In  1 86 1,  Dr.  Burroughs  located  at  Bata- 
via, where  he  has  since  continued  in  active 
practice,  although  nearing  his  four  score.  In 
the  early  days  he  was  an  Abolitionist,  and 
was  one  of  the  conductors  on  the  under- 
ground railroad,  assisting  fugitives  who  were 
fleeing  to  a  free  land.  His  first  presidential 
ballot  was  cast  for  James  G.  Birney.  Believ- 
ing that  the  desires  of  his  heart  might  the 
sooner  be  gained,  on  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  party,  he  identified  himself  with 
it  and  has  voted  for  each  of  its  presidential 
candidates  from  Fremont  to  McKinley. 
While  always  taking  an  active  interest  in 
political  affairs,  his  professional  duties  have 
prevented  his  holding  official  position. 

To  the  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Burroughs,  two 
daughters  were  born.  Mary  B.  is  now  the 
wife  of  William  K.  Coffin,  a  banker  of  Wis- 
consin, and  president  of  the  Bankers'  Asso- 
ciation of  that  state,  and  Nellie  May,  who  yet 
resides  at  home.  Fraternally  Dr.  Burroughs 
is  a  Master  Mason  and  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Odd  Fellows.  In  the  subordinate  lodge 
of  that  order  he  has  passed  all  the  chairs, 
and  in  the  encampment  he  has  likewise 
filled  all  the  offices.  For  sixty-two  years 
he  has  been  a  resident  of  the  state  of  Illi- 
nois, the  greater  part  of  which  time  he  has 
been  engaged  in  his  professional  duties,  and 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


399 


the  good  that  he  has  done  in  the  alleviation 
of  human  suffering  can  never  be  known. 
Few  men  have  more  friends  throughout 
Northern  Illinois  than  has  the  subject  of 
this  sketch. 


WILLIAM  KLICK,  section  10,  Hamp- 
shire township,  is  descended  from  an 
old  German  family,  whose  ancestors  came 
to  America  prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war. 
His  grandfather,,  Conrad  Klick,  was  prob- 
ably born  in  Lebanon  county,  Pennsylvania, 
the  family  being  well  known  pioneers  of  that 
section,  the  great-great-grandfather  there 
being  killed  by  the  Indians.  Conrad  Klick, 
who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  married 
Elizabeth  Weidmeyer,  also  of  an  old  colonial 
family.  His  death  occurred  when  he  was 
about  sixty-five  years  old. 

John  Klick,  the  son  of  Conrad  and 
Elizabeth  Klick,  was  born  in  Lebanon 
county,  Pennsylvania,  in  December,  1806, 
and  was  reared  in  his  native  county.  When 
a  young  man  he  worked  in  a  mill,  but  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  a  farmer  the  greater 
part  of  his  life.  In  1847,  he  came  west, 
driving  through  from  Pennsylvania  to  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  with  horse  teams,  and  was 
five  weeks  on  the  way.  He  settled  in  sec- 
tion ii,  Hampshire  township,  where  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
timber  land,  a  very  small  part  of  which  had 
been  cleared.  He  went  to  work  and  cleared 
most  of  the  land  and  there  resided  until  his 
death.  He  was  a  thrifty  man  and  a  good 
farmer  and  was  fairly  successful  in  life. 
Before  leaving  his  Pennsylvania  home  he 
married  Katherine  Decker,  a  native  of  Berks 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  a  daughter  of  Jacob 
was  Elizabeth  (Brandt)  Decker.  Her  father 
was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  died  when  she 


was  quite  young.  Her  paternal  grandfather 
was  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  was 
markedby  a  bullet  wound  on  the  forehead,  the 
scar  of  which  remained  until  his  death.  To 
John  and  Katherine  Klick  ten  children 
were  born,  of  whom  nine  are  living,  as  fol- 
lows: William,  our  subject;  Elizabeth,  who 
married  Moses  Reams,  and  lives  on  section 
ii,  Hampshire  township;  Anna,  who  mar- 
ried Ephraim  Reams  and  lives  in  Iowa; 
Susanna,  wife  of  Rev.  Henry  Shoemaker, 
of  Elgin;  John  Henry,  a  resident  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Hampshire;  Jonathan,  engaged  in 
farming  in  Iowa;  Mrs.  Lucetta  Gift,  of 
Hampshire  township;  Catherine,  widow  of 
Christian  Schiller;  and  Henry,  residing 
in  Iowa.  Amanda  died  in  young  woman- 
hood. 

William  Klick  was  born  in  Bethel  town- 
ship, Lebanon  county,  Pennsylvania,  No- 
vember 17,  1829.  He  attended  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  county  until  thirteen 
years  of  age,  and  worked  on  a  farm  until  he 
came  west  in  1847.  Here  he  remained  un- 
der his  father's  roof  and  assisted  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  farm  until  his  marriage, 
when  he  rented  the  farm  and  began  life  for 
himself.  Some  four  or  five  years  later  he 
purchased  twenty  acres,  which  he  worked 
in  connection  with  his  father's  farm,  and 
subsequently  bought  eighty  acres  of  prairie 
land,  lying  three  miles  west.  The  two 
places  being  so  far  apart  made  it  incon- 
venient to  work  them,  so  he  sold  both  in 
1865,  and  September  13,  of  that  year,, 
bought  his  present  farm  of  seventy-five 
acres,  in  sections  10  and  15,  on  which  was 
a  log  house  and  barn.  He  improved  the 
house,  covering  the  outside  with  siding  and 
lathing  and  plastering  the  inside,  making  it 
a  comfortable  house,  in  which  he  resided 
with  his  family  for  some  years.  Later  he 


400 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


built  a  neat  frame  house,  good,  commodious 
barns  and  other  outbuildings,  and  placed 
the  farm  under  a  good  state  of  cultivation. 
He  planted  an  orchard,  which  for  years 
bore  a  large  amount  of  fruit.  In  addition 
to  general  farming,  he  is  engaged  in  dairy- 
ing in  a  small  way,  selling  milk  to  the  fac- 
tory in  Hampshire.  From  his  dooryard,  a 
fine  view  is  obtained  across  the  country 
west,  the  village  of  Genoa  being  distinctly 


seen. 


Mr.  Klick  was  married  in  Hampshire 
township,  June  i,  1850,  to  Caroline  Reams, 
born  in  Union  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  a 
daughter  of  Samuel  and  Salome  (Aurand) 
Reams,  the  latter  being  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Catherine  (Young)  Aurand.  The 
mother  of  Samuel  Reams  attained  the  age 
of  eighty-eight  years,  and  her  brothers,  Pe- 
ter and  Henry,  lived  to  be  eighty-eight  and 
eighty-sixyears  respectively.  Both  served  in 
the  Revolutionary  war.  Samuel  Reams 
left  Union  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1834, 
and  moving  to  Ohio,  there  resided  eleven 
years.  In  1845  he  came  to  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  coming  through  with  ox  teams  and 
bringing  also  four  cows;  he  was  four  weeks 
on  the  road,  camping  each  night  by  the 
wayside.  He  arrived  in  Kane  county  in 
July,  bought  a  farm  in  Hampshire  township, 
and  there  resided  until  his  death  at  the  age 
of  seventy-three  years. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  six  children 
were  born,  of  whom  Ira  and  Nathan  are  de- 
ceased, the  living  are:  (i)  William  Frank- 
lin, who  married  Lydia  Marshall,  by  whom 
he  has  three  children,  Carrie,  Lydia  and 
Daniel.  They  lived  in  Elgin  a  number  of 
years,  but  in  1894  went  to  Chicago:  (2) 
Aaron,  who  married  Ellen  Williams,  by 
whom  he  has  eight  children,  Alonzo,  Emma, 
Samuel,  Rosa,  William,  Wilbur,  Clarence 


and  Malinda;  of  these,  Emma  is  now  de- 
ceased. (3)  Elias.who  makes  his  home  with 
his  parents,  is  an  expert  carpenter  and  cab- 
inet maker,  very  ingenious,  manufacturing 
various  sweet-toned  musical  instruments. 
(4)  Samuel,  who  is  employed  on  neighbor- 
ing farms,  makes  his  home  with  his  parents. 
Politically  Mr.  Klick  is  a  Republican 
and  has  been  honored  with  several  town- 
ship offices  including  school  director,  road 
commissioner  and  constable.  In  the  first 
named  office  he  served  for. thirteen  years. 
Our  subject  well  remembers  pioneer  days 
in  Kane  county.  There  were  yet  wolves 
and  deer  here  when  the  family  came  and  he 
remembers  on  one  occasion  that  his  dog 
bringing  a  deer  at  bay,  and  endeavoring  to 
shoot  it  his  gun  failed  to  discharge.  Some 
hunters  who  were  chasing  it  soon  came  up 
and  pursued  it  to  its  death. 


NATHANAEL  J.  THOMAS,  city  elec- 
trician of  Aurora,  was  born  in  Greene 
county,  Ohio,  April  7,  1838,  and  is  the  son 
of  Henry  and  Susannah  (Bayliff)  Thomas. 
The  father  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  born 
March  14,  1803,  and  was  the  son  of  Jacob 
Thomas.  By  occupation  Henry  Thomas 
was  a  farmer,  and  he  removed  to  Ohio  with 
his  parents,  when  a  small  boy,  and  where 
he  resided  for  many  years.  He  came  to  Ill- 
inois, locating  in  Bureau  county.  In  1862, 
he  removed  to  Iowa,  locating  in  Pocahontas 
county,  where  he  purchased  a  farm,  and  car- 
ried on  farming  until  his  death,  October  25, 
1 88 1.  In  religion  he  was  a  Methodist,  and 
politically  was  originally  a  Henry  Clay  Whig, 
and  later  a  Republican.  His  wife,  Susannah 
Bayliff,  was  born  February  15,  1808,  and 
died  February  20,  1883.  She  was  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 


NATHANAEL  J.  THOMAS. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


403 


church.  They  were  the  parents  of  eleven 
children,  nine  of  whom  grew  to  mature 
years.  They  were  Daniel,  now  living  in 
Washington;  Jacob,  deceased;  Lydia,  who 
married  Jeremiah  Young,  and  is  living  in 
Washington;  Joshua,  deceased;  Benjamin, 
who  died  in  infancy;  Joel  B.,  of  Oklahoma; 
Nathaniel  J.,  our  subject;  William  A.,  who 
died  in  the  army,  was  a  member  of  Com- 
pany B,  Ninety-third  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry; Ellen,  who  married  Barney  Hanshire, 
living  in  Iowa;  Henry  H.,  who  died  in 
infancy,  and  Sally  A.,  who  married  George 
Strong,  and  after  his  death,  married  Mr.  Brice 
and  is  in  living  in  Washington. 

Our  subject  was  in  his  twelfth  year, 
when  his  parents  left  Ohio  and  came  to  Ill- 
inois. He  was  reared  on  the  home  farm, 
where  he  assisted  his  father,  and  attended 
the  country  schools  as  the  opportunity  was 
afforded  him.  On  the  I2th  of  August, 
1862,  at  Dover,  Illinois,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany B,  Ninety-third  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, and  went  into  camp  in  Chicago,  on 
duty  at  Camp  Douglas,  guarding  Shiloh 
prisoners.  The  regiment  remained  there  until 
Novemberber  gth,  and  was  then  ordered  to 
Memphis,  Tennessee,  and  was  with  Grant  on 
the  Holly  Springs  expedition.  Returning  to 
Memphis  they  remained  until  they  went  out 
against  Vicksburg.  The  regiment  was  in 
the  Third  Brigade,  under  command  of  Gen- 
eral McPherson,  which  formed  a  part  of  the 
Seventh  Division,  of  the  Seventeenth  Army 
Corps.  Mr.  Thomas  took  part  in  all  that 
siege,  until  the  surrender.  He  was  next  on 
the  expedition  against  Johnston,  on  the  Big 
Black  river,  after  which  he  was  transferred 
to  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  February  14, 
1864.  He  was  then  sent  to  Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania,  where  they  had  a  recruiting 
camp,  and  was  there  until  ordered  to  Little 

19 


York,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  remained  two 
months.  From  Little  York  they  went  to 
Scranton,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  there  seven 
months,  then  to  Philadelphia,  and  Chester, 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  remained  until  mus- 
tered out,  July  8,  1865.  He  came  out  of 
the  service  without  a  scratch. 

After  being  mustered  out,  Mr.  Thomas 
returned  to  Bureau  county,  and  February 
i,  1866,  went  to  Mendota,  and  there  en- 
tered the  telegraph  service  of  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  railroad  company  until 
December,  1886.  Early  in  1887.  he  re- 
signed from  the  service  of  the  company,  and 
entered  the  service  of  the  city  of  Aurora,  in 
charge  of  its  electric  lights. 

Mr.  Thomas  was  married  August  12, 
1862,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Barr,  a  native  of 
Coshocton,  Ohio,  and  daughter  of  Hezekiah 
and  Hannah  Barr.  By  this  union  was  one 
child,  which  died  in  infancy.  Mrs.  Thomas 
died  July  18,  1871,  and  Mr.  Thomas  mar- 
ried his  second  wife,  Adaline  Warner,  Oc- 
tober 1 1,  1874.  She  was  a  native  of  Proph- 
etstown,  Illinois,  where  her  parents  now 
live.  She  died  December  23,  1876.  The 
third  marriage  was  to  Miss  Libbie  M.  Evans, 
who  was  born  in  Aurora,  and  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Griffith  and  Elizabeth  (Welden) 
Evans,  both  of  whom  are  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania. She  died  February  27,  1897. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Thomas  is  a  Republican, 
and  a  stalwart  member  of  the  party.  He  is 
a  charter  member  of  Charlemagne  lodge, 
No.  245,  K.  P.,  and  of  the  Mendota  lodge, 
No.  293,  I.  O.  O.  F.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Aurora  post,  No.  20,  G.  A.  R.,  of 
which  he  is  past  commander,  and  has 
served  as  delegate  to  the  state  encampments, 
also  a  member  of  Greusel  Garrison,  No. 
143,  Knights  of  the  Globe.  For  his  serv- 
ices during  the  late  war,  he  is  now  receiving 


404 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


a  pension.  In  political  matters  he  has 
always  taken  an  active  part,  and  is  regarded 
very  highly  as  a  citizen,  and  as  an  official. 
In  him  the  city  has  a  faithful  and  a  capa- 
ble officer  in  charge  of  their  electric  system, 
and  one  in  whom  they  can  rely  as  always 
being  ready,  and  at  his  post  of  duty. 


EBENEZER  .DENNEY,  one  of  the  old 
and  much  respected  citizens  of  Aurora, 
and  president  of  the  board  of  public  works, 
was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  August  15, 
1840,  and  is  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Jane 
(Spur)  Denney.  His  father  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1855,  located  in  Aurora; 
he  was  a  cabinet  maker  and  followed  his 
trade  in  this  country  for  a  time,  and  then 
retired  from  active  business.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  1878,  at  Aurora.  Politically  he 
was  a  Republican,  and  religiously  a  mem- 
ber of  the  First  Congregational  church.  He 
was  a  man  of  medium  size,  solid  built,  of 
strong  character,  but  generous  with  all.  His 
wife,  Jane  Denney,  was  a  native  of  Not- 
tinghamshire, England,  and  was  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Congregational  church.  She 
died  in  1861.  They  were  the  parents  of 
seven  children,  and  those  living  are  Thomas, 
residing  in  Aurora;  Joseph,  Hallifield  and 
our  subject,  all  residing  in  Aurora. 

Ebenezer  Denney,  our  subject,  attended 
the  schools  of  Yorkshire,  and  worked  with 
his  father  at  the  cabinet  maker's  trade.  In 
1850,  his  brothers,  William  and  Joseph, 
came  to  the  United  States  and  engaged  in 
cabinet  making  at  Aurora.  On  their  recom- 
mendation, the  remainder  of  the  family 
came  also  to  this  country,  and  our  subject 
went  into  the  business  with  his  brothers. 
William  died  in  1861.  Our  subject  enlisted 
to  serve  his  adopted  country,  and  was  mus- 


tered into  the  service  on  his  birthday,  in 
1862,  at  Chicago,  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany G,  Seventy-second  Regiment  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry.  From  Chicago  they 
went  to  Cairo,  and  from  there  to  Padu- 
cah,  Kentucky,  thence  to  Columbus,  at 
which  place  the  regiment  joined  Grant's 
army,  and  took  part  in  the  siege  and  reduc- 
tion of  Vicksburg.  He  was  with  the  force 
of  sappers  and  miners,  whose  duty  was 
night  work  in  the  mines  and  fortifications. 
His  regiment  was  one  of  the  first  to  march 
into  Vicksburg,  after  the  surrender. 

Mr.  Denney  was  detached  from  the  Sev- 
enty-second Regiment  and  made  quarter- 
master sergeant  of  the  Fiftieth  Regiment, 
United  States  Colored  Troops.  He  was 
with  that  regiment  for  a  few  months,  when 
he  received  a  commission  as  second  lieuten- 
ant of  Company  E,  of  that  regiment.  After 
remaining  at  Vicksburg  for  some  time,  he 
went  with  the  regiment  on  the  Mobile  expe- 
dition, and  was  in  the  great  attack  on  Fort 
Blakeley.  They  then  returned  up  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  was  stationed  at  Jackson,  Mis- 
sissippi, when  he  was  finally  mustered  out. 
In  1864,  he  was  promoted  to  first  lieuten- 
ant, after  which  he  was  on  staff  duty,  on 
the  staff  of  General  M.  F.  Force,  who  was 
a  great  friend  of  his.  While  at  Jackson,  a 
singular  thing  occurred,  Lieutenant  Den- 
ney for  one  day  being  in  command  of  the 
department,  General  Force  having  turned 
the  command  over  to  him  when  he  was 
mustered  out. 

After  his  being  mustered  out  Lieutenant 
Denney  was  sent  to  Vicksburg,  where  he 
was  paid  off  and  discharged.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Aurora,  and  took  up  his  business 
again.  In  1882,  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  his  brothers,  Joseph,  Thomas  and  Hal- 
lifield, the  firm  being  known  as  the  Denney 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


405 


Brothers.  In  March,  1894,  Albert  Denney, 
son  of  Joseph  Denney,  and  our  subject,  pur- 
chased the  interest  of  the  other  members 
of  the  firm,  and  the  firm  name  is  now  Den- 
ney &  Denney.  They  carry  a  general  stock 
of  furniture,  and  undertaking  supplies,  and 
their  large  warerooms  are  full  of  all  kinds 
of  goods  in  the  line  of  their  trade.  They 
do  their  own  upholstering,  and  manufacture 
mattresses,  etc. 

Lieutenant  Denney  was  married  Sep- 
tember 10,  1861,  to  Mary  Elliott,  daughter 
of  W.  T.  and  Rebecca  (Pierce)  Elliott,  who 
were  numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of 
Kane  county,  and  who  were  natives  of  New 
York.  The  mother  is  still  living  on  the  old 
homestead  in  Aurora  township,  the  farm 
being  the  one  purchased  frprn  the  general 
government.  Mrs.  Denney  was  born  on 
that  farm.  Her  death  occurred  in  1862, 
ten  months  after  her  wedding  day.  On  the 
7th  of  November,  1865,  Lieutenant  Denney 
was  again  married,  his  second  union  being 
with  Miss  Mary  Mix,  at  Raymond,  Missis- 
sippi. Thus  something  was  done  toward 
bringing  the  two  factions  together.  Not 
having  any  children  of  their  own,  they 
adopted  George  Burton  Denney,  when  the 
child  was  but  two  years  old.  He  is  now 
twenty-two  years  old  and  is  associatedwith  his 
father  in  the  business.  In  the  public  schools 
of  Aurora,  he  was  liberally  educated,  and 
was  then  sent  to  the  conservatory  of  music, 
at  Chicago,  to  perfect  his  musical  educa- 
tion. He  has  fine  musical  talent,  and  plays 
several  instruments.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Aurora  cornet  band,  and  gives  instruc- 
tions on  the  clarionet,  piano  and  guitar. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Denney  are  members  of 
the  Congregational  church  of  Aurora,  and 
in  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He  has 
served  in  the  city  council  two  terms,  and 


has  been  on  the  hospital  board,  the  library 
board  and  is  now  on  the  board  of  the  Old 
Ladies'  Home.  For  a  number  of  years  he 
was  secretary  of  the  Building  and  Loan  As- 
sociation, and  is  now  its  president.  In  1897, 
he  was  appointed  by  Mayor  Holden,  pres- 
ident of  the  board  of  public  works,  the  du- 
ties of  which  office  he  fills  in  the  most  sat- 
isfactory manner.  While  a  member  of  the 
city  council,  he  was  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee on  public  lights,  and  the  present 
splendid  electric  light  plant,  which  is  now 
owned  by  the  city,  and  its  fine  system,  dates 
back  to  the  time  when  Mr.  Denney  took 
hold  of  the  subject  and  to  the  city's  owner- 
ship. He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  or- 
der, Jerusalem  Temple  and  of  the  chapter. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows, 
the  United  Workmen,  Knights  of  the  Globe 
and  Aurora  post  No.  20,  G.  A.  R. ,  of  which 
he  past  commander,  and  by  reason  of  his 
position,  has  been  delegate  to  the  state  and 
national  encampments. 


JOHN  ADAM  SCHOEBERLEIN,  the 
efficient  chief  of  the  fire  department  of- 
Aurora,  is  a  native  of  the  city,  born  March 
3,  i86i|  and  is  the  son  of  John  A.  and  Bar- 
bara (Pfeifer)  Schoeberlein,  both  of  whom 
were  born  in  Bavaria,  but  were  married  in 
this  country.  The  father  was  born  in  1813, 
and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1854,  lo- 
cating in  Aurora,  where  he  followed  his 
trade  of  blacksmithing  until  1873,  when  he 
engaged  in  the  coal  business,  which  he  con- 
ducted for  sixteen  years.  His  death  oc- 
curred at  Aurora,  January  27,  1892.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  German  Methodist 
church,  and  was  the  founder  of  that  denomi- 
nation in  Aurora,  and  continued  one  of  its 
main  pillars  until  his  death.  Politically  he 


406 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


was  a  Republican,  and  a  strong  advocate  of 
the  principles  of  that  party.  His  father, 
also  named  John  Adam,  was  by  occupation 
a  farmer,  and  lived  and  died  in  Bavaria. 
His  wife  is  still  living  in  Aurora,  and  is  a 
worthy  member  of  the  church  founded  by 
her  husband.  They  were  the  parents  of 
eight  children,  of  whom  three  grew  to  ma- 
turity— Fred,  who  was  at  one  time  an  alder- 
man in  the  city  of  Aurora,  and  the  youngest 
person  ever  holding  that  position  in  the 
city  council,  died  April  17,  1888;  Sabilla, 
died  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in 
Aurora,  and  received  his  education  in  the 
public  schools.  He  was  but  sixteen  years 
of  age  when  he  commenced  the  grocery 
business  at  the  corner  of  New  York  and 
Union  streets,  which  business  he  carried  on 
for  twelve  years,  when  he  sold  out.  He 
was  in  partnership  with  his  brother.  In 
June,  1892,  he  was  appointed  by  W.  S. 
Frazier,  then  mayor  of  the  city,  chief  of 
the  fire  department,  serving  for  two  years, 
when  a  change  of  government  took  place. 
In  June,  1897,  he  was  again  appointed  to 
the  position  by  Mayor  Holden,  and  is  still 
holding  that  place.  His  administration  has 
been  satisfactory  and  he  is  making  a  good 
officer,  as  is  demonstrated  by  the  efficiency 
of  the  fire  department. 

Mr.  Schoeberlein  was  married  March 
15,  1883,  to  Miss  Mary  Peetz,  a  native  of 
Aurora,  and  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Mary 
Peetz.  By  this  union  are  three  children — 
Ella  May,  Earl  and  Mate.  Religiously  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Schoeberlein  are  members  of  the 
German  Methodist  church.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican,  and  fraternally  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

John  A.  Schoeberlein,  the  father,  erected 
the  Schoeberlein  block,  a  three-story  brick 


structure,  on  Fox  street,  which  he  gave  to 
our  subject  before  his  death.  Chief  Schoe- 
berlein has  a  good  substantial  home  which 
he  erected  for  himself  and  family  on  the 
corner  of  State  and  New  York  streets,  and 
where  he  resides,  respected  by  all  who 
know  him. 


JOHN  ALLEN,  deceased,  was  for  some 
years  one  of  the  leading  farmers  in 
Hampshire  township,  residing  on  section  23. 
He  was  born  at  Louisville,  St.  Lawrence 
county,  New  York,  September  10,  1809, 
and  was  the  son  of  Elijah  and  Susan 
(Edson)  Allen,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Vermont.  The  former  died  at  about  the 
age  of  eighty-two  years  in  Beaver,  Craw- 
ford county,  Pennsylvania.  The  latter 
died  at  about  the  age  of  eighty  years. 
Elijah  was  the  son  of  Aaron,  who  served 
through  seven  years'of  the  Revolution,  while 
he  served  in  the  war  of  1812. 

In  1829  our  subject  moved  to  Burton 
county,  Ohio,  and  in  1833  moved  to  Craw- 
ford county,  Pennsylvania.  While  residing 
in  the  latter  county  he  married  Jane  De 
Wolf  September  26,  1852,  born  in  the 
town  of  Corinth,  Saratoga  county,  New 
York,  January  26,  1826,  and  who  removed 
with  her  parents  to  Crawford  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, in  1838.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Betsy  (Putnam)  DeWolf,  both 
natives  of  Chester  county,  Vermont.  Her 
grandfather,  Edward  DeWolf,  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Revolutionary  war,  while  her  father 
served  in  the  war  oi  1812.  By  this  union 
were  five  children — Edna  Jane  and  Edwin 
John,  twins,  the  latter  being  deceased; 
Charles  C.,  deceased;  Adelbert  and  John  E. 
Politically  Mr.  Allen  was  originally  a  Whig, 
and  later  a  Republican.  Religiously  he  was 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


407 


a  member  of  the  Wesleyan  Methodist 
Church. 

In  1865  Mr.  Allen  moved  west,  with  a 
view  of  bettering  his  condition  in  life.  He 
arrived  in  Kane  county,  Illinois,  April  14, 
of  that  year,  and  bought  one  hundred  and 
thirty  acres  of  land  on  section  23,  Hamp- 
shire township,  known  as  the  old  Doty 
farm.  In  1883  he  bought  eighty  acres  ad- 
joining on  the  east,  on  which  was  a  fine 
large  house  and  large  barns.  In  this  house 
the  family  has  resided  for  some  years,  the 
old  house  having  burned.  After  a  long  and 
useful  life  Mr.  Allen  was  called  to  his  re- 
ward May  28,  1895.  His  residence  of 
thirty  years  in  Kane  county  had  brought 
him  somewhat  prominently  before  the  peo- 
ple, and  he  was  well  known  in  Kane  and 
McHenry  counties. 

Adelbert  Allen,  son  of  John  and  Jane 
Allen,  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm, 
and  married  Minnie  Howe,  November  14, 
1894,  who  was  fourth  in  a  family  of  eight 
children  born  to  William  J.  and  Johanna 
(Benke)  Howe.  Her  father,  was  born  in 
the  village  of  Baenkenhaven,  province  of 
Pomerania,  Prussia,  April  i,  1842,  and  her 
mother  born  April  11,  1842,  was  reared  in 
Germany,  and  came  to  America  in  1868, 
embarking  October  15,  at  Hamburg,  on  a 
sailing  vessel.  The  voyage  was  a  stormy 
one  and  required  eleven  weeks  and  four 
days.  They  landed  at  New  York,  Decem- 
ber 2t, — a  memorable  Christmas  day — and 
came  direct  to  Dundee,  Kane  'county,  Illi- 
nois, where  Mr.  Howe  secured  work  until 
spring.  He  first  worked  for  Dr.  Crabtree 
and  later  farm  work  near  Harmony,  in  Mc- 
Henry county.  After  working  as  a  farm 
hand  for  seven  years,  he  rented  a  farm 
near  Harmony  for  one  year,  then  rented 
in  Hampshire  township  two  years  and  again 


one  year  more  in  McHenry  county,  and 
for  five  years  on  the  farm  of  William 
Willetts,  in  Hampshire  township,  and  later 
two  years  in  Rutland  township.  He  bought 
his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Decem- 
ber, 1883,  to  which  he  moved  January  I, 
1884.  William  J.  Howe  was  a  son  of 
Christian  Howe,  born  in  Pomerania,  about 
1810,  and  then  died  about  1854,  when  Will- 
iam was  a  boy.  The  grandfather,  John 
Howe,  was  a  farmer  in  Germany,  where  his 
entire  life  was  spent.  Christian  Howe  mar- 
ried Mary  Miller,  now  living  in  McHenry 
county,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years. 
Her  father  was  a  shepherd  in  the  old  coun- 
try. William  J.  Howe  married  Johanna 
Benke,  in  the  village  of  Giescehn,  Pomer- 
ania, December  10,  1867.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  Benke,  a  farmer  who  lived  and 
died  in  the  old  country.  To  Adelbert  Allen 
and  wife  one  child  has  been  born,  Walter 
Raymond,  born  September  28,  1895. 


JOSEPH  SANFORD  FERRY,  of  Au- 
J  rora,  Illinois,  has  spent  sixty  years  of 
his  life  in  the  Prairie  state,  almost  within 
hailing  distance  of  Aurora.  He  is  a  native  of 
Washington  county,  New  York,  born  Octo- 
ber 1 8,  1829.  His  father,  Sylvanus  Ferry, 
was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  born  in  1800, 
and  there  grew  to  manhood,  moving  from 
thence  to  Washington  county,  New  York, 
in  company  with  his  brother,  Homer  Ferry. 
He  married,  in  Washington  county,  Miss 
Rhoda  Wilson,  a  native  of  that  county  and 
state,  and  a  daughter  of  James  Wilson,  also 
born  in  the  same  county.  By  trade  Sylva- 
nus Ferry  was  a  tanner  and  currier,  and 
followed  that  occupation  during  his  entire 
life.  In  1836  he  moved  to  Terre  Haute, 
Indiana,  where  he  remained  about  one  and 


408 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


a  half  years.  In  1838  he  moved  west  to 
Du  Page  county,  Illinois,  locating  in  Naper- 
ville  township,  where  he  purchased  a  claim 
and  where  his  death  occurred  two  years 
later.  His  wife  survived  him  many  years, 
and  passed  away  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-seven  years.  Our  subject  was  the 
youngest  and  only  survivor  of  their  three 
children.  His  brother,  Melancthon  Ferry, 
grew  to  manhood,  married  and  farmed  for 
some  years,  later  removed  to  Aurora,  where 
he  lived  retired,  and  where  his  death  oc- 
curred. The  sister,  Louisa,  died  a  single 
lady. 

Our  subject  was  but  nine  years  of  age 
when  he  came  west  with  his  parents  to  Du 
Page  county,  and  on  the  home  farm  grew 
to  manhood,  and,  as  the  opportunity  was 
afforded  him,  attended  the  district  school  a 
few  weeks  in  the  winter  months.  He  mar- 
ried in  Du  Page  county,  November  25, 
1855,  Miss  Sophronia  Kenyon,  a  native  of 
Washington  county,  New  York,  born  Janu- 
ary 12,  1830,  and  a  daughter  of  Daniel  and 
Esther  (Warner)  Kenyon,  both  of  whom 
are  natives  of  Vermont,  the  latter  being  a 
daughter  of  Israel  Warner,  and  a  grand- 
daughter of  Col.  Seth  Warner,  who  served 
in  the  Revolutionary  war  under  his  father, 
the  great-grandfather  of  Mrs.  Ferry.  Israel 
Warner  was  for  many  years  a  prominent 
man  in  Vermont,  and,  later,  moved  west, 
and  died  at  the  age  of  ninety- eight  years. 
Mrs.  Ferry  grew  to  womanhood  and  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  New  York  and 
Vermont,  and  was  a  teacher  in  each  of 
those  states  about  eight  years.  She  came 
west,  in  1853,  with  her  parents,  who  locat- 
ed in  Du  Page  county,  where  she  again  en- 
gaged in  teaching,  in  which  she  continued 
until  her  marriage.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ferry  three  children  were  born:  Addie, 


wife  of  Edward  Strong,  a  business  man  of 
Aurora;  Jenny,  wife  of  Jesse  Tenney,  also 
a  business  man  of  Aurora;  and  William  W. , 
married,  and  now  living  retired  in  Aurora. 
There  are  now  in  the  family  eleven  grand- 
children. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ferry 
located  on  his  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty  acres,  lying  near  Naperville,  where 
they  remained  a  number  of  years,  then  sold 
and  moved  to  Aurora,  where  Mr.  Ferry  pur- 
chased residence  property  and  vacant  lots  on 
which  he  erected  several  neat  dwelling 
houses.  They  remained  in  the  city  some 
six  or  seven  years,  then  traded  some  city 
property  for  two  hundred  acres  of  land  ly- 
ing in  Du  Page  and  Kane  counties.  On  that 
place  they  remained  from  1873  until  1890, 
in  the  meantime  purchasing  two  adjoining 
farms,  giving  them  about  six  hundred  acres 
of  very  valuable  land.  In  1890  they  re- 
turned to  Aurora,  where  they  have  since 
continued  to  reside,  Mr.  Ferry  again  en- 
gaging in  building  enterprises.  Being  a 
natural  mechanic  and  very  handy  with  tools, 
he  has  assisted  in  the  erection  of  all  his 
buildings. 

Like  the  great  majority  of  the  wealthy 
and  influential  men  of  the  country,  Mr. 
Ferry  commenced  life  in  limited  circum- 
stances, and  by  his  own  exertions,  assisted 
by  his  good  wife,  he  has  succeeded  in  ac- 
quiring a  competency,  and  is  numbered 
among  the  well-to-do  men  of  Aurora.  In 
addition  to  his  residence  property  he  has  in- 
vested in  the  stock  of  the  German  National 
Bank. 

Politically  Mr.  Ferry  is  a  Republican, 
voting  for  the  nominees  of  that  party  in  all 
state  and  national  elections,  but  in  local 
elections  he  casts  his  ballot  for  the  one  he 
considers  the  best  man.  He  never  wanted 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


409 


or  held  office,  save  that  of  school  director, 
which  he  was  induced  to  accept,  because  of 
his  interest  in  good  public  schools.  Mrs. 
Ferry  is  a  consistent  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational church  of  Aurora.  They  are 
both  highly  respected,  and  have  many  warm 
friends  in  Kane  and  Du  Page  counties. 


MRS.  SARAH  F.  (GIFFORD)  PRES- 
TON is  a  worthy  representative  of 
the  oldest  arid  one  of  the  most  highly  respect- 
ed families  of  Elgin.  She  was  born  in 
Chenango  county,  New  York,  at  Dundee, 
September  13,  1834,  a  daughter  of  James 
T.  and  Laura  (Raymond)  Gifford,  also  na- 
tives of  the  Empire  state.  There  the 
father  was  interested  in  a  manufacturing 
business  until  1835,  when  he  emigrated  to 
Illinois,  locating  in  what  is  now  Elgin.  He 
had  the  distinguished  title  of  the  "  father 
of  Elgin,  "  as  he  was  the  founder  of  that 
city,  erecting  the  first  house,  which  was  his 
home  for  several  years,  and  also  served  as 
the  first  post  office,  school  building  and 
church.  It  stood  for  many  years,  but  was 
finally  torn  down  when  Prairie  street  was 
cut  through.  Near  its  site  a  stone  has  been 
placed  which  bears  the  inscription:  "  One 
hundred  feet  from  this  spot  stood  James  T. 
Gifford'slog house — the  firsthome  in  Elgin — 
built  in  the  spring  of  1835,  where  was  or- 
ganized the  first  Congregational  church, 
May  12,  1836,  of  the  following  members: 
George  McClure,  Sarah  McClure,  Julia  Mc- 
Clure,  Philo  Hatch,  Mary  Ann  Kimball,  Re- 
lief Kimball,  Reuben  Jenne,  Ruth  C.  Dixon, 
Experience  Gifford,  James  T.  Gifford,  Laura 
Gifford."  Gifford  street  was  named  in  his 
honor,  while  Raymond  street  was  named  for 
his  wife's  family.  His  sister,  Miss  Harriet 
Gifford,  familiarly  known  as  "Aunt  Har- 


riet," was  the  first  white  woman  to  wade 
the  Fox  river  at  Elgin,  crossing  the  stream 
for  the  purpose  of  visiting  a  sick  friend. 
She  was  an  excellent,  kind-hearted  lady, 
given  to  deeds  of  charity  and  benevolence. 
Mr.  Gifford  watched  with  interest  the  growth 
of  the  city  which  he  had  founded  and  lived 
to  see  it  number  several  thousand  inhabit- 
ants. 

On  the  first  day  of  January,  1800,  James 
T.  Gifford  was  born  at  Herkimer,  New 
York,  and  on  New  Years  day,  1823,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Laura  Ray- 
mond, of  Sherburn,  New  York,  who  was 
born  November  26,  1800.  Her  father,  New- 
comb  Raymond,  was  a  Revolutionary  sol- 
dier, entering  the  Colonial  army  when  but 
a  boy.  He  married  a  Miss  Gray.  Coming 
to  Elgin  in  1835,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gifford  bore 
an  important  part  in  the  upbuilding  and  de- 
velopment of  the  city,  and  became  widely 
and  favorably  known  throughout  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state.  He  erected  the  brick 
building  at  the  corner  of  Prairie  and  Villa 
streets,  which  he  rented.  Being  a  good 
mechanic,  and  of  an  inventive  turn  of  mind, 
he  invented  a  reaping  machine,  which  he 
was  giving  a  trial  in  a  harvest  field  the  day 
of  his  death,  which  was  probably  hastened 
by  great  exposure  in  the  hot  sun.  He  was 
attacked  with  Asiatic  cholera,  dying  that 
evening,  August  10,  1850.  Thus  passed 
away  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  and  rep- 
resentative citizens  of  Kane  county.  He 
had  served  as  the  first  postmaster  of  Elgin, 
and  also  acceptably  filled  the  office  of  justice 
of  the  peace  for  a  time.  In  every  way  he 
proved  a  valued  and  useful  citizen,  taking  an 
active  part  in  the  work  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  of  which  he  and  his  wife  were 
charter  members,  while  he  was  a  leader  in 
the  Sunday-school  and  in  other  good  works. 


4io 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


She,  too,  was  an  earnest  Christian,  and  a 
most  estimable  woman.  Her  death  oc- 
curred August  5,  1872. 

In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple  were 
six  children,  namely:  Caroline,  wife  of  Or- 
lando Davidson;  Lucy  D.,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  years,  while  the  family  were 
living  in  Wisconsin  for  a  few  years;  James 
H.,  who  was  born  December  3,  1830,  and 
died  in  Elgin,  January  15,  1883;  Fulton,  a 
banker  of  Mendota,  Illinois;  Sarah  F.,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  and  Newton  Dexter, 
who  was  born  in  1841,  and  died  in  Wiscon- 
sin, November  i,  1847. 

Reared  in  Elgin,  Sarah  F.  Gifford  began 
her  education  in  the  public  schools  of  that 
place,  and  afterward  attended  a  young 
ladies'  seminary  on  Wabash  avenue,  Chi- 
cago. On  the  26th  of  April,  1860,  at  El- 
gin, she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  George 
Preston,  a  native  of  Manchester,  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  a  son  of  Paschal  and  Ruth  Pres- 
ton, who  visited  the  west  several  times  but 
never  located  here,  and  both  are  now  de- 
ceased. George  Preston  spent  his  boyhood 
and  youth  upon  a  farm  in  his  native  state, 
and  in  early  life  came  to  Elgin.  In  the  fall 
of  1 86 1  he  responded  to  his  country's  call 
for  aid,  enlisting  in  Company  I,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Twenty-seventh  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  which  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of 
the  Southwest.  He  had  served  but  a  short 
time  when  he  was  taken  ill,  and  was  first 
confined  in  a  hospital  at  Vicksburg,  and 
later  at  St.  Louis.  On  account  of  physical 
disability  he  was  honorably  discharged  and 
returned  home.  After  his  recovery  he 
worked  in  the  watch  factory  of  Elgin  until 
life's  labors  were  ended,  August  7,  1873, 
being  forty-one  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
his  death. 

Three  children  were   born   to    Mr.   and 


Mrs.  Preston,  namely:  Mabel,  now  the  wife 
of  Dr.  Peterson,  of  Dundee,  Kane  county, 
by  whom  she  has  four  children — Max,  Elsie, 
Moritz  and  Waldemar;  Starr  K.,  who  is 
employed  in  the  watch  factory  in  Elgin,  and 
Ruth,  an.  accomplished  musician,  who  is 
now  engaged  in  teaching  music  in  Elgin,  and 
is  also  serving  as  organist  at  the  Baptist 
church.  The  mother  and  daughters  are  all 
consistent  members  of  the  Congregational 
church,  and  the  family  is  one  of  promi- 
nence in  social  circles. 


WILLIAM  LEET,  deceased,  was  for 
many  years  a  well-known  banker  and 
business  man  of  Bradford,  Stark  county, 
but  who  for  the  last  ten  years  of  his  life  re- 
siding in  Aurora,  where  he  was  recognized 
as  one  of  the  best  business  men  of  the  city. 
He  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  born  in 
Chester,  October  20,  1827,  and  was  the  son 
of  Samuel  ,.W.  and  Anna  Leet,  both  of 
whom  are  natives  of-  the  same  state.  His 
ancestry  is  traced  back  to  William  Leete, 
who  came  from  England  in  1639,  and  who 
filled  many  offices  of  trust,  being  governor 
of  the  New  Haven  colony,  and  after  the 
.union  of  that  colony  with  the  colony  of 
Connecticut,  was  governor  of  the  latter, 
which  position  he  filled  continuously  until 
his  death  in  1683. 

But  little  is  known  of  the  boyhood  of 
our  subject.  His  parents  were  in  limited 
circumstances,  and  when  quite  young  he 
went  to  live  with  a  Mr.  Jones,  of  his  native 
town,  and  served  as  a  chore  boy.  He  ac- 
companied Mr.  Jones  to  Illinois,  in  1841, 
and  remained  with  him  on  his  farm  in 
Trivola  township,  near  Elmwood,  Peoria 
county,  some  four  or  five  years.  The  treat- 
ment received  from  his  employer  becoming 


WILLIAM   LEET. 


MRS.  WILLIAM    LEET. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


413 


unbearable,  he  left  and  worked  for  other 
persons  until  he  secured  enough  to  pay  for 
his  return  east.  Having  had  a  taste  of 
western  life,  he  was  dissatisfied  with  his 
New  England  home,  and  again  returned  to 
Illinois.  In  some  way  he  was  attracted  to 
Milo  township,  Bureau  county,  and  he  there 
engaged  with  a  farmer  for  ten  dollars  a 
month.  His  first  month's  wages  were 
promptly  paid,  but  on  the  expiration  of  the 
second  month,  his  employer  told  him  that 
he  could  not  pay  him.  "Very  well,"  said 
Mr.  Leet,  "Give  rne  the  amount  due.  I 
want  my  money  to  be  earning  something  as 
well  as  my  hands." 

As  a  boy  Mr.  Leet  showed  none  of  that 
trait  of  character  which  so  distinguished  him 
in  after  life.  In  fact,  his  employer,  Mr. 
Jones,  who  was  his  uncle,  told  him  that  he 
was  a  worthless  fellow,  and  would  never  be 
able  to  earn  his  living.  The  incident  re- 
lated above  marked  but  the  beginning  of 
whatever  afterwards  was  the  ruling  spirit  of 
his  life — the  determination  to  accumulate 
and  succeed  in  all  his  undertakings.  When 
he  was  able  to  buy  out  Mr.  Jones  three  or 
four  times  over,  he  took  pleasure  in  calling 
his  attention  to  his  estimate  of  him  so  freely 
expressed. 

No  educational  advantages  were  given 
our  subject,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  in  his  entire 
life  he  spent  six  months  in  a  school  room. 
But  he  was  possessed  of  a  large  amount  of 
common  sense  and  Yankee  shrewdness,  and 
his  remarkably  success  is  but  another  illus- 
tration of  what  may  be  accomplished,  even 
through  theenvironments  may  not  be  the  best. 
Too  much  stress  is  laid  by  many  for  their 
failures  by  ascribing  it  to  the  influences  with 
which  they  were  surrounded.  But  William 
Leet,  the  poor  boy,  exiled  from  home,  and 
the  tender  and  loving  care  of  parents,  while 


yet  in  his  boyhood,  rose  above  his  surround- 
ings and  set  a  worthy  example  to  coming 
generations. 

As  soon  as  his  accumulations  were  suffi- 
cient Mr.  Leet  made  his  first  purchase  of 
land,  consisting  of  eighty  acres'  of  wild 
prairie  in  Milo  township.  This  land  he  at 
once  commenced  to  improve,  but  later  sold 
to  Andrew  Britton,  and  purchased  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  on  section  33, 
which  became  the  old  home  place.  Early 
in  the  spring  of  i&54,  Mr.  Wilcox  came  to 
Milo  township  and  rented  a  portion  of  the 
Leet  farm.  In  his  family'was  a  young  lady, 
Miss  Helen  Spear,  a  native  of  England,  who 
was  brought  by  her  parents  in  infancy  to 
this  country.  Her  mother  having  died  a 
few  months  after  her  arrival,  she  was  kept 
in  the  families  of  different  persons  until  she 
was  about  four  and  a  half  years  old,  when 
she  was  taken  and  reared  by  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wilcox.  Mr.  Leet  was  at  once  attracted 
by  this  young  lady,  and  after  an  acquaint- 
ance of  but  a  few  months,  they  were  united 
in  marriage,  August  29,  1854.  By  this 
union  eight  children  were  born,  three  of 
whom  died  in  infancy.  The  living  are:  (i) 
Mary  J.,  wife  of  Rev.  J.  C.  Stoughton,  of 
Aurora,  a  noted  minister  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  of  whom  a  sketch  will  be 
found  on  another  page  of  this  work.  (2) 
Frank  M.,  who  married  Lyda  Lenton,  of 
Audubon,  Iowa,  and  has  two  children, 
Helen  and  William.  (3)  Rosa,  now  the 
wife  of  Robert  Thompson,  of  Bradford, 
Stark  county.  They  are  the  parents  of  two 
children,  Claude  R.  and  'William  L.  (4) 
Anna  L. ,  wife  of  Asmus  Boysen,  of  Man- 
ning, Iowa,  by  whom  she  has  three  chil- 
dren, Allan,  Helena,  and  Anna.  Mr.  Boy- 
sen  is  a  land  agent  and  dealer,  owning  con- 
siderable land  in  Arkansas,  Nebraska,  Iowa, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


and  Minnesota,  with  his  main  office  in  Chi- 
cago. (5)  George  Kellar,  who  is  unmarried 
and  resides  with  his  mother  in  Aurora. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Leet 
had  accumulated  about  twenty  thousand 
dollars,  and  was  considered  a  wealthy  man. 
But  this  was  but  the  beginning.  His  aim 
was  still  higher.  Industrious  as  the  day 
was  long,  he  gave  himself  little  rest.  While 
yet  residing  on  the  farm  it  was  his  custom 
to  be  up  long  before  day,  and  seldom  did  he 
retire  until  late  in  the  night.  Some  years 
before  the  war,  he  erected  a  warehouse  in 
Henry,  Marshall  county,  and  commenced 
the  purchase  of  grain,  shipping  to  Chicago 
and  other  markets.  Although  his  farm  was 
twenty  miles  away,  when  the  roads  were  at 
all  passable,  he  drove  to  and  from  each  day. 
His  success  here  was  remarkable. 

Soon  after  the  war  Mr.  Leet  commenced 
buying  and  shipping  grain  from  Bradford, 
and  until  his  removal  to  the  village  in  1873, 
he  rode  in  daily  from  his  farm,  returning  in 
the  evening.  For  some  years  he  not  only 
controlled  the  grain  market  of  Bradford, 
but  at  Castleton,  Duncan  and  Lombard- 
ville,  on  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
railroad.  When  business  was  rushing  he 
would  not  stop  to  write  checks  for  grain 
purchases,  but  would  tear  off  the  corner  of 
any  envelope,  letter  head,  or  take  even  a 
piece  of  brown  paper,  jot  down  the  weight 
and  price,  and  tell  the  seller  to  take  it  to 
the  bank  and  get  his  money.  When  the 
cashier  would  remonstrate  with  him  and  tell 
him  to  write  regular  checks,  he  would  re- 
ply: "You  know  my  figures  and  you  know 
my  signature;  that  is  enough."  They  were 
paid. 

William  Leet  was  a  man  of  remarkable 
brain  power  and  great  business  sagacity. 
His  memory  of  business  transactions,  and 


even  the  smallest  detail  of  each  transaction 
was  wonderful.  It  mattered  not  how  many 
loads  of  grain-  he  may  have  weighed  any 
day,  he  would  remember  every  circumstance 
attending  the  purchase  of  each.  He  could 
not  be  deceived.  While  his  accomtnoda-. 
tions  at  the  bank  were  all  that  could  be  ex- 
pected, he  felt  it  to  his  interest  to  have  con- 
trol of  one,  and  in  1875  purchased  the 
Bradford  Exchange  bank,  then  operated  by 
A.  B.  Miner  &  Co.  This  bank  he  continued 
to  operate  until  his  death,  and  with  the  suc- 
cess attending  every  enterprise  in  which  he 
engaged.  Although  he  had  no  experience 
in  that  line  of  business,  and  knew  nothing 
of  the  system  of  bookkeeping  in  such  in- 
stitutions, he  intuitively  grasped  every  de- 
tail. Quick  of  action,  with  clear  foresight, 
he  made  few  mistakes.  Business  was  rap- 
idly carried  on ;  no  time  was  lost.  With 
him  a  minute  lost  was  so  much  money. 
Persons  having  business  with  him  were  ex- 
pected to  make  it  known  with  as  few  words 
as  possible,  and  with  just  as  few  words  he 
rendered  a  decision,  it  mattered  not  if 
thousands  of  dollars  were  involved. 

While  giving  much  of  his  time  to  the 
grain  trade,  and  later  to  his  banking  inter- 
ests, Mr.  Leet  was  always  more  or  less 
engaged  in  the  real  estate  business,  buying 
and  selling  lands,  and  loaning  money  upon 
real  estate  security.  At  one  time  he  was 
the  owner  of  nearly  five  thousand  acres  of 
land  in  Stark  county  alone,  and  his  pur- 
chases elsewhere  were  enormous.  Loans 
were  made  and  morgages  taken  upon  farms 
not  only  in  Stark,  but  in  adjoining  counties 
as  well.  He  was  never  known  to  foreclose 
a  mortgage  that  could  be  avoided.  He 
would  renew  loans  already  made  time  and 
time  again,  giving  the  mortgagors  all  the 
time  necessary  in  which  to  meet  their  pay- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


415 


rnents.  Many  fanners  throughout  the  sec- 
tion in  which  he  operated,  have  reason  to 
bless  his  memory  for  the  forbearance  shown 
them  in  distress.  As  long  as  he  believed 
one  would  do  what  was  right,  he  never 
showed  a  disposition  to  crowd.  Many  illus- 
trations of  this  fact  could  be  given,  and  but 
few  farmers  within  a  radius  of  twenty  miles 
from  Bradford  but  will  bear  testimony  to  the 
statement.  A  wealthy  farmer  residing  in 
Osceola  township,  Stark  county,  but  lately 
remarked  that  all  he  had  was  due  to  Will- 
iam Leet.  He  said  he  came  to  this  country 
a  poor  man,  and  Mr.  Leet  loaned  him  four 
hundred  dollars  with  which  to  make  his 
first  purchase  of  land,  and  from  time  to  time 
loaned  him  thousands  of  dollars,  "And," 
said  the  farmer  proudly,  "he  never  re- 
quired from  me  a  mortgage." 

In  the  course  of  time  his  business  inter- 
ests extended  into  other  states,  especially 
into  Iowa,  and  he  established  a  bank  at 
Audubon,  in  that  state,  which  is  now  under 
the  control  of  his  son,  Frank  M.  Leet,  who 
has  shown  much  of  the  characteristic  energy 
that  distinguished  the  father.  The  bank 
building  was  personally  superintended  by 
him  in  its  erection,  and  the  business  was 
put  upon  a  safe  footing.  To-day  the  estate 
has  many  large  tracts  of  land  in  Iowa,  and 
very  large  sums  loaned  upon  farm  lands. 

At  quite  an  early  day  Mr.  Leet  began  to 
operate  upon  the  Board  of  Trade  in  Chi- 
cago, and  in  1888  removed  to  that  city, 
where  he  remained  two  years,"  and  then 
made  his  home  in  Aurora,  going  to  Chicago 
and  returning  each  day.  The  same  success 
attending  him  in  his  enterprises  elsewhere 
followed  him  upon  the  Board  of  Trade  and 
his  profits  were  very  large.  Whether  upon 
the  bull  or  bear  side  of  the  market,  he 
seemed  to  know  what  was  best  and  where 


his  moi.ey  should  be  placed.  He  continued 
to  reside  in  Aurora  until  his  death  which 
occurred  September  5,  1896,  and  his  re- 
mains were  laid  to  rest  in  the  beautiful 
Spring  Lake  cemetery. 

William  Leet  was  a  man  strong  in  his 
likes  and  dislikes.  For  a  friend  he  would 
do  much;  for  an  enemy  nothing.  With 
mind  fully  absorbed  by  business,  he  gave  but 
little  attention  to  his  social  nature.  A  good 
provider,  his  family  never  lacked  for  the 
comforts  of  life.  Fraternally,  he  was  for 
some  years  a  Master  Mason,  but  later  in 
life  was  dimitted.  Religiously,  he  was  in 
sympathy  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  although  he  never  united  with  any 
organization.  He  believed  in  the  Bible  lit- 
erally, and  enjoyed  a  sound  orthodox  and 
practical  sermon  above  everything  else. 
With  much  of  the  modern  style  of  preach- 
ing he  had  no  sympathy.  He  believed  in 
calling  things  by  their  right  names,  and 
not  mincing  matters  by  trying  to  smooth 
them  over.  Politically  he  was  a  Republic- 
an, though  he  gave  but  little  attention  to 
politics  in  the  common  acceptation  of  the 
term.  He  would  not  accept  local  office  un- 
der any  consideration.  For  the  same  rea- 
son that  he  did  not  exercise  his  social  nature 
more — his  great  business  interests — he  gave 
but  little  attention  to  local  affairs,  though 
on  the  construction  of  the  railroad  through 
Stark  county  he  invested  in  its  bonds  and 
advocated  the  local  aid  of  his  township  and 
county. 

Few  men  with  such  limited  opportuni- 
ties have  accomplished  so  much.  At  his 
death  he  left  a  large  estate,  which,  by  his 
request,  has  remained  intact,  a  co-partner- 
ship having  been  formed  by  his  widow  and 
heirs  under  the  firm  style  of  Leet  &  Com- 
pany, and  under  that  name  they  now  carry 


416 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


on  the  business  which  he  established  and  so 
successfully  conducted  for  many  years.  The 
family  seems  to  have  inherited  much  of  the 
business  sagacity  of  the  father,  and  are  all 
honored  members  of  society  and  highly  re- 
spected. The  widow  yet  makes  her  home 
in  Aurora,  and  enjoys  the  love  and  respect 
of  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances. 


JOHN  A.  BROWN,  a  progressive  business 
man  of  St,  Charles,  who  owns  and  suc- 
cessfully operates  a  fine  farm  in  Kane  coun- 
ty, is  a  native  of  New  York,  born  in  the 
town  of  Dryden,  Tompkins  county,  near 
Ithaca,  September  7,  1832.  His  grand- 
father, Daniel  Brown,  also  a  native  of  New 
York,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Tomp- 
kins county,  and  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of 
1812.  Jacob  Brown,  our  subject's  father, 
was  born  in  that  county,  and  there  married 
Anna  Baldwin,  born  in  New  York,  of  Hol- 
land parentage.  Throughout  life  he  con- 
tinued to  engage  in  agricultural  pursuits  in 
Tompkins  county,  where  he  died  in  1836 
when  our  subject  was  only  four  years  old. 
The  mother  carefully  reared  her  family  of 
ten  children,  all  of  whom  reached  years  of 
maturity,  but  only  four  are  now  living, 
namely:  Mrs.  Sally  Grover,  a  widow,  re- 
siding in  New  York;  William  W. ,  a  business 
man  of  Cortland  county,  New  York;  John 
A.,  of  this  sketch;  and  Jacob  E.,  a  resident 
of  Tompkins  county. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity  John  A. 
Brown  grew  to  manhood  and  obtained  a  fair 
common-school  education.  Until  fifteen 
years  of  age  he  lived  upon  a  farm  and  de- 
voted his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  then  learned  the  saddjer's  and  harness- 
maker's  trade  in  Ithaca,  and  later  followed 


that  occupation  at  Deposit,  New  York,  on 
the  Delaware  river.  Coming  west  in  1854, 
he  located  at  St.  Charles,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  harness  shop  and  business  already 
established,  successfully  conducting  the 
same  until  1864.  That  year  he  bought  a 
farm  in  Du  Page  county,  Illinois,  which  he 
operated  for  three  years,  and  then  removed 
to  Virginia  owing  to  ill  health.  At  Spott- 
sylvania  Court  House  he  bought  a  planta- 
tion, on  which  he  also  engaged  in  farming 
for  three  years,  trading  his  property  at  the 
end  of  that  time  for  a  farm  near  Olean, 
McKean  county,  Pennsylvania.  In  con- 
nection with  agricultural  pursuits,  he  here 
engaged  in  the  oil  business,  owning  an  in- 
terest in  twenty-one  oil  wells,  which  were 
in  successful  operation.  After  residing  in 
that  county  for  six  years,  he  sold  his  land, 
but  still  retained  his  interest  in  the  oil 
wells.  Returning  to  St.  Charles  in  1881, 
he  bought  two  adjoining  farms  of  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  in  Campton  township, 
and  has  since  given  his  attention  to  their 
cultivation  and  further  improvement.  For 
dairy  purposes  he  keeps  upon  his  place  from 
thirty  to  sixty  cows,  but  to  a  great  extent  he 
now  leaves  the  more  active  part  of  the  work 
to  his  son,  Frank  J.  Brown. 

In  Du  Page  county,  December  7,  1857, 
Mr.  Brown  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  LucietiaJ.  Wheeler,  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts, who,  during  childhood,  was  brought 
to  Illinois  by  her  father,  Job  Wheeler,  a 
pioneer  of  Du  Page  county,  where  he 
secured  a  tract  of  government  land.  Three 
children  bless  this  union:  Frank  J.,  who  is 
married  and  carries  on  the  home  farm; 
Albert  W.,  who  is  a  resident  of  Houston, 
Texas.,  and  is  a  railroad  engineer  running  on 
the  Southern  Pacific;  and  Lucinda  May, 
wife  of  Harry  Hatch,  of  Chicago. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


417 


Reared  a  Democrat,  Mr.  Brown  has 
always  been  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  that  party  and  cast  his  first  presi- 
dential vote  for  James  Buchanan.  Although 
he  has  never  cared  for  official  honors,  he 
has  most  creditably  served  his  fellow  citi- 
zens as  a  member  of  the  school  board. 
Socially  he  is  a  Master  Mason,  belonging 
to  the  blue  lodge  of  St.  Charles,  and  both 
he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Eastern 
Star.  Wonderful  indeed  are  the  changes 
that  have  taken  place  in  Kane  county  since 
Mr.  Brown  first  came  here  in  1854,  and  in 
this  work  of  transformation  he  has  borne  an 
important  part,  and  he  is  justly  numbered 
among  the  valued  and  useful  citizens  of  the 
community.  The  part  he  has  taken  in  the 
development  of  the  county  has  impressed 
his  name  indelibly  upon  its  records  and  he 
well  deserves  mention  among  the  honored 
pioneers. 


WILLIAM  WALLACE  McDONALD, 
general  merchant  and  postmaster  of 
East  Plato,  Kane  county,  Illinois,  is  a  na- 
tive of  the  county,  whose  parents  were 
among  its  earliest  settlers.  John  McDon- 
ald, his  father,  was  born  near  Glasgow, 
Scotland,  in  1814.  When  about  fourteen 
years  of  age,  he  emigrated  to  Canada,  sail- 
ing from  his  native  city.  The  weather  was 
quite  stormy,  with  head  winds,  and  the 
vessel  was  often  blown  back.  The  voyage 
was  a  long  and  tedious  one;  they  ran  out  of 
provisions  and  the  water  was  low.  The 
last  few  days  the  passengers  and  crew  sub- 
sisted on  tallow  candles,  but  they  arrived 
at  last,  all  being  nearly  starved.  After  re- 
maining in  Canada  for  a  time,  he  moved  to 
the  state  of  New  York,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois, 


when  the  country  was  in  its  primitive  state. 
He  secured  land  in  section  30,  Elgin  town- 
ship, and  by  his  thrifty  habits  acquired  a 
fine  farm  and  goodly  amount  of  property. 
He  was  a  man  of  strong  determination,  in- 
flexible will,  and  spoke  the  Gaelic  language. 
In  the  early  days  he  was,  politically,  a 
Whig,  and,  later,  a  Republican. 

John  McDonald  married  Miss  Rebecca 
Denmark,  born  in  England,  March  22,  1820. 
Her  parents  died  when  she  was  quite  young, 
and  she  came  to  Elgin  about  1835,  with 
the  Gifford  family.  They  were'  the  parents 
of  ten  children,  as  follows:  Elizabeth  Ann, 
married  John  Linkenfelder,  and  is  now  de- 
ceased; Mary  Eliza,  wife  of  H.  H.  Allan- 
son,  of  Plato  township;  William  Wallace, 
our  subject;  Miranda  Jane  married  Clark 
Tucker,  and  is  now  deceased;  James  D., 
Jiving  in  Plato  township;  George,  a  resident 
of  Elgin;  John  Horace,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  six  years;  Sophia  Jeanette  married  Dun- 
can Johnson  and  lives  in  Iowa;  Nancy  mar- 
ried Frank  Butterfield,  of  Elgin;  and  John 
L. ,  clerking  in  Elgin.  The  father  of  these 
children  died  August  26,  1870,  and  the 
mother  in  June,  1893. 

William  Wallace  McDonald  was  born 
on  the  old  homestead,  section  30.  Elgin 
township,  October  14,  1846.  His  educa- 
tion was  obtained  in  the  district  school, 
mostly  in  winter  terms,  which  he  attended 
until  the  age  of  nineteen.  He  remained 
with  his  father,  assisting  in  the  cultivation 
of  the  farm  until  he  was  twenty  years  of 
age,  when,  on  the  4th  of  October,  1866,  he 
married  Miss  Elizabeth  M.  Younges,  a  na- 
tive of  Elgin  township,  born  October  17, 
1848,  and  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Made- 
line (Linkenfelder)  Younges,  and  fourth  in 
a  family  of  six  children.  By  this  union 
three  children  have  been  born,  the  first  dy- 


4i8 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


ing  in  infancy.  The  living  are:  Charles 
Adelbert,  who  married  Elizabeth  Hogereffe, 
by  whom  he  has  one  child,  Nona  Emily; 
and  John  Freeman,  who  married  Annie 
Phalen. 

On  1879  our  subject,  in  partnership  with 
his  brother  James,  purchased  fifty  acres  in 
section  30,  a  part  of  his  father's  old  farm, 
on  which  they  built  a  creamery  and  operated 
the  same  until  1885,  when  they  sold  out. 
Our  subject  had  previously  purchased  the 
old  home  farm,  and  engaged  in  farming 
until  the  spring  of  1896.  In  1888  he 
erected  a  store  building  at  East  Plato  and 
commenced  merchandising,  but  sold  out  the 
following  year.  In  February,  1896,  he 
rented  his  farm  to  his  son,  repurchased  the 
store  and  resumed  merchandising.  About  the 
same  time  he  received  the  appointment  of 
postmaster,  and  is  yet  holding  the  office. 
In  addition  to  his  stock  of  general  merchan- 
dise he  deals  in  farm  machinery  and  imple- 
ments. His  trade  is  a  fairly  satisfactory 
one. 

Fraternally  Mr.  McDonald  is  a  member 
of  Greenwood  tent,  No.  117,  K.  O.  T.  M. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  For  many 
years  he  served  as  school  director  of  his 
district,  since  April,  1897,  has  been  a  jus- 
tice of  the  peace.  He  is  a  hustling  busi- 
ness man,  genial  in  manners  and  a  general 
favorite.  The  family  have  been  long  and 
favorably  known  in  the  township,  being 
among  the  earliest  settlers,  who  struggled 
hard  to  make  Kane  county  occupy  its  proud 
and  enviable  position. 


HENRY  FICKENSHER,  271  Fox  street, 
Aurora,  Illinois,  is  one  of  that  sturdy, 
persevering  and  honorable  sons  of  Germany, 
that  have  played  such  an  important  part  in 


the  progress  of  our  American  Union.  He 
came  to  Aurora  fifty  years  ago,  when  this 
place  was  a  struggling  village  of  less  than 
eight  hundred  people.  Born  in  Bavaria, 
Germany,  July  4 ,  1828,  he  is  the  son  of 
Frederick  and  Mary  (Giegold)  Fickensher, 
both  natives  of  Bavaria,  as  were  their  fore- 
fathers. 

Frederick  Fickensher,  with  his  wife  and 
family  of  five  children,  emigrated  to  America 
in  the  spring  of  1848,  and  came  direct  to 
Aurora,  Illinois.  They  expected  to  here 
meet  friends,  but  were  much  disappointed 
to  learn  on  their  arrival  that  their  friends 
were  located  at  Aurora,  Indiana.  However, 
they  liked  the  appearance  of  the  Fox  river 
village  so  much,  that  they  decided  to  re- 
main. The  father  purchased  a  small  farm 
of  forty  acres  on  the  Wauponsie,  on  which 
was  a  log  cabin,  and  in  this  the  entire  fam- 
ily resided.  His  children  were  William  P., 
Henry,  George,  Elizabeth,  and  Margaretta. 

Henry  Fickensher's  opportunities  for  an 
education  were  very  meager.  His  family 
were  of  limited  means,  and  his  ambition 
from  youth  up  was  to  assist  in  their 
support.  He  therefore  gained  but  little 
school  education,  but  learned  much  through 
observation  and  association,  with  men 
through  nearly  forty-five  years  of  active 
business  life  in  his  adopted  city.  He  had 
learned  the  trade  of  a  barber  in  his  native 
land  and  soon  perceived  a  good  opening  for 
the  practice  of  his  trade  here.  Therefore 
in  1850,  he  opened  the  first  barber  shop  in 
East  Aurora,  and  did  a  fair  business  from 
the  beginning.  In  course  of  time  he  built  a 
brick  block,  No.  9  South  Broadway,  which 
building  he  still  owns,  but  in  1893  retired 
from  active  business. 

On  the  26th  of  December,  1851,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Dorothy  Weise,  whose  parents 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


419 


were  residents  of  Kane  county,  but  were 
originally  from  Saxony.  Our  subject  and 
wife  have  three  children  living,  and  three 
have  gone  to  "the  land  beyond."  Those 
living  are  Eno  L. ,  who  is  practicing  his  pro- 
fession of  dentistry  in  Chicago,  and  is  mar- 
ried and  has  one  son,  Harry.  Bertha  is 
the  wife  of  Asher  Breemer,  a  druggist  of 
Amboy,  Illinois,  and  they  have  three  chil- 
dren, Clara.  Eno  and  Waller.  Clara,  the 
third  child  of  our  subject,  is  the  wife  of  F. 
W.  Bjoss,  a  hardware  merchant  of  Aurora, 
doing  business  on  South  Broadway. 

In  politics  Mr.  Fickensher  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  in  the  early  '6os  held  the  office  of 
city  collector,.  Fraternally  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, while  both  himself  and  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  church.  They  reside 
in  a  pleasant  home  at  271  Fox  street,  which 
he  built  in  1852.  They  are  both  highly  re- 
spected in  the  community  in  which  they 
have  resided  for  fifty  years. 


EDWARD  L.  HUNT,  now  living  a  re- 
tired life  in  the  city  of  Batavia,  has 
been  a  resident  of  Kane  county  since  1853, 
and  for  more  than  a  third  of  a  century  was 
one  of  the  enterprising  business  men  of 
Batavia.  He  was  born  in  Princeton,  New 
Jersey,  July  22,  1817.  His  father,  William 
Hunt,  born  in  1785,  was  also  a  native  of 
that  town  and  state,  as  was  likewise  his 
grandfather,  John  Hunt.  The  family  are 
of  English  origin,  the  first  of  the  number 
settling  in  New  Jersey  prior  to  the  Revolu- 
tionary war.  William  Hunt,  was  by  trade 
a  blacksmith  and  carried  on  business  in 
Princeton  for  many  years.  He  there  mar- 
ried Eleanor  Schenck,  a  native  of  Middlesex 
county,  New  Jersey,  and  a  daughter  of  John 


Schenck,  whose  father  served  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war.  They  were  the  parents  of 
three  sons  and  one  daughter.  John,  the 
eldest,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  war  and 
killed  in  the  battle  of  Monterey.  Edward 
L.,  was  next  in  order  of  birth.  Voorhes, 
the  third  son,  grew  to  mature  years,  mar- 
ried and  died  in  Trenton,  New  Jersey.  The 
one  daughter,  Elizabeth  Schenck,  is  a  resi- 
dent of  North  Adams,  Massachusetts.  The 
mother  of  these  children  passed  away  in 
1839,  while  the  father  lived  until  1877,  dy- 
ing at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-two  years. 

Edward  L.  Hunt  grew  to  manhood  in 
Princeton,  New  Jersey,  andthere  received  a 
fair  common-school  education.  When  a 
lad  of  thirteen  years,  he  went  into  a  store 
as  clerk,  where  he  received  a  thorough  and 
practical  business  training.  In  1841  he  was 
united  in  marriage,  at  Princeton,  with  Miss 
Catherine  F.  Ross,  a  daughter  of  Robert  R. 
Ross,  and  a  distant  relative  of  Betsy  Ross, 
who  made  the  first  American  flag.  Mrs. 
Hunt  was  reared  and  educated  in  Middle- 
sex county.  Her  father,  Robert  Ross,  was 
a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  while  her 
grandfather,  Robert  Ross,  Sr. ,  was  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier,  and  later  was  elected  and 
served  as  sheriff  of  Middlesex  county.  He 
was  a  very  prominent  man  in  his  day. 

In  1853  Mr.  Hunt  came  west  and  located 
in  Batavia.  He  first  clerked  one  year,  and 
then  bought  an  interest  in  the  store  and 
continued  in  the  business  until  1857.  Sell- 
ing out,  he  moved  to  Sangamon  county, 
Illinois,  and  engaged  in  farming  about  five 
years.  While  there  he  formed  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Abraham  Lincoln,  our  first  martyr 
president.  In  1862  Mr.  Hunt  returned  to 
Batavia,  and  in  Augusf,  of  that  year,  en- 
listed as  a  member  of  Company  B,  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment, 


420 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  mus- 
tered into  service  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  in 
the  later  part  of  that  month.  He  enlisted 
as  a  private  and  served  till  the  final  close  of 
the  war,  being  discharged  and  mustered  out 
at  Camp  Douglass,  in  August,  1865.  'He 
was  under  fire  of  the  Rebels  eighty-two  days 
and  sixty  nights  in  defense  of  the  old  flag 
and  the  union.  Among  the  engagements  in 
which  he  participated  were  Port  Gibson, 
Raymond,  Jackson,  Champion  Hills,  siege 
of  Vicksburg,  siege  of  Spanish  Fort,  four- 
teen lesser  fights  and  skirmishes  and  two 
other  sieges.  While  in  the  service  he 
traveled  over  four  thousand  miles. 

After  his  discharge,  Mr.  Hunt  returned  to 
his  home  in  Batavia,  and  engaged  in  clerk- 
ing for  some  years.  In  1871,  he  bought  out 
an  established  business  and  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  trade  with  John  Davis,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Hunt  &  Davis.  The  part- 
nership was  continued  until  1891,  a  period 
of  about  twenty  years,  when  Mr.  Hunt  sold 
his  interest  to  his  partner  and  has  since 
lived  a  retired  life.  However,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1897,  he  was  appointed  receiver  of  a 
drug  stock,  and  has  also  acted  in  -like  capac- 
ity for  several  parties  that  have  failed. 

In  his  early  life  Mr.  Hunt  was  a  Whig, 
his  first  presidential  vote  being  cast  for 
William  Henry  Harrison  in  1840,  and  his 
second  for  Henry  Clay  in  1844.  On  the 
organization  of  the  Republican  party  in 
1856,  he  voted  for  John  C.  Fremont,  and 
from  that  time  to  the  present  has  been  a 
stanch  advocate  of  Republican  principles. 
He  never  sought  a  public  office,  but  in 
1893  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  and 
was  re-elected  in  1896. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunt  four  children 
were  born,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 
The  living  are  Robert  R. ,  a  machinist  in  the 


watch  factory  at  Elgin,  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Spooner,  a  widow  lady,  now  residing  with 
her  parents.  She  has  three  children  as  fol- 
lows: Frank  Ed,  married  and  residing  in 
New  York  City;  Flora,  wife  of  Ferdinand 
Wirtz,  of  Chicago;  and  Catherine,  wife  of 
Frank  H.  Hall,  of  Chicago.  Mrs.  Spooner 
is  a  member  of  the  First  Congregational 
church  of  Batavia,  while  her  mother  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
Fraternally,  Mr.  Hunt  is  a  member  of  the 
G.  A.  R.  and  is  now  past  commander.  He 
is  held  in  the  highest  esteem,  and  is  popular 
in  the  community  where  he  has  so  long  re- 
sided. 


JOHN  H.  HODDER,  editor  and  pro- 
prietor of  the  "Aurora  Daily  and  Semi- 
weekly  Beacon,"  has  been  a  resident  of 
Aurora  for  forty-four  years,  save  a  short 
time  spent  at  Woodstock,  McHenry  county. 
He  is  a  native  of  Dorsetshire,  England, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood,  and  served 
an  apprenticeship  to  the  printing  and 
bookbinding  trade.  Hearing  much  of  the 
United  States  and  believing  his  success 
in  life  the  better  assured  by  his  removal 
there,  in  1853,  when  about  eighteen  years 
of  age,  he  came  to  America,  landing  in  New 
York  city,  where  he  remained  for  a  time 
working  at  his  trade.  In  1854  he  came 
west  to  Chicago,  and  thence'  to  Aurora, 
where  he  obtained  employment  in  the  office 
of  D.  and  J.  W.  Randall,  who  had  just  pur- 
chased the  "  Aurora  Beacon. "  Two  years 
later  he  established  the  first  book  bindery 
in  Kane  county,  which  he  conducted  for  a 
time,  when  it  was  consolidated  with  the 
' '  Beacon"  office,  Mr.  Hodder  becoming  as- 
sociated with  O.  B.  Knickerbocker,  in  the 
firm  of  O.  B.  Knickerbocker  &  Co.,  in  the 


J.   H.   HODDER. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


423 


publication  of  the  "Aurora  Beacon."  In 
1858  the  "Beacon"  and  "Republican" 
were  consolidated  and  the  firm  of  Bangs  & 
Knickerbocker  formed,  which  continued  the 
publication  of  the  "  Beacon."  Mr.  Hodder 
having  sold  his  interest,  engaged  in  the  job 
printing  business  on  his  own  account,  which 
he  continued  until  1861,  when  he  removed 
to  Woodstock,  McHenry  county,  and  for 
two  years  published  the  "McHenry  county 
Union.  In  1863  he  returned  to  Aurora, 
and  for  three  years  was  foreman  of  the 
"Beacon"  establishment.  In  1866  he 
purchased  Mr.  Bangs'  interest  in  the  con- 
cern, and  the  firm  of  Knickerbocker  & 
Hodder  was  formed,  the  co-partnership  con- 
tinuing until  the  death  of  Mr.  Knickerbocker 
in  May,  1885.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Hod- 
der has  conducted  the  business,  and  under 
his  management  the  "Beacon"  has  contin- 
ued to  maintain  a  position  in  the  front  rank 
of  newspapers  in  the  northwest.  In  1882 
Mr.  Hodder  erected  a  substantial  building 
on  the  Island,  expressly  for  the  business, 
and  has  one  of  the  best  appointed  printing 
and  book  binding  establishments  in  the  state 
outside  of  Chicago. 

In  December,  1859,  Mr.  Hodder  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Kate  M.  Hey- 
wood,  a  native  of  Worcester  county,  Massa- 
chusetts, who.was  then  engaged  as  a  teach- 
er in  the  Aurora  public  schools.  By  this 
union  there  are  two  living  children,  one  son 
and  one  daughter.  Frank  H.  Hodder,  after 
receiving  his  primary  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Aurora,  entered  Michigan 
University  at  Ann  Arbor,  .from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1882,  with  the  degree  of 
Ph.  M.  Soon  after  his  graduation  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  instructor  in  history  and 
political  science  at  Cornell  University,  New 

York.      After  remaining  there  four  years,  he 
20 


went  to  Europe,  spending  nearly  two  years 
at  the  German  universities  in  study.  While 
there  he  was  cabled  an  offer  of  the  chair  of 
American  History  in  the  Kansas  State  Uni- 
versity, at  Lawrence,  Kansas,  which  he  ac- 
cepted, and  is  now  filling  that  position  with 
distinction.  The  daughter,  Miss  Kittie  B. 
Hodder,  lives  with  her  parents  in  their  pleas- 
ant home  at  241  South  Lincoln  avenue, 
Aurora. 

In  1876  Mr.  Hodder  invented  and  pat- 
ented "  Hodder's  Blotter  Tablet,"  a  simple 
and. convenient  .device  in  stationery  bind- 
ing, which  speedily  .came  into  general  use 
throughout  the  United  States  and  Canada. 
In  educational  matters  he  has  always  taken 
interest,  and  for  several  years  efficiently 
served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  educa- 
tion of  school  district  No.  5,  Aurora.  Com- 
ing to  this  country  at  a  time  when  the  slav- 
ery agitation  was  at  its  height,  and  when 
the  slave  power  was  determined  to  force 
slavery  upon  the  territories  of  the  Union, 
notwithstanding  the  terms  of  the  Missouri 
compromise,  he  naturally  allied  himself  to 
the  Republican  party,  casting  his  first  vote 
for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1860,  and  has  ever 
since  taken  an  active  part  in  Republican- 
politics.  In  June,  1889,  Mr.  Hodder  was 
appointed  by  President  Harrison,  postmaster 
of  Aurora,  and  fiMed  that  position  until  March 
i,  1894,  his  administration  of  the  affairs  of 
the  office  meeting  with  general  approval.  As 
editor  of  the  ' '  Beacon,  "  he  has  been  a  prom- 
inent advocate  of  every  enterprise  calculated 
to  build  up  the  city  and  county. 


JONATHAN  MILLET  HOLT,  of  Au- 
J  rora,  was  for  thirty-seven  years  fore- 
man of  the  freight  car  shops  of  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  railroad,  at  that  place. 


424 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


His  great  length  of  service  attests  his  abil- 
ity as  a  workman  and  manager  of  men. 
He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Norway,  Ox- 
ford county,  Maine,  January  13,  1827. 
The  family  are  of  English  origin,  and  was 
founded  in  this  country  long  prior  to  the 
Revolutionary  war.  Three  brothers  came 
from  England,  one  of  whom  settled  in  the 
south,  another  in  New  York,  and  the  third 
in  Massachusetts.  Our  subject  is  descended 
from  the  one  settling  in  the  latter  state. 
His  grandfather,  Darius  Holt,  was  born  in 
Massachusetts,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary war,  and  participated  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Bunker  Hill  and  Lexington.  For 
his  services  in  the  struggle  for  American 
Independence,  he  was  pensioned  by  the  gen- 
eral government.  After  the  close  of  the 
Revolution  he  moved  with  his  family  to 
Maine,  and  was  among  the  first  settlers  in 
Oxford  county.  He  there  opened  up  a 
farm  in  the  vast  wilderness,  where  he  spent 
the  remaining  years  of  his  life.  His  son, 
Darius  Holt,  Jr.,  there  married  Sarah  Man- 
son,  born  at  Kittredge,  Maine,  her  father 
being  one  of  its  first  settlers.  After  their 
marriage  he  engaged  in  farming  in  Norway, 
Oxford  county,  Maine,  but  later  went  to 
Canada,  where  his  death  occurred.  His 
wife  survived  him  a  number  of  years,  and 
died  October  20,  1870,  at  her  home  in 
Maine  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years. 

Jonathan  M.  Holt  is  one  of  four  sons 
and  two  daughters  born  to  Darius  and 
Sarah  Holt,  all  of  whom  grew  to  mature 
years,  but  three  are  now  living.  One 
brother,  Daniel  Holt,  is  a  farmer  residing  in 
Norway,  Maine.  His  sister,  Ann,  married 
Silas  Goud,  and  resides  on  Cousin's  Island, 
Casco  bay,  Maine.  Our  subject  grew  to 
manhood  in  his  native  county  and  state, 
and  in  its  common  schools  received  a  fair 


education.  His  boyhood  and  youth  were 
spent  on  the  home  farm,  assisting  in  its  cul- 
tivation. During  that  time  he  also  learned 
the  carpenter  and  joiner's  trade  with  his 
father.  On  attaining  his  majority  he  went 
to  Lawrence,  Massachusetts,  and  entered 
the  carshops  of  the  Boston  &  Maine  rail- 
road. He  there  remained  until  1854,  when 
he  went  to  California,  by  way  of  Aspinwall, 
Panama,  crossing  the  isthmus  and  proceed; 
ing  to  San  Francisco.  He  remained  in 
California  for  three  years  and  a  half,  work- 
ing for  a  time  in  the  mines,  but  principally 
at  his  trade  in  San  Francisco.  While  there 
the  city  was  overrun  with  lawless  charac- 
ters, which  he  assisted  in  connection  with 
the  vigilance  commitee  in  subduing,  thus 
restoring  law  and  order.  In  1857,  he  re- 
turned home  by  the  same  route  that  he 
went,  and  in  his  native  town  resumed  work 
as  contractor  and  builder.  In  the  fall  of 
1858  he  came  to  Aurora,  where  he  also  en- 
gaged in  contracting  and  building,  until  in 
July,  1859,  when  he  went  into  the  shops  of 
the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Qnincy  Railroad 
Company.  He  was  soon  made  foreman  of 
the  freight  carshops,  a  position  that  he  held 
until  1897,  when  he  was  compelled  to  quit 
work  on  account  of  illness.  He  was  then 
one  of  the  oldest  and  most  efficient  em- 
ployees in  the  shops  at  Aurora. 

Mr.  Holt  was  married  in  Lawrence, 
Massachusetts,  in  April,  1853,  to  Miss  El- 
nora  Phipps,  a  native  of  Maine,  born  in 
Otisfield,  in  1827,  and  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Relief  (Burnell)  Phipps,  the  former  a 
native  of  New  Hampshire,  and  the  latter  of 
Maine.  Mrs.  Holt  is  one  of  their  two  re- 
maining children,  the  other  being  Professor 
Sireno  B.  Phipps,  now  a  resident  of  Aurora, 
where  he  has  lived  for  about  twelve  years, 
and  is  engaged  as  a  teacher  of  instrumental 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


425 


music.  He  is  also  a  composer  of  music, 
and  has  published  a  number  of  volumes  of 
considerable  merit  and  which  have  had  a 
ready  sale.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holt  six  chil- 
dren have  been  born,  as  follows:  Eugene 
Oscar,  married,  and  engaged  in  business  in 
Aurora;  Abraham  Lincoln,  married,  and 
also  a  business  man  of  Aurora;  Ansel  Lewis, 
married,  and  employed  in  the  shops  of  the 
Burlington  road  at  Aurora;  George  Wesley, 
also  in  the  employ  of  the  Burlington  road, 
residing  at  home;  and  William  Francis,  en- 
gaged in  clerking  and  residing  at  home. 
They  lost  one  daughter,  Elnora  May,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  eleven  months. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Holt  was  a  Whig,  and 
cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Zackary 
Taylor,  in  1848.  He  continued  to  act  with 
that  party  until  1856,  when  he  supported 
John  C.  Fremont,  and  has  since  been  an 
earnest  and  enthusiastic  Republican.  For 
six  years  he  served  as  alderman  of  his  ward, 
during  which  time  he  was  on  several  im- 
portant committees.  He  was  on  the  fire 
and  water  committee,  when  the  water  works 
was  established;  was  chairman  of  the  elec- 
tric light  committee,  when  electricity  was 
adopted' as  a  means  of  lighting  the  city; 
was  chairman  of  the  street  and  alley  com- 
mittee, and  also  chairman  of  the  building 
and  public  grounds  committee.  The  work 
done  as  a  member  of  the  various  commit- 
tees, is  but  another  proof  of  his  ability  to 
render  efficient  service  in  whatever  position 
he  is  placed.  He  Has  always  taken  great 
interest  in  political  affairs,  and  as  a  delegate 
to  various  county  and  state  conventions,  has 
exerted  a  good  influence.  Fraternally  he  is 
a  Mason,  a  member  of  the  blue  lodge,  chap- 
ter and  commandery.  He  is  also  prominent 
as  an  Odd  Fellow,  having  passed  all  the 
chairs  in  the  subordinate  lodge,  and  repre- 


sented his  lodge  in  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the 
state.  Mrs.  Holt  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  has  been  active 
in  its  work.  The  family  are  highly  regarded 
in  Aurora,  and  wherever  known  they  are 
held  in  the  highest  esteem. 


WALTER  A.  MERREFIELD,  who  for 
twenty-three  years  has  served  as 
assistant  postmaster  of  Elgin,  discharging 
his  duties  with  marked  promptness  and 
fidelity,  was  born  in  Hanover,  Cook  coun- 
ty, on  the  .I4th  of  November,  1850,  and  is 
a  son  of  Charles  E.  and  Harriet  E.  Barnard 
Merrefield.  On  the  paternal  side  he  is  of 
English  descent.  His  grandfather,  Charles 
E.  Merrefield,  was  a  native  of  England,  and 
crossing  the  Atlantic  to  America,  spent  his 
last  days  in  Elgin,  where  he  died  at  about 
the  age  of  sixty  years.  Farming  was  his 
chief  occupation.  His  family  numbered 
two  children,  one  of  whom,  the  father  of 
our  subject,  was  born  while  the  family  were 
crossing  the  Atlantic.  When  a  young  man 
he  took  up  his  residence  in  Elgin  and  ac- 
cepted the  position  of  bookkeeper  in  the 
bank  of  Towne,  Lawrence  &  Pease.  He 
was  also  assistant  postmaster  here  for  some 
years.  He  married  Miss  Harriet  E.  Barnard, 
a  native  of  New  York,  and  a  daughter  of 
Ephaphas  Barnard,  whow  as  born  in  the 
Empire  state  and  was  of  Dutch  descent. 
By  occupation  he  was  an  agriculturist.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Merrefield  became  the  parents  of 
two  children,  Walter  A.  and  Frank  C.  The 
father  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-four  years, 
and  the  mother,  surviving  him  some  time, 
passed  away  in  1874,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
one.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  war, 
and  a  highly  respected  citizen  of  Elgin. 


426 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Walter  A.  Merrefield  was  reared  in  Cook 
and  Kane  counties,  Illinois,  removing  to 
the  latter  when  nine  years  of  age.  He 
spent  his  minority  here,  and  after  acquir- 
ing a  preliminary  education  in  the  public 
schools,  continued  his  studies  in  the  Acad- 
emy of  Elgin.  Entering  upon  his  business 
career,  he  devoted  his  attention  to  agricult- 
ural pursuits,  but  after  a  time  began  the 
manufacture  of  cheese  and  butter  in  Hano- 
ver. After  some  years  service  as  assistant 
postmaster  of  Elgin,  he  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  cheese  and  butter  in  La- 
Salle  county  for  four  years,  and  then  re- 
turned to  Elgin.  He  was  first  appointed 
assistant  postmaster  January  i,  1871,  serv- 
ing at  that  time  for  eight  years,  and  then 
after  his  four  years'  residence  in  LaSalle 
county,  he  returned  and  was  again  appointed 
assistant  postmaster,  which  office  he  has 
now  filled  since  1879.  His  faithful  dis- 
charge of  his  duties  and  his  courteous  treat- 
ment of  the  patrons  of  the  office  has  made 
him  a  popular  official. 

On  the  5th  of  August,  1874,  Mr.  Merre- 
field was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Esther 
Burnidge,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Nancy 
(Field)  Burnidge.  Four  children  have  been 
born  of  this  union:  Hattie  May,  Myra 
Jennette,  Walter  Charles  and  Floyd  Aus- 
tin. All  are  with  their  parents  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Walter  Charles,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  four  years.  The  mother  died  in 
1891,  in  the  same  month  in  which  her  son's 
death  occurred. 

Mr.  Merrefield  holds  membershp  with 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and 
gives  his  political  support  to  the  men  and 
measures  of  the  Republican  party.  His 
home  is  at  No.  603  Spring  street,  and  in 
the  city  where  he  has  long  made  his  home 
he  is  widely  and  favorably  known. 


JOHN  J.  CLARK.— The  deserved  re- 
ward of  a  well-spent  life  is  an  honored 
retirement  from  business,  in  which  to  enjoy 
the  fruits  of  former  toil.  To-day  after  a 
useful  and  beneficial  career,  Mr.  Clark  is 
quietly  living  at  the  home  of  his  son  at  No. 
750  Highland  avenue,  Elgin,  surrounded  by 
the  comfort  that  earnest  labor  has  brought 
him. 

Mr.  Clark  was  born  October  26,  1816, 
in  Dundee,  Yates  county,  New  York,  and  is 
a  son  of  Thomas  and  Jane  (Plummer) 
Clark,  the  former  a  native  of  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  latter  of  Yates  coun- 
ty, New  York.  Thomas  Clark,  Sr. ,  the  pa- 
ternal grandfather,  was  also  born  in  Phila- 
delphia, was  a  carpenter  and  contractor  by 
occupation,  and  during  the  Revolutionary 
war  he  aided  the  colonies  in  achieving  their 
independence.  He  reared  a  family  of  three 
children,  one  son  and  two  daughters.  At 
the  time  of  his  death  he  had  reached  the 
extreme  old  age  of  one  hundred  and  two 
years,  but  was  still  quite  active, having  walktd 
four  miles  a  few  days  before  he  died.  The 
maternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  were 
George  P.  and  Hannah  (McMurtrie)  Plum- 
mer. He  was  a  farmer  and  during  the 
Revolutionary  war  made  a  number  of  sleds 
for  the  soldiers.  He  died  when  about 
ninety-two  years  of  age. 

During  his  early  manhood  Thomas 
Clark,  Jr.,  was  a  boat  builder  and  sea  cap- 
tain, but  later  turned  his  attention  to  farm- 
ing. On  coming  west  in  1840,  he  located 
in  Udina,  Kane  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
-died  in  1859,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years. 
He  was  a  Spiritualist  in  religious  belief. 
Being  drafted  during  the  war  of  1812,  he 
hired  a  substitute.  His  wife  survived  him 
only  two  years,  dying  in  Sacramento,  Cali- 
fornia, when  about  seventy  years  of  age. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


427 


After  his  death  she  had  crossed  the  plains 
by  wagon  with  some  of  her  children.  Nine 
children  were  born  to  them  but  only  four 
are  now  living,  namely:  John  J.,  George, 
Palmer  and  Barton. 

John  J.  Clark  grew  to  manhood  upon  a 
farm  at  Dundee,  New  York,  and  during  his 
youth  learned  the  millwright's  trade,  which 
he  successfully  followed  for  over  twenty 
years.  In  the  fall  of  1841,  he  came  by 
way  of  the  Great  Lakes  to  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  and  purchased  fifty-three  acres  of 
his  father's  farm,  but  after  operating  it  for 
a  few  years,  he  sold  and  bought  a  drove  of 
horses,  preparatory  to  starting  across  the 
plains  to  California.  When  about  sixty-five 
miles  above  Fort  Laramie,  the  Indians  stole 
his  horses  and  also  shot  one  of  the  company 
but  did  not  kill  him.  They  pushed  on  to 
California,  walking  much  of  the  distance. 
In  that  state  Mr.  Clark  and  his  son  Byron 
worked  at  bridge  building,  receiving  three 
dollars  and  a  half  per  day,  and  after  two 
years  spent  upon  the  Pacific  slope  they  re- 
turned to  Illinois  by  way  of  the  Isthmus. 

Mr.  Clark  next  owned  and  operated  a 
planing  mill  and  sash  factory  in  partnership 
with  his  brother  Thomas,  who  afterward 
raised  two  companies  for  the  Civil  war  and 
in  the  service  rose  to  the  rank  of  colonel. 
His  death  occurred  in  Chicago,  in  1894. 
When  our  subject  and  his  brother  dissolved 
partnership,  he  and  his  son  bought  a  water 
power  and  run  a  machine  shop  for  many 
years,  but  for  the  past  three  years  he  has 
lived  retired,  enjoying  a  well-earned  rest. 

On  the  i6th  of  November,  1843,  was 
consummated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Clark 
and  Miss  Delia  Maria,  daughter  of  John 
Rich,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  four 
children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters. 
Roselia  married  Edwin  Little,  but  is  now 


deceased.  Byron  wedded  Mary  Sovereign 
and  has  two  children — Alice,  wife  of  Joseph 
King,  by  whom  she  has  one  child,  Lyle; 
George  married  Mary  Dorrissey,  now  de- 
ceased, and  to  them  were  born  two  children 
— Arthur,  and  John  Ella  is  the  wife  of  Jacob 
Deill,  of  Chicago,  who  is  a  conductor  on  the 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  railroad. 
The  two  children  born  to  them  are  now  de- 
ceased. Mrs.  Clark,  who  was  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Methodist  church,  departed 
this  life  November  3,  1860,  and  our  subject 
now  makes  his  home  with  his  son  Byron. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Clark  is  a 
Democrat.  For  almost  fifty-seven  years  he 
has  been  a  resident  of  Kane  county  and 
therefore  has  witnessed  almost  its  complete 
development.  '  On  his  arrival  here  the  land 
was  mostly  in  its  primitive  condition,  and 
wild  game  of  all  kinds  was  very  plentiful. 
Mr.  Clark  has  ever  taken  great  delight  in 
hunting,  fishing  and  other  outdoor  sports 
and  when  a  young  man  he  always  came  out 
ahead  in  a  jumping  contest.  '  He  now  be- 
longs to  the  Elgin  Rifle  Club,  attends  the 
big  shooting  matches  in  various  parts  of  the 
country,  and  although  eighty-one  years  of 
age  he  can  shoot  as  well  now  as  he  could 
twenty  years  ago,  for  his  eyesight  is  strong, 
being  able  to  read  without  glasses.  As  he 
still  enjoys  boating,  hunting  and  fishing,  he 
has  two  small  family  steamboats,  tents  and 
other  hunting  paraphernalia,  and  takes  nu- 
merous trips  up  the  river,  spending  several 
days  at  a  time  in  his  favorite  sports.  He 
has  always  endeavored  to  live  peaceably 
with  all  men,  having  never  had  a  quarrel, 
and  he  therefore  has  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances 
who  appreciate  his  sterling  worth  and  many 
excellencies  of  character. 

George  P.  Sovereign,  the  father  of  Mrs. 


428 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Byron  Clark,  is  a  native  of  Canada.  In 
1847  he  married  Agnes  Windsor,  a  native 
of  England,  from  which  country  she  came 
with  her  parents  when  fourteen  years  of  age. 
Immediately  after  their  marriage,  which  was 
solemnized  at  Simco,  Canada,  they  came 
direct  to  Kane  county,  locating  on  a  farm 
in  Plato  township,  where  they  resided  until 
1877,  when  they  removed  to  Elgin.  In 
1879  they  moved  to  St.  Cloud,  Minnesota, 
where  they  now  reside.  They  were  the  par- 
ents, of  nine  children,  seven  of  whom  are 
yet  living — Mary  A.,  Frances,  Ella  E. , 
George,  Harriet,  Myra  and  Daniel.  Mrs. 
Sovereign  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 


/->EORGE  MUIRHEAD,  the  well-known 
V_J  supervisor  of  Plato  township,  resides 
on  section  16.  His  father,  also  named 
George,  was  born  in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  in 
1802,  and  died  in  Plato  township,  Kane 
county,  January  2,  1892.  He  grew  to  man- 
hood in  his  native  city,  and  learned  the 
weaver's  trade,  which  he  followed  until  his 
emigration  to  America.  He  was  eleven 
years  with  one  firm,  and  fifteen  years  with 
Sir  James  Anderson.  On  leaving  his  em- 
ployer, the  latter  gave  him  a.  present  of  ten 
pounds  in  gold,  thus  showing  his  appreci- 
ation of  his  long  service.  He  arose  from 
the  rank  of  weaver  to  that  of  warper,  and 
had  charge  of  the  weaving  over  many  oper- 
ators. 

On  emigrating,  George  Muirhead,  Sr. , 
took  a  boat  from  Glasgow  to  Liverpool,  and 
embarked  in  the  American  ve'ssel,  Thomas 
H.  Perkins,  for  Philadelphia.  Soon  after 
landing  at  the  latter  place  he  went  to  "Balti- 
more and  thence  to  Cumberland,  Maryland. 
Looking  through  Maryland,  he  found  noth- 
ing that  exactly  suited  him,  so  came  on  to 


the  west.  Embarking  on  the  Ohio  river, 
the  family  came  by  boat  down  that  stream 
and  up  the  Mississippi  and  Illinois  rivers, 
and  by  canal  to  Chicago.  From  the  latter 
place  he  came  to  Dundee,  Kane  county,  and 
a  few  weeks  later,  in  November,  1849, 
came  to  Plato  township,  where  he  had 
bought  eighty  acres  in  section  14.  This  he 
sold  in  1860,  and  bought  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  section  16,  which  became  the 
nucleus  of  the  large  estate  now  owned  by 
his  sons,  the  greater  part  of  it  in  partner- 
ship, but  some  in  severalty. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
William  Muirhead,  spent  his  entire  life  in 
Scotland,  as  did  his  wife,  who  was  a  Miss 
McFarland,  and  one  of  his  father's  brothers, 
William,  uncle  of  our  subject,  was  in  the 
battle  of  Waterloo.  George  Muirhead,  Sr. , 
first  married  Jane  Bennie,  in  Scotland,  and 
to  them  four  children  were  born:  Catherine, 
who  married  William  McKensie,  of  Creston, 
Illinois;  George,  our  subject;  Annabella, 
wife  of  Gordon  Ellis,  of  South  Dakota;  and 
Jane,  wife  of  John  McKensie,  living  at  South 
Grove,  De  Kalb  county,  Illinois.  For  his 
second  wife,  Mr.  Muirhead  married  Mary 
Morrison,  in  Scotland,  who  bore  him  eight 
children  as  follows:  Emily  Elizabeth,  widow 
of  Emery  Lee,  of  Kane  county;  Mary  Jean- 
ette,  who  first  married  William  Tanner,  and 
at  his  death  Brainard  Goff,  of  Newhall, 
Iowa;  James,  in  charge  of  the  brother's 
store,  at  Plato  Centre;  \Villiam;  cultivating 
part  of  the  farm  owned  by  the  brothers; 
Maggie  L. ,  wife  of  Charles  Sherwood,  of 
Plato  township;  Lily  Alice,  who  makes  her 
home  with  our  subject;  Charles,  who  also 
makes  his  home  with  our  subject;  and  John, 
in  the  store  at  Plato  Centre. 

George  Muirhead,  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  June  8,  1838,  and  as 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


429 


the  eldest  son,  much  of  the  responsibility  of 
the  farm  management  fell  upon  him.  For 
over  forty  years  he  has  been  the  recognized 
head  of  the  family.  He  was  eleven  years 
old  when  the  family  emigrated  to  America, 
and  his  education  began  in  the  schools  of 
Scotland,  was  completed  in  the  district 
schools  of  Plato  township,  which  he  at- 
tended as  the  opportunity  was  afforded  him. 
Much  is  due  to  him  for  the  successful  man- 
agement of  the  affairs  of  the  Muirhead 
brothers,  which  is  composed  of  George, 
James  and  William  Muirhead. 

James  Muirhead  was  born  on  section  14, 
Plato  township,  November  I,  1854,  and  his 
education  was  obtained  in  the  district 
schools  and  Elgin  Academy.  He  occupied 
one  of  the  farms  until  1888,  engaged  in  ag- 
ricultural pursuits.  In  1887,  in  company 
with  his  brothers,  he  opened  a  store  at 
Plato  Centre.  Since  1886,  he  has  served  as 
postmaster  of  that  place,  and  for  three 
years  served  as  justice  of  the  peace.  He 
has  been  twice  married,  his  first  union  be- 
ing with  Anna  A.  Aiken,  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, and  his  second  union,  with  Sarah  A. 
Shedden,  who  was  born  in  Plato  town- 
ship, and  a  daughter  of  John  A.  and  Mar- 
garet (Rosborough)  Shedden.  By  this 
union  four  children  have  been  born — 
George,  Margaret,  Boyd,  and  one  who  died 
in  infancy. 

William  C.  Muirhead  was  born  in  Plato 
Centre,  June  15,  1857.  His  education  was 
also  received  in  the  public  schools  of  Plato 
township  and  in  Elgin  Academy.  His  life 
work  has  been  principally  that  of  farming, 
and  in  1888,  when  his  brother  James  took 
charge  of  the  store,  he  moved  to  the  farm 
near  the  station.  His  marriage  with  Mar- 
tha A.  Sherwood  took  place  December  10, 
1884.  She  was  born  in  Burlington  town- 


ship, Kane  county,  and  is  the  daughter  of 
Milton  and  Sarah  (Pease)  Sherwood.  By 
this  union  are  three  children — Milton,  Mary 
and  Ethel. 

Religiously,  George  Muirhead  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Congregational  church,  and  polit- 
ically he  is  a  Republican,  as  was  his  father 
before  him.  George  Muirhead,  Sr. ,  was 
one  of  the  first  abolitionists  in  Kane 
county.  While  coming  here  he  incensed 
the  captain  of  a  boat  on  the  Ohio  river  by 
freely  expressing  his  opinions.  He  and  a 
fellow  sympathizer  were  ordered  by  the  cap- 
tain to  be  silent  on  the  subject  of  slavery, 
as  it  was  distasteful  to  the  rest  of  the  pas- 
sengers who  were  mostly  southerners.  How- 
ever, he  continued  to  express  his  opinion  as 
freely  as  he  wished.  Our  subject  has  been 
honored  by  his  neighbors  with  nearly  all  the 
official  positions  in  their  gift.  He  is  now 
serving  his  second  term  as  supervisor,  which 
position  he  most  acceptably  fills.  His  love 
for  his  native  land  has  never  abated,  and 
he  has  twice  visited  the  scenes  of  his  child- 
hood. The  Muirhead  family  are  of  sterling 
qualities,  honor  and  honesty  being  their  two 
leading  traits.  Thrift  and  energy  are  the 
secret  of  their  unusual  success.  All  are 
held  in  the  very  highest  esteem. 


WP.  LILIBRIDGE,  secretary,  treas- 
urer and  general  manager  of  the  St. 
Charles  Lumber  Company,  is  numbered 
among  the  leading  business  men  of  that  city, 
which  has  been  his  home  since  1892.  He 
was  born  at  Harvard  Junction,  McHenry 
county,  Illinois,  January  II,  1869.  His 
grandfather,  O.  P.  Lilibridge,  was  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  who  emigrated  to  McHenry 
county  early  in  the  '303.  There  his  son, 
L.  M,  Lilibridge,  was  born  about  1845. 


430 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


After  he  grew  to  manhood,  L.  M.  Lilibridge 
married  Miss  Ella  J.  Billings,  also  a  native 
of  McHenry  county,  and  a  daughter  of 
Capt.  William  G.  Billings,  a  prominent  man 
of  that  county,  who  served  as  internal  rev- 
enue collector  of  the  northern  district  of 
Illinois,  and  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  late 
war,  holding  a  captain's  commission.  At 
present,  L.  M.  Lilibridge  is  a  prominent 
business  man  and  stock  dealer  of  McHenry 
county,  Illinois,  and  the  owner  of  consider- 
able real  estate  in  that  county. 

W.  P.  Lilibridge,  our  subject,  is  the  son 
of  L.  M.  and  Ella  (Billings)  Lilibridge.  His 
boyhood  and  youth  were  spent  in  his  native 
county,  and  after  spending  some  time  in 
Beloit  College  he  took  a  regular  course  in 
the  Rockford  Business  College.  He  then 
spent  two  years  in  the  lumber  yard  at 
Harvard,  with  W.  D.  Hall,  and  in  1889 
went  to  Marathon  county,  Wisconsin,  into 
the  lumber  regions,  and  spent  two  years  in 
the  employ  of  the  Alexander  Stewart  Lum- 
ber Company,  the  greater  part  of  which 
time,  grading,  inspecting  and  looking  after 
the  stock.  In  1892  he  came  to  St.  Charles 
as  general  manager  of  the  yard  here,  and 
served  in  that  capacity  one  year,  then  pur- 
chased an  interest  in  the  business,  of  which 
he  has  since  had  entire  charge  as  secretary 
treasurer  and  general  manager. 

Mr.  Lilibridge  was  united  in  marriage  in 
St.  Charles,  Illinois,  December  6,  1894, 
with  Miss  Lottie  Marsden,  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  Marsden,  a  prominent  manufact- 
urer of  Kane  county.  She  was  born  in  St. 
Charles,  reared  and  educated  in  its  public 
schools,  being  a  graduate  of  the  West  Side 
High  School,  and  for  four  years  held  a  po- 
sition in  the  office  of  the  circuit  clerk  of 
Kane  county.  By  this  union  are  two  chil- 
dren— M.  Duane  and  Gladys  V. 


The  St.  Charles  Lumber  Company  car- 
ries a  very  complete  stock  of  building  ma- 
terial, including  sash,  doors  and  blinds,  and 
in  connection  have  established  a  coal  yard, 
all  of  which  is  under  the  management  of 
Mr.  Lilibridge,  who  is  regarded  as  one  of 
the  best  business  men  of  the  city.  Frater- 
nally he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge  of 
St.  Charles?  of  which  he  is  the  present  wor- 
shipful master.  He  has  represented  his 
lodge  in  the  grand  lodge  of  the  state.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Fox  River  chapter 
at  Geneva;  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica, at  St.  Charles,  of  which  he  is  venerable 
consul,  and  also  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 


NATHAN  J.  ALDRICH,  senior  member 
of  the  well-known  law  firm  of  Aldrich, 
Winslow  &  Worcester,  with  office  on  River 
street,  over  the  Second  National  Bank,  Au- 
rora, was  born  in  Kendall  county,  Illinois, 
December  3,  1851,  and  is  the  son  of  L.  T. 
and  Delia  A.  (Southworth)  Aldrich,  both  of 
whom-aje  natives  of  New  York.  The  father, 
who  is  a  retired  farmer,  residing  at  Milling- 
ton,  Kendall  county,  Illinois,  came  to  the 
state  in  1838  from  New  York,  and  is  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  Kendall  county.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order.  Few 
men  are  better  known  throughout  Kendall 
and  adjoining  counties.  His  wife  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Congregational  church.  Of  their 
three  children,  Nathan  J.  istheeldest;  Eliza- 
beth is  now  the  wife  of  George  J.  Marvin,  a 
farmer  of  Livingston  county,  New  York, 
and  Edward  P.,  who  resides  in  Millington, 
Illinois. 

Our  subject  was  reared  on  the  home 
farm  in  Kendall  county,  and  his  primary 
education  received  in  its  public  schools.  He 
later  attended  the  Fowler  Institute  at  New- 


NATHAN  J.   ALDRICH. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


433 


ark,  Illinois,  and  the  State  Normal  School, 
at  Normal,  Illinois.  On  leaving  the  latter 
institution  he  began  reading  law  in  the  office 
of  Judge  M.  O.  Southworth,  of  Aurora, 
and  then  attended  law  school  in  the  Michi- 
gan University  at  Ann  Arbor,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1876.  One  year  later 
he  came  to  Aurora  and  commenced  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  He  later  formed 
a  partnership  with  Albert  J.  Hopkins,  and 
under  the  firm  name  of  Hopkins  &  Aldrich, 
they  continued  in  practice  from  1879  to 
1895,  when  the  co-partnership  was  dissolved 
and  the  present  firm  of  Aldrich,  Winslow  & 
Worcester  was  formed. 

On  the  28th  of  August,  1879,  Mr.  Al- 
drich was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary 
E.  Winchell,  a  native  of  Kendall  county, 
Illinois,  and  daughter  of  George  W.  Win- 
chell. By  this  union  one  child  has  been 
born:  Louisa  A.,  who  yet  resides  at  home. 
Mrs.  Aldrich  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church  of  Aurora,  and  is  quite  active  in  all 
church  and  benevolent  work.  Fraternally 
Mr.  Aldrich  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order. 

In  politics  Mr.  Aldrich  is  an  ardent  Re- 
publican, and  in  every  general  and  local 
campaign  takes  an  active  part  for  his  party. 
But  it  is  as  an  attorney  that  he  is  best 
known.  His  practice,  which  is  a  general 
one,  is  extensive,  and  few  cases  of  note  in 
Kane  county  in  which  he  is  not  employed 
on  one  side  or  the  other.  He  practices  in 
all  the  courts  of  the  state  and  the  United 
States  courts. 


JOSEPH  NEWMAN  has  for  over  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century  been  prominently  iden- 
tified with   the  business  interests  of  Elgin, 
and  has  taken   an  active  part  in  promoting 


the  substantial  improvement  and  material 
development  of  the  city,  his  labors  in  its 
interests  being  most  effective  and  beneficial. 
Like  many  of  its  leading  and  influential  citi- 
zens he  was  born  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Atlantic,  his  birth  occurring  May  10,  1854, 
in  Herefordshire,  England,  and  in  that  coun- 
try his  parents,  William  and  Emma  (Thur- 
good)  Newman,  spent  their  entire  lives. 
Of  their  twelve  children,  only  four  sons  came 
to  America,  the  others  being,  John  of  Elgin, 
and  Henry,  who  resides  in  Chicago  and  is 
with  the  firm  of  Sprague,  Warner  &  Com- 
pany; and  Walter,  who  lives  in  Rogers 
Park,  Chicago,  where  he  is  engaged  in  busi- 
ness. 

Joseph  Newman  attended  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  land,  but  as  his  par- 
ents died  when  he  was  quite  young,  he 
started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the 
world  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  being  first 
employed  as  errand  boy  in  a  printing  office. 
He  continued  with  the  same  company  until 
he  came  to  America  in  1869,  crossing  the 
Atlantic  in  a  London  steamer,  which  was 
twenty-one  days  in  making  the  voyage. 
He  made  his  home  in  Chicago  with  a  ma- 
ternal aunt,  Mrs.  Sarah  Pinkerton,  who  had 
brought  his  brother  John  to  the  United 
States  in  1859.  Our  subject  remained  in 
Chicago,  working  for  Norton  &  Company 
until  the  great  fire  of  1871,  which  destroyed 
most  of  the  city  and  reduced  his  aunt's  home 
to  ashes. 

Coming  to  Elgin  in  1872,  Mr.  Newman 
secured  the  position  of  bookkeeper  in  the 
First  National  Bank,  and  was  thus  employed 
until  1880,  since  which  time  he  has  been  in- 
terested in  the  creamery  business,  at  first 
as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Newman  &  Haw- 
kins, later  Nolting  &  Newman,  with  A.  Nolt- 
ing  as  a  partner,  and  now  with  his  brother 


434 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


John  in  the  John  Newman  Company.  In 
1893  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the  Spring 
Brook  Creameries,  forty  in  number,  which 
are  scattered  throughout  several  different 
states.  The  firm  does  an  extensive  and 
profitable  business,  and  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ing concerns  of  the  kind  in  this  section  of 
the  country.  On  leaving  the  banking  busi- 
ness in  1877,  Mr.  Newman  went  into  the 
Fountain  Creamery, east  of  Elgin,  and  worked 
under  the  tutelage  of  L.  H.  Wanzer  for  one 
year,  thus  becoming  thoroughly  familiar 
with  every  department  of  the  business.  He 
afterward,  however,  returned  to  the  bank 
for  a  time.  He  is  now  vice-president  and 
treasurer  of  the  Illinois  Dairymen's  Associa- 
tion, and  is  also  trustee  of  the  Universalist 
church,  to  which  he  belongs.  In  business 
circles  he  stands  high,  his  upright,  honora- 
ble course  winning  him  the  confidence  of 
all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  1879,  Mr.  Newman 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Winna  S. 
Balch,  a  most  estimable  lady,  who  is  also 
a  member  of  the  same  church.  They  have 
four  children,  namely:  Balch  William,  Mary 
Emma,  Louise  and  Margaret. 

Rev.  William  Stevens  Balch,  Mrs.  New- 
man's father,  was  for  many  years  one  of 
the  most  prominent  ministers  of  the  Uni- 
versalist church  in  this  country.  He  was 
born  in  Andover,  Vermont,  April  13,  1806, 
a  son  of  Joel  Balch,  who  was  the  oldest  son 
of  Hart  Balch.  Joel  Balch  was  not  a  great 
man  as  the  world  counts  greatness,  but  was 
one  of  the  representative  citizens  of  Vermont, 
being  a  man  of  simple  ways,  strong  common 
sense  and  rugged,  sterling  character.  Rev. 
W.  S.  Balch  inherited  the  rare  intellectual 
and  moral  gifts  which  so  distinguished  his 
ancestry;  he  was  an  ardent  and  practical 


lover  of  all  that  was  noble  and  good  in  man; 
was  a  hater  of  selfishness,  greed,  hypocrisy 
and  pretence;  and  his  influence  was  great 
and  always  on  the  side  of  right.  He  led  a 
consistent,  noble  Christian  life.  At  an 
early  age  he  entered  the  ministry  of  the 
Universalist  church,  preaching  in  Vermont 
and  New  Hampshire  in  1827  and  1829.  The 
following  year  he  married  Adeline  Gail 
Capron,  and  removed  to  Albany,  New  York. 
In  1830  became  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Watertown,  Massachusetts;  in  1832,  at 
Claremont,  New  Hampshire;  and  in  1836  at 
Providence,  Rhode  Island.  In  1841  he 
took  charge  of  the  Bleeker  Street  church  in 
New  York  City,  preaching  for  the  same 
congregation  there  for  seventeen  years, 
during  which  pastorate  his  wife  died,  and  a 
few  years  later  he  married  Mary  Ann 
Waterhouse.  On  leaving  that  city  it  was 
his  intention  to  retire  altogether  from  the 
ministry  and  spend  his  remaining  years  at 
his  rural  home  in  Ludlow,  Vermont,  but  in 
1865  he  came  west,  and  was  subsequently 
pastor  of  Universalist  churches  at  Gales- 
burg,  Illinois,  Hinsdale,  Elgin  and  Dubuque, 
Iowa,  his  pastorate  at  the  last  named  ex- 
tending from  1877  until  1880.  The  last 
six  years  of  his  life  were  passed  mostly  at 
Elgin,  where  he  died  December  26,  1887, 
after  sixty  years  of  faithful  work  in  the  min- 
istry. In  his  death  the  Universalist  church 
lost  one  of  its  oldest  ministers,  as  well  as 
one  of  its  most  devout  and  saintly  charac- 
ters, and  wherever  known  he  was  held  in 
high  regard,  having  the  respect  not  only  of 
his  own  congregation,  but  also  the  esteem 
of  the  entire  community 

The  children  of  Rev.  W.  S.  Balch  were 
as  follows:  Addie,  wife  of  Sydney  A.  Miller, 
of  Omaha,  Nebraska;  W.  D.,  who  was  vice- 
president  of  a  bank  at  Mason  City,  Iowa, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


435 


and  died  in  1897;  Emma,  widow  of  Linus 
Dickinson;  Edward  E.,  cashier  of  the 
Omaha  National  Bank  at  Omaha;  Estelle.of 
New  York;  Elena, whodied  unmarried;  John 
J.,  agent  for  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  & 
St.  Paul  railroad  at  Mount  Clair,  Illinois, 
children  of  his  first  wife,  and  Winna  S., 
wife  of  Joseph  Newman,  of  this  review;  and 
George  W.,  a  civil  engineer  of  Elgin,  now 
at  Moorhead,  Mississippi,  constructing  a 
branch  for  the  Illinois  Central  railroad; 
and  Clarence,  who  died  at  New  York,  chil- 
dren by  the  second  union. 


ARTHUR  L.  GILLETT,  who  is  engaged 
in  the  livery  business  on  River  street, 
Aurora,  is  a  native  of  Kane  county,  born  in 
Sugar  Grove  township  September  27,  1857, 
and  is  the  son  of  Lewis  and  Rachel 
(Harmes)  Gillett,  both  of  whom  are  natives 
of  New  York,  the  former  born  in  Sullivan 
county,  in  1821.  By  occupation  he  was  a 
farmer  and  was  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits before  moving  west.  About  1850  he 
came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  located 
in  Sugar  Grove  township,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  two  hundred  acres,  to 
which  he  added  from  time  to  time  until  he 
owned  about  one  thousand  acres  in  Kane 
and  De  Kalb  counties,  all  of  which  was 
under  cultivation.  He  was  a  very  enter- 
prising and  substantial  farmer,  and  resided 
upon  his  original  tract  until  his  death,  in 
1888.  His  wife  survives  him  and  resides  in 
the  village  of  Sugar  Grove.  Arthur  L.  Gil- 
lett was  second  in  order  of  birth  in  a  fam- 
ily of  four  children,  of  whom  two  are  de- 
ceased. His  sister,  Rachel  May,  is  now  the 
wife  of  M.  O.  Shoop,  of  Kaneville,  Illinois. 
In  his  native  township  he  grew  to  manhood 
and  in  its  common  schools  received  his  pri- 


mary education,  which  was  supplemented 
by  a  course  in  Jennings  Seminary.  He  re- 
mained with  his  father  on  the  farm  until 
after  attaining  his  majority,  and  in  Kane 
county  married  Helen  E.  Ravlin  in  Novem- 
ber, 1878.  After  their  marriage  they  re- 
sided on  a  farm  in  De  Kalb  county  for  five 
years,  and  then  moved  to  Sugar  Grove 
township,  where  he  also  engaged  in  farming 
for  five  years.  Leaving  the  farm  he  re- 
moved to  the  village  of  Sugar  Grove  and 
engaged  in  the  lumber  and  coal  business, 
buying  out  a  firm  that  had  been  some  time 
established.  After  remaining  there  for  five 
years  he  sold  out  and  moved  to  Aurora, 
where  he  purchased  a  livery  business,  and 
has  since  been  engaged  in  that  line.  Mr. 
Gillett  lost  his  first  wife,  who  died  in  Sugar 
Grove  in  1890,  leaving  two  daughters,  Grace 
E.  and  Edith  M.,  both  students  of  the  West 
Aurora  High  School.  Mr.  Gillett  was 
again  married  in  October,  1892,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Delia  M.  Todd,  a 
native  of  Kane  county,  and  a  daughter  of 
Eleazer  and  Emma  Todd,  her  father  being 
a  business  man  of  Aurora. 

Politically  Mr.  Gillett  is  a  Republican, 
the  principles  of  which  party  were  instilled 
in  him  in  his  youth.  He  was  made  an  Odd 
Fellow  in  Sycamore,  but  is  now  a  member 
of  Wabansia  lodge,  No.  45,  of  Aurora.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  the 
Globe  and  the  Royal  League  of  Aurora. 
Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Aurora  City 
Club.  A  lifelong  resident  of  Kane  county, 
save  for  the  period  of  five  years,  which  he 
spent  on  the  farm  in  De  Kalb  county,  he 
has  been  identified  with  its  institutions  and 
has  witnessed  its  growth  and  prosperity 
until  it  is  to-day  one  of  the  best  counties  in 
the  great  state  of  Illinois.  A  man  of  ex- 
emplary habits  and  upright  character,  he  is 


436 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


held  in  the  highest  esteem,  and  with  his 
wife  holds  a  high  social  position  in  the  city 
of  Aurora. 

ALFRED  W.  KELLY.— Among  the  pio- 
neer settlers  of  Kane  county  this  gen- 
tleman is  worthy  of  notice  in  a  work  of  this 
kind.  For  fifty- three  years  he  has  been 
identified  with  its  interests,  having  located 
here  in  the  spring  of  1845,  and  has  con- 
tributed his  share  to  its  material  progress 
and  prosperity.  He  was  actively  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  for  many  years,  but 
is  now  practically  living  retired  in  St. 
Charles. 

Like  many  of  the  best  citizens  of  the 
county,  Mr.  Kelly  is  a  native  of  the  Em- 
pire state,  born  in  Schenectady,  March  17, 
1828.  His  grandfather,  William  Kelly,  was 
a  native  of  Scotland,  and  at  an  early  day 
came  to  the  new  world  with  his  father, 
Robert  Kelly,  a  pioneer  settler  of  Albany, 
New  York.  John  S.  Kelly,  our  subject's 
father,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Schenectady, 
in  1805,  and  was  there  married  to  Eliza 
Mansfield,  who  was  born  in  New  York,  May 
20,  1808.  In  his  native  city  he  engaged  in 
the  lumber  business  and  also  carried  on 
operations  as  a  contractor  and  builder.  He 
took  quite  a  prominent  and  active  part  in 
political  affairs,  and  served  for  several  terms 
as  alderman  of  the  city.  Emigrating  to  Illi- 
nois in  1845,  ne  purchased  a  tract  of  seven 
hundred  acres  of  land  in  Rutland  and  Plato 
townships,  Kane  county,  and  to  its  improve- 
ment and  cultivation  devoted  his  energies 
with  good  results.  Here  he  also  became 
one  of  the  leading  and  influential  men  of 
the  county,  served  as  justice  of  the  peace 
for  several  years,  and  held  other  positions 
of  honor  and  trust.  In  connection  with  his 
farming  operations,  he  engaged  in  contract- 


ing and  building  in  Elgin,  and  built  the  old 
Baptist  church  at  that  place.  He  died  in 
Rutland  township,  in  1892;  his  wife  passed 
away  in  1884,  and  both  were  laid  to  rest  in 
Udina  cemetery,  where  a  substantial  monu- 
ment marks  their  last  resting  place. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  oldest 
of  the  children  of  this  worthy  couple,  the 
others  being  as  follows:  Sarah  is  the  wife 
of  Stiles  Mansfield,  of  New  Haven,  Con- 
necticut; Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Owen 
Weld,  of  Elgin;  Captain  Leveret  is  married 
and  resides  in  Washington,  District  of  Co- 
lumbia, where  he  is  serving  as  deputy  com- 
missionerof  pensions.  He  served  through  the 
Civil  war  as  a  member  of  Company  A,  Thir- 
ty-sixth Illinois  Infantry,  and  from  private 
rose  to  the  rank  of  captain.  After  his  mar- 
riage he  first  located  in  Rutland  township, 
Kane  county,  and  was  afterward  elected 
sheriff  of  the  county,  serving  in  that  ca- 
pacity for  two  terms.  He  was  one  of  the 
leading  and  popular  men  of  his  community. 
Dr.  Lin  A.  Kelly  is  a  prominent  physician 
of  Winona,  Minnesota.  The  foregoing  were 
all  born  in  Schenectady,  New  York.  John 
H.,  born  in  Rutland,  Illinois,  is  a  substan- 
tial farmer  now  living  in  Elgin.  John  and 
Marietta  both  died  in  infancy.  Mary  died 
after  reaching  womanhood  and  was  buried 
in  Elgin.  Charles  died  at  the  age  of  twelve 
years. 

While  living  in  New  York  Alfred  W. 
Kelly  was  provided  with  good  educational 
privileges,  having  attended  the  Lyceum  at 
Schenectady,  and  after  coming  to  Illinois 
attended  school  to  some  extent.  He  was 
thus  well  fitted  to  engage  in  teaching.  He 
assisted  his  father  in  opening  up  and  devel- 
oping the  home  farm,  and  remained  under 
the  parental  roof  until  he  had  attained  man's 
estate. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


437 


At  Udina,  Kane  county,  Mr.  Kelly  was 
married,  April  2,  1851,  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
Pruden,  Rev.  C.  R.  French  officiating.  She 
was  born  in  Romulus,  Seneca  county,  New 
York,  October  7,  1828,  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Sarah  (Ransom)  Pruden,  the  former  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  but  reared  in  New 
York,  the  latter  a  native  of  Rome,  Oneida 
county,  New  York.  In  1843  her  parents 
came  west  and  settled  near  the  present  city 
of  Elgin,  Mr.  Pruden  purchasing  a  tract  of 
about  six  hundred  acres  four  miles  west  of 
that  place.  He  was  a  prominent  and  suc- 
cessful farmer  and  highly  respected  citizen. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kelly  have  three  childen  : 
Sarah  Eliza,  wife  of  Frank  W.  Alexander, 
of  St.  Charles  ;  Emma  Isabel,  deceased 
wife  of  A.  H.  Perkins,  of  Genoa,  Illinois, 
and  Walter  Scott,  who  married  Nellie  Gup- 
til,  of  Chicago,  and  located  on  a  farm  in 
Kane  county,  where  he  lived  for  three  years, 
removing  at  the  end  of  that  time  to  Elgin, 
where  he  died,  leaving  a  widow  and  four 
sons. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Kelly  located 
upon  a  partially  improved  farm  in  Plato 
township,  Kane  county,  his  residence  being 
a  log  house,  and  for  four  years  he  made 
that  place  his  home.  He  then  removed 
to  a  place  in  Rutland  township,  compris- 
ing one  hundred  sixty-five  acres,  a  small  por- 
tion of  which  was  under  cultivation  and  a 
little  frame  house  erected  thereon.  To  its 
further  improvement  and  cultivation  he  de- 
voted his  energies  until  he  had  one  of  the 
best  farms  in  the  locality.  His  first  home 
was  replaced  by  a  substantial  and  commo- 
dious residence,  a  good  orchard  was  set  out, 
and  in  fact,  the  place  had  all  the  conven- 
iences and  accessories  of  a.  model  farm  of 
the  nineteenth  century.  On  leaving  the 
farm  he  came  to  St.  Charles,  where  he 


was  employed  in  a  store  for  eight  years, 
and  he  subsequently  had  charge  of  a  store 
at  Pingree  Grove,  where  he  served  as  post- 
master for  two  years  and  a  half.  The  fol- 
lowing five  years  were  spent  upon  his  farm, 
butsince  February,  1888, he  has  lived  retired 
in  St.  Charles,  enjoying  a  well-earned  rest, 
free  from  the  cares  and  responsibilities  of 
business  life. 

The  Republican  party  finds  in  Mr.  Kelly 
a  stanch  supporter,  and  he  has  voted  for  all 
its  presidential  candidates  since  John  C. 
Fremont  with  the  exception  of  the  year  he 
supported  Horace  Greeley.  Twice  he  was 
elected  alderman  of  St.  Charles,  but  after 
serving  for  three  years  he  resigned.  He 
also  filled  the  offices  of  school  director  in 
Plato  township  and  trustee  in  St.  Charles 
and  his  work  along  this  line  has  been  very 
effective  in  securing  better  schools.  As  a 
public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen,  he 
has  given  his  support  to  all  measures  for  the 
public  good,  and  his  life  has  been  such  as 
to  command  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
all  with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact, 
either  in  public  or  private  life. 


OIDNEY  B.  HAWLEY,  M.  D.,  deceased, 
O  was  born  in  Fairfax,  Vermont,  March 
29,  1831;  he  was  the  son  of  Lyman  and 
Melina  (Wells)  Hawley,  both  natives  of  the 
Green  Mountain  state.  Lyman  Hawley, 
the  father,  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer  and  on  the  home  farm  our  subject 
worked  in  his  early  youth  and  attended  the 
district  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  He 
was  afterwards  placed  in  the  seminary  at 
Brattleboro,  where  he  completed  his  literary 
education.  He  later  attended  the  medical 
college  at  Castleton,  Vermont,  graduating 
with  honors  in  1851,  and  receiving  his  de- 


438 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


gree  of  M.  D.  On  the  8th  of  November, 
1853,  he  married  Mary  A.  Webster,  a 
daughter  of  Alanson  and  Lucy  (Reed)  Web- 
ster, all  residents  of  Fairfax,  Franklin 
county,  Vermont,  and  there  the  marriage 
ceremony  took  place.  After  his  marriage 
he  removed  to  the  town  of  Jefferson,  Ash- 
tabula  county,  Ohio,  and  commenced  prac- 
ticing as  physician  and  surgeon.  Her 
father  was  of  Welch  descent,  while  her 
mother  came  of  good  New  England  stock. 
Alanson  Webster  was  a  second  cousin  to 
Noah  Webster,  the  renowned  lexicographer, 
and  moved  from  Connecticut  to  Vermont 
at  an  early  day.  In  his  family  were  seven 
children — Alonzo,  Jane,  Buell,  Ami,  Fidelia, 
Clark  and  Mary  A. 

Dr.  Hawley  continued  the  practice  of 
his  profession  very  successfully  in  Ashtabula 
county,  Ohio,  for  five  years,  when  on  the 
advice  of  friends  he  removed  to  Chicago, 
but  remained  there  only  two  years.  In  the 
meantime  he  visited  Aurora,  and  was  favor- 
ably impressed  with  the  beauties  of  the 
place,  and  seeing  it  to  be  much  preferred  to 
Chicago  for  rearing  his  young  family,  he  de- 
cided to  remove  here,  which  he  did,  bring- 
ing with  him  his  wife  and  three  children  as 
follows:  Clark,  born  November  15,  1854, 
at  Jefferson,  Ohio;  Idelia  M.,  born  March 
9,  1856,  also  at  Jefferson,  Ohio;  Burritt, 
born  October  9,  1860,  in  Chicago.  The  lat- 
ter died  in  Aurora,  November  26,  1883. 
After  the  removal  of  the  family  to  Aurora 
two  more  were  added,  Alanson  W.,  born 
December  14,  1865,  and  Arthur  Lymah, 
born  May  31,  1868. 

On  coming  to  Aurora  Dr.  Hawley  opened 
an  office  at  No.  45  River  street,  in  1860, 
where  he  practiced  his  profession  until  the 
war  commenced.  He  then  joined  the  army 
as  assistant  surgeon  of  the  Thirty-sixth 


Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  com- 
missioned surgeon  of  the  Thirty-fifth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  chief  operator  of 
the  Third  Division,  Fourth  Corps,  of  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland.  He  was  present 
at  the  battles  of  Mission  Ridge,  Lookout 
Mountain  and  Chickamauga,  and  during 
the  latter  engagement  was  taken  prisoner 
and  spent  six  weeks  in  Libby  prison,  where 
everything  he  possessed  was  confiscated. 
Being  exchanged,  he  returned  to  his  regi- 
ment and  continued  in  the  service  three 
years,  ministering  to  sick  and  wounded. 
While  in  the  service  he  narrowly  escaped 
injury,  but  was  never  wounded. 

In  1864  Dr.  Hawley  returned  to  Aurora 
and  resumed  his  practice  in  the  same  office 
he  had  formerly  occupied,  and  carried  on  a 
very  successful  practice  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  November  26,  1877,  and 
his  remains  were  interred  at  Rose  Hill  cem- 
etery. While  caring  nothing  for  office,  he 
was  prevailed  upon  to  serve  as  alderman  of 
the  First  ward  for  one  term,  and  discharged 
the  duties  of  the  office  in  a  conscientious 
manner.  Fraternally,  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Aurora  post,  No.  20,  G.  A.  R.  He 
was  also  a  member  of  Trinity  Episcopal 
church,  in  which  he  was  vestryman  for  thir- 
teen years.  Mrs.  Hawley  is  also  a  member 
of  the  same  church.  During  his  life  he 
built  an  elegant  home  at  227  Walnut  street, 
where  his  widow  still  resides. 

The  father  of  Mrs.  Hawley  was  for 
many  years  a  prominent  citizen  of  Lowell, 
Massachusetts,  where  he  filled  the  office  of 
justice  of  the  peace  and  represented  his 
town  in  the  legislature.  He  and  his  wife 
lived  together  nearly  sixty-five  years,  he 
dying  in  his  ninety-fourth  year  and  she 
when  eighty-five  years  old. 

The  children  of  Mrs.  Hawley  now  living 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


439 


are  Clark,  who  is  practicing  his  profession 
of  oculist  and  optician  at  70  State  street, 
Chicago,  and  who  married  Edna  Chitten- 
den,  by  whom  he  has  two  boys,  Ralph  and 
Webster.  Idelia  L.  married  James  Hanna, 
by  whom  she  has  three  children,  Ruth, 
Phillip  and  Paul;  they  reside  in  Aurora. 
Alanson  is  unmarried  and  is  a  practicing 
physician  at  the  state  asylum  at  Kankakee, 
Illinois.  Arthur,  the  youngest  son,  mar- 
ried Miss  Olive  McGrath,  of  Rochester, 
New  York,  and  they  now  reside  at  Seattle, 
Washington. 


M 


RS.  CLARK  WILDER,  who  resides 
at  No.  463  North  Lake  street,  has 
been  a  resident  of  Kane  county  since  Octo- 
ber 20,  1837.  She  was  born  in  New  Lon- 
don county,  Connecticut,  at  Old  Lyme, 
October  17,  1810.  Her  father,  Timothy 
Lord,  who  was  a  native  of  the  same  county 
and  state,  there  married  May  Munsel.  By 
trade  he  was  a  wheelwright,  and  followed 
that  occupation  until  his  death  in  1812. 
Mrs.  Lord  later  married  William  H.  Harri- 
son, said  to  be  a  relative  of  President  Har- 
rison. She  died  in  February,  1826.  Mrs. 
Wilder  was  the  youngest  and  the  only  sur- 
vivor of  three  daughters  by  the  first  mar- 
riage. She  grew  to  womanhood  at  Lyme, 
and  then  moved  to  New  York,  with  a  sister, 
and  there  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to 
Clark  Wilder,  the  marriage  ceremony  tak- 
ing place  February  17,  1833. 

Clark  Wilder  was  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  and  when  a  lad  of  fourteen 
years,  moved  with  his  parents,  Joel  and 
Lydia  (Newton)  Wilder,  to  New  York. 
After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilder 
began  their  domestic  life  On  a  farm  in  St. 
Lawrence  county,  New  York,  where  they 


remained  about  four  years.  They  then 
came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  by  team  and 
the  lakes,  coming  through  Canada  into 
Michigan  and  after  visiting  a  brother  of  Mr. 
Wilder  at  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  they  came 
to  Aurora,  which  then  had  but  three  frame 
houses  and  one  log  house  on  the  west  side. 
Mr.  Wilder  had  visited  this  section  in  1836, 
and  purchased  a  claim  orf  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  on  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
and  forty  acres  of  timber  on  the  east  side. 
There  was  a  log  house  on  the  claim  in  which 
he  moved  with  his  family,  and  there  they 
lived  for  eleven  years.  It  was  a  very  rudely 
constructed  house  and  until  repaired  by  Mr. 
Wilder,  snakes  would  stick  their  heads 
through  the  open  floor,  and  the  roof  was  so 
that  one  could  see  the  stars  through  the 
cracks.  After  residing  there  the  time  men- 
tioned, in  1848  Mr.  Wilder  built  a  large, 
substantial  stone  residence,  where  his 
widow  and  daughter  now  reside.  He  at 
once  commenced  the  improvement  of  his 
place,  and  there  resided  until  his  death, 
August  5,  1870,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine 
years.  Clark  Wilder  was  a  man  of  good 
education,  was  interested  in  the  public 
schools  and  served  as  school  commissioner 
for  a  time.  He  was  a  very  active  business 
man,  progressive  in  his  views,  and  on  the 
organization  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad,  invested  in  its  stock.  In 
early  life  he  was  a  Whig,  and  later  a  Re- 
publican. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilder  ten  children 
were  born,  eight  of  whom  grew  to  mature 
years,  and  six  are  now  living.  The  oldest, 
George  W.,  married,  has  six  children,  and 
is  a  prominent  man  in  Aurora;  Bert  S.  mar- 
ried, and  resides  at  Cedar  Falls,  Iowa;  Joel, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  one  year;  Mary  W., 
widow  of  Peter  S.  Lossing,  by  whom  she 


440 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


: 


had  eight  children;  Emeline  W.,  wife  of 
Fred  Hotz,  deputy  sheriff  of  Kane  county; 
William  Wallace,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Civil  war,  taken  prisoner,  held  one  year  at 
Andersonville,  paroled,  and  died  while  on 
his  way  home;  Lewis,  who  resides  in  Au- 
rora; Joel  M.,  of  Yates  Centre,  Kansas; 
Amelia,  who  died  at  the  age  of  one  year, 
and  Frank  C. ,  who  met  death  by  accident 
at  the  age  of  about  twenty  years.  Mrs. 
Wilder  has  seventeen  grandchildren  and 
twelve  great-grandchildren. 

When  seventeen  years  of  age  Mrs.  Wil- 
der was  converted  and  was  immersed  in 
the  Connecticut  river  and  united  with  the 
Baptist  church.  On  coming  to  Aurora  she 
formed  one  of  the  original  number  in  the 
organization  of  the  First  Baptist  church, 
with  which  she  has  since  been  identified  and 
has  been  one  of  its  active  workers,  and  is 
to-day  the  oldest  member  of  that  church. 
Although  more  than  four  score  years  have 
passed  over  her  head,  she  yet  takes  the  same 
interest  manifested  in  her  younger  days,  in 
every  department  of  church  work.  Her 
place  in  the  house  of  God  is  always  filled 
whenever  possible  for  her  to  be  there.  For 
sixty-one  years  she  has  been  a  resident  of 
Kane  county,  and  her  experience  of  pioneer 
days  were  such  as  to  make  her  more  fully 
enjoy  the  luxuries  and  comforts  of  the  pres- 
ent day. 


/CHARLES  H.  BACKUS,  banker, Hamp- 
\^s  shire,  Illinois,  is  a  representative  of 
the  commercial  and  financial  interests  of 
Hampshire,  and  is  well  known  throughout 
Kane,  DeKalb  and  adjoining  counties.  He 
traces  his  ancestry  back  to  colonial  days 
prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war,  in  which 
both  paternal  and  maternal  ancestors  were 


prominent  participants.  On  the  maternal 
side  Ephraim  Lyon,  a  descendant  of  Ponce 
de  Leon,  served  a  number  of  years  during 
the  struggle  in  various  official  capacities. 
For  a  time  he  was  adjutant  in  the  Twenty- 
first  Massachusetts  Regiment,  was  first 
lieutenant  in  Captain  Obadiah  Johnson's 
company,  Third  Regiment,  Militia  of  Bos- 
ton, was  a  member  of  Captain  Bute's  com- 
pany, of  "Lexington  Alarms,"  was  first 
lieutenant  in  the  Third  Massachusetts  Regi- 
ment under  General  Israel  Putnam,  and 
lieutenant  in  Captain  Whiting's  company, 
Fourth  Regiment,  commanded  by  Colonel 
John  Ely.  Ephraim  Lyon's  son  James  mar- 
ried Polly  Trowbridge,  daughter  of  James 
and  Mary  (Kendall)  Trowbridge,  the  former 
being  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Hannah  (Spring) 
Trowbridge.  Daniel  Trowbridge  was  a 
sergeant  in  the  Eighth  Company  under 
Captain  Ingalls,  of  the  Eleventh  Regiment, 
from  Pornfort,  Connecticut.  He  was  chair- 
man of  the  committee  to  secure  clothing  for 
the  Revolutionary  soldiers,  and  was  a  mem- 
of  the  committee  to  suggest  means  to  pre- 
vent depression  of  continental  money.  Mary 
Lyon,  daughter  of  James  and  Mary  (Trow- 
bridge) Lyon,  married  Augustus  Dodge, 
whose  daughter,  Susan,  married  Jirah  L. 
Backus,  father  of  our  subject.  He  was  the 
son  of  De  Lucena  and  Olive  (Simonds) 
Backus.  The  latter  was  a  daughter  of 
Elijah  and  Martha  (Canada)  Simonds,  her 
father  being  a  member  of  the  Lexington 
Alarms,  from  Windham,  Connecticut,  and 
was  a  participant  in  the  battle  of  Bunker 


"  Charles  H.  Barkus,  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Chaplin,  Windham  county,  Con- 
necticut, June  9,  1856.  He  attended  the 
common  schools  in  his  native  town  until 
seventeen  years  old,  and  then  taught  school 


C.   H.   BACKUS. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


443 


for  two  years.  Desiring  a  good  business 
education,  he  attended  Eastman's  Business 
College  at  Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  and 
after  which  he  again  engaged  in  teaching 
for  two  years.  In  the  spring  of  1879  he 
came  west  and  for  one  year  clerked  in  a 
general  store  at  Marengo,  Illinois,  after  which 
he  was  for  two  years  in  the  Farmers'  and 
Drovers'  Bank,  at  the  same  place.  He 
then  came  to  Hampshire,  and  April  i, 
1882,  established  the  Kane  County  Bank. 
From  that  time  to  the  present,  he  has  been 
a  moving  power  in  a  number  of  industries 
in  the  village.  With  E.  C.  Sholes,  he 
established  the  pressed  brick  and  tile  works, 
with  a  capacity  of  a  half  million  brick  and 
one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  tile  per  an- 
num. For  some  years,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Backus  &  Maynard,  he  was  in  the  coal 
business.  This  business  was  discontinued 
in  1897.  At  present  he  is  the  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Backus  &  Sisley,  dealers 
in  clothing,  boots  and  shoes,  at  De  Kalb, 
Illinois.  He  is  half  owner  in  the  "Genoa 
Issue,"  a  weekly  paper  published  at  Genoa, 
Illinois.  He  is  also  the  owner  of  considera- 
ble farming  land  in  McHenry  county. 
Among  other  lines  in  which  he  is  interested 
is  that  of  insurance,  in  which  he  represents 
fourteen  leading  companies.  This  is  the 
only  insurance  agency  in  Hampshire  and 
vicinity.  Some  years  since  he  established 
the  "Hampshire  Register,"  which  later  he 
sold  to  its  present  proprietor. 

On  the  first  of  January,  1884,  at  Gen- 
eva, Illinois,  Mr.  Backus  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Emma  L.  Sisley,  born  in 
West  Chicago,  and  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Anna  Sisley.  By  this  union  there  is  one  son, 
Charles  Sisley,  who  resides  at  home. 

In  politics  Mr.  Backus  is  a  Republican, 

and  since  coming  to  the  township  has  taken 
21 


a  very,  active  interest  in  political  affairs. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  village  board 
for  six  years,  clerk  of  the  school  board 
six  years,  township  supervisor  four  years, 
and  village  treasurer  ten  years.  Frater- 
nally he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of  the  Globe, 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  and  Sons  of  the 
Revolution.  As  a  citizen  he  is  thoroughly 
e'nterprising  and  has  always  lent  a  helping 
hand  in  the  establishment  of  any  industry 
calculated  to  advance  the  interest  of  his 
town  and  county. 


THOMAS  HARTM*AN,  who  resides  at 
No.  106  South  Lincoln  avenue,  Aurora, 
Illinois,  has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Chi- 
cago, Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  Com- 
pany for  about  forty-three  years,  and  in 
the  passenger  service  since  1870.  He  was 
born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  July  2,  1840,  and 
is  the  son  of  Michael  and  Margaret  (Heaton) 
Hartman,  who  were  married  in  New  York 
city,  and  settled  in  Cincinnati,  in  1838.  In 
1851,  the  family  came  to  Aurora,  where  the 
father  died  in  1859,  his  wife  surviving  him 
for  many  years,  dying  in  1888.  Thomas 
Hartman  was  the  oldest  of  their  four  sons 
and  one  daughter.  Mary  Ellen  married 
James  Sunderland,  who  is  now  a  retired 
farmer  of  Gifford,  Illinois;  William  and 
John,  who  died  in  childhood  while  the  fam- 
ily were  residing  in  Cincinnati;  and  Eddie, 
who  died  in  Aurora,  at  the  age  of  ten  years. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  eleven  years 
of  age  when  the  family  came  to  Aurora. 
Here  he  finished  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington 
&  Quincy  railroad,  in  the  freight  house  at 
Aurora.  He  was  then  made  yard  switch- 


444 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


man,  and  later  yardmaster.  He  next  went 
on  the  road,  first  serving  as  a  brakeman  on 
a  freight,  running  from  Aurora  to  Chicago. 
He  was  in  the  freight  service  for  ten  years 
as  brakeman  and  conductor,  and  in  October, 
1870,  was  given  charge  of  a  passenger  train, 
from  Aurora  to  Chicago.  He  was  later 
transferred  to  the  Fox  River  branch,  and 
for  ten  years  was  on  the  Dubuque  line,  after 
which  he  was  given  charge  of  the  Omaha 
express,  and  has  been  on  that  run  ever 
since.  During  the  great  strike  of  1887-8, 
he  was  used  by  the  company  to  get  trains 
out  of  Chicago,  when  no  other  man  could 
do  the  work.  He  knew  the  strikers,  and 
had  no  trouble  to  switch  and  run  his  trains. 
As  a  matter  of  course  his  services  have  been 
appreciated  by  the  road,  and  by  the  public 
and  he  is  one  of  the  most  valued  of  the  em- 
ployees of  the  road. 

During  his  residence  in  Aurora,  he  has 
bought  and  built  a  number  of  residences  and 
has  contributed  his  share  in  beautifying 
the  place.  Mr.  Hartman  was  married  in 
Aurora,  April  29,  1897,  to  Mrs.  Catherine 
Russell,  a  daughter  of  John  Russell,  who  is 
now  deceased.  She  is  a  native  of  Ohio, 
and  was  reared  and  educated  in  Cincinnati. 
By  her  first  husband,  she  had  five  children, 
three  of  whom  are  grown,  while  two,  Clem 
and  Lillian,  are  yet  at  home.  By  a  former 
marriage,  Mr.  Hartman  has  two  children, 
Charles,  a  young  man  in  the  employ  of  the 
Burlington  road  and  on  the  train  with  his 
father,  and  Katie,  a  young  lady  at  home. 
She  is  well  educated,  and  after  attending  the 
Aurora  schools  finished  her  course  at  St. 
Joseph's  College,  Dubuque,  Iowa.  She  is 
quite  proficient  in  music,  and  has  gained 
quite  a  reputation  by  her  singing. 

Politically    Mr.    Hartman    has    been    a 
Democrat  from  his  youth   up,  but  in    1896, 


on  account  of  his  views  on  the  currency 
question,  being  a  believer  in  sound  money, 
he  voted  for  William  McKinley.  In  local 
elections  he  usually  casts  his  vote  regardless 
of  party  politics.  Religiously  he  and  his 
family  are  members  of  the  St.  Mary's  Cath- 
olic church,  of  Aurora.  For  nearly  half  a 
century  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Aurora, 
and  in  its  progress  and  development  he  has 
taken  a  lively  interest.  As  a  citizen  he 
enjoys  the  respect  and  esteem  of  the  com- 
munity, and  as  a  railway  conductor  he  is 
very  popular. 


LOUIS  THON,  a  representative  of  the 
great  mercantile  interests  of  Aurora, 
doing  business  as  a  general  merchant,  at  No. 
1 6  North  Broadway,  was  born  in  Hessen- 
Cassel,  Germany,  December  22,  1846,  and 
is  the  son  of  Eckhardt  and  Elise  Thon,  both 
of  whom  are  natives  of  the  same  country, 
where  their  entire  lives  were  spent,  the 
father  dying  at  the  age  of  fifty  years,  and 
the  mother  some  years  later  at  the  age  of 
sixty -eight  years.  They  were  members  of 
the  Protestant  church.  Of  their  family  of 
eight  children  one  died  in  infancy.  The 
living  are  Wilhelm,  a  farmer  residing  in 
Germany;  Karl,  also  a  farmer  in  Germany; 
Louis,  our  subject;  Richard,  a  jeweler  in 
Germany;  Emma,  Minnie,  and  Amelia,  all 
unmarried  and  residing  in  Germany. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  to 
farm  life,  at  which  occupation  he  continued 
until  seventeen  years  of  age  in  his  native 
land.  His  education  was  received  from 
private  tutors.  In  1864  he  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  a  sailing  vessel,  and  was  sixty  days 
on  the  water.  While  they  encountered 
several  storms,  no  serious  damage  was  done. 
After  landing  in  Quebec,  Canada,  he  there 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


445 


spent  a  day  or  two,  and  then  came  west  to 
Chicago  where  he  spent  a  month.  From 
Chicago  he  came  to  Aurora,  and  engaged  as 
a  farm  hand  by  the  month.  In  May,  1864, 
he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty- 
first  Regiment,  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  being  the  only  German  in  his  company, 
he  rapidly  learned  the  English  language. 
The  regiment  was  one  of  the  number  called 
into  service  for  one  hundred  days,  and  was 
stationed  at  Columbus,  Kentucky,  from 
which  place  they  scoured  the  country  and 
did  guard  duty.  They  were  once  out  on  a 
raid  for  a  full  month,  but  had  no  engage- 
ments. The  service,  however,  was  hard  on 
our  subject,  and  although  he  went  out 
weighing  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  pounds, 
on  his  return  he  weighed  but  one  hundred 
and  twenty  pounds.  With  his  regiment  he 
was  discharged  at  Chicago,  October  10, 
1864. 

Returning  to  Aurora  he  engaged  with 
the  same  farmer  from  whom  he  first  ob- 
tained employment,  and  continued  with 
him  until  the  fall  of  1865.  He  then  went 
to  California,  by  the  way  of  New  York 
and  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  taking  a 
steamer  on  the  other  side  of  the  Isthmus 
for  San  Francisco.  He  then  went  to 
Gold  Run,  and  worked  on  the  Central 
Pacific  railroad  for  a  time,  and  then  re- 
turned to  the  neighborhood  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, where  he  worked  on  a  farm  until  the 
fall  of  1866.  Having  enough  of  California, 
he  came  back  to  Aurora  by  the  same  route 
that  he  went.  On  his  return  he  again  com- 
menced farm  work,  at  which  he  continued 
until  the  spring  of  1867.  Securing  a  posi- 
tion as  clerk  in  the  grocery  store  of  John 
Plains,  he  there  remained  until  1869,  when, 
having  accumulated  some  money,  on  the 
7th  of  June  of  that  year,  he  engaged  in  busi- 


ness for  himself  as  the  senior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Thon  &  Otte,  dealers  in  dry  goods 
and  groceries.  That  partnership  continued 
about  twenty  years,  when  it  was  dissolved, 
since  which  time  Mr.  Thon  continued  alone 
in  the  business  until  April  i,  1898,  when  he 
associated  with  him  his  two  oldest  sons. 

On  the  /th  of  March,  1869,  Mr.  Thon 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Augusta 
Naeher,  .a  native  of  Germany,  coming  to 
this  country  in  1853  with  her  father,  Dr. 
Naeher.  Her  mother  died  in  this  country, 
and  her  father  returned  to  Germany  where 
his  death  occurred.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thon 
six  children  have  been  born,  as  follows: 
Lizzie,  wife  of  Willie  J.  Eitelgoerge,  a  cigar 
manufacturer  of  Aurora,  by  whom  she  has 
two  children,  Norma  and  Rhoda;  Eckhardt, 
partner  In  his  father's  business;  Carl,  also  a 
partner;  Willie  and  George,  in  the  High 
School;  and  Emma,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
two  years. 

The  family  are  attendants  of  the  Lu- 
theran church  of  Aurora,  and,  fraternally, 
Mr.  Thon  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic.  In  politics  he  is  inde- 
pendent, though  usually  voting  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket.  Although  he  came  to  this 
country  a  poor  boy,  by  his  industry,  econo- 
my and  strict  attention  to  business,  he  has 
met  with  good  success  in  life.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder and  one  of  the  directors  in  the  Au- 
rora National  Bank,  and  has  been  active  in 
many  of  the  enterprises  of  the  city.  The 
family  reside  in  a  beautiful  home  at  286 
South  Lincoln  avenue,  which  only  thirteen 
years  since  was  the  last  house  out;  but  now 
nice  residences  extend  for  a  mile  beyond. 
Mrs.  Thon,  although  unobtrusive,  is  posi- 
tive in  those  qualities  that  go  to  make  up 
noble  womanhood.  The  genial  bearing  of 
the  parents  do««  much  to  sustain  the  social 


446 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


life  of  family  and  friends.  Mr.  Thon  is  a 
man  of  strict  integrity,  of  good  business 
qualifications,  and  is  ranked  with  the  lead- 
ing business  men  of  the  city. 


A.  YOUNG,  ESQ.,  a  well- 
V_J  known  and  popular  citizen  of  Elgin,  is 
now  serving  as  justice  of  the  peace,  with  his 
office  at  No.  13  Chicago  street.  He  was 
born  in  Orange  county,  New  York,  April 
21,  1830,  and  is  the  only  child  of  George 
A.  and  Betsy  (Allen)  Young,  the  former 
also  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  and  the 
latter  of  Windsor  county,  Vermont.  Dur- 
ing his  early  manhood  the  father  was  em- 
ployed as  professor  of  mathematics,  and 
later  engaged  in  merchandising,  but  his 
earthly  career  was  short,  dying  in  Minne- 
sink,  New  York,  in  1830,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-nine  years.  His  widow  then  re- 
turned to  the  home  of  her  parents  in  Wind- 
sor county,  Vermont,  where  she  died  when 
our  subject  was  only  fourteen.  He  then 
went  to  live  with  his  uncle,  William  G. 
Young,  in  Oneida  county,  New  York,  re- 
maining with  him  until  he  had  attained  his 
majority. 

Mr.  Young  began  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Vermont,  and  later  attended  the 
Delancy  Institute  at  Hampton,  New  York, 
where  he  had  for  a  room-mate  the  late 
Judge  Barton,  of  Freeport,  Illinois.  Be- 
fore he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one  he 
successfully  taught  a  village  school  at  Deans- 
ville.  New  York,  where  his  predecessor  had 
been  run  out  of  by  the  older  scholars,  who 
boasted  that  the  next  teacher  would  be 
treated  in  a  like  manner.  But  Mr.  Young 
resolved  to  conquer  the  school,  and  for  three 
years  he  remained  at  that  place.  Later  he 
purchased  a  farm  of  seventy-five  acres  and 


another  tract  of  fifty  acres  in  Oneida  county, 
New  York,  and  gave  his  attention  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits  for  three  years. 

In  November,  1851,  Mr.  Young  married 
Miss  Lydia  Atherton,  a  daughter  of  William 
Atherton,  and  to  them  were  born  two  chil- 
dren: Jennie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  ten 
years;  and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  Emi- 
grating westward  in  1854,  Mr.  Young  lo- 
cated in  Janesville,  Wisconsin,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  business  and  made  his 
home  for  twelve  years.  In  the  winter  of 
1861  he  commenced  to  raise  a  company  in 
that  place  for  the  Civil  war,  but  before  the 
quota  was  complete  he  was  taken  danger- 
ously ill  and  being  sick  for  some  time,  he 
was  prevented  from  joining  the  army.  On 
his  recovery  he  was  connected  for  two  or 
three  years  with  the  American  Express  Com- 
pany in  Chicago,  and  for  a  time  during  the 
war  had  charge  of  the  Adams  Express 
Transfer  at  Cairo,  Illinois,  which  place  at 
that  time  did  the  largest  transfer  business  in 
the  United  States. 

In  1866  Mr.  Young  removed  to  Leland, 
Illinois,  where  for  nineteen  years  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  business,  but  since  1885 
has  made  his  home  in  Elgin.  Previous  to 
coming  here  he  had  engaged  in  the  raising 
of  fine  horses,  and  in  Elgin  superintended 
the  building  of  race  tracks  and  also  dealt  in 
horses  until  1896.  Since  hiselection  to  the 
office  of  justice  of  the  peace  in  1897  he  has 
devoted  his  attention  to  the  duties  of  that 
position,  and  is  proving  a  very  capable  of- 
ficial. 

Mrs.  Young,  who  was  a  most  estimable 
lady,  departed  this  life  March  19,  1891, 
after  having  been  an  invalid  for  many  years. 
Her  husband  has  since  made  his  home  at 
the  corner  of  South  Channing  and  Stella 
streets.  Since  the  organization  of  the  Re- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


447 


publican  party  he  has  been  one  of  its  stanch 
supporters  and  while  a  resident  of  Leland, 
Illinois,  he  served  as  police  magistrate  for  a 
number  of  years.  He  also  filled  the  office 
of  city  treasurer  of  Janesville  for  two  terms, 
and  the  duties  of  these  various  positions  he 
discharged  in  a  prompt  and  able  manner, 
thus  winning  the  commendation  of  all  con- 
cerned. He  is  a  pleasant,  genial  gentleman 
and  has  made  a  host  of  warm  friends  since 
taking  up  his  residence  in  Elgin. 


NATHAN  A.  DRAKE,  deputy  sheriff 
and  alderman  of  the  fourth  ward,  Ba- 
tavia,  first  came  to  Kane  county  in  1870, 
locating  at  Batavia, where  he  has  since  con- 
tinued to  reside.  He  was  born  in  Potter 
county,  Pennsylvania,  March  30,  1839.  His 
ancestry  can  be  traced  back  to  Sir  Francis 
Drake,  of  England,  and  was  founded  in  this 
country  in  the  seventeenth  century,  three 
brothers  arriving  here  at  that  time,  one  lo- 
cating in  Virginia,  another  in  New  Hamp- 
shire and  the  third  in  New  Jersey.  Our 
subject  is  a  direct  descendant  of  the  latter 
brother.  Thomas  Drake,  his  great-great- 
grandfather, was  born  in  New  Jersey,  as 
was  also  his  grandfather,  Jonathan  Drake, 
and  his  father,  John  Drake,  the  birth  of  the 
latter  being  in  1805. 

From  Essex  county,  New  Jersey,  John 
Drake  moved  with  his  parents  to  Cortland 
county,  New  York,  where  he  later  married 
Sarah  Barker,  a  sister  of  L.  P.  Barker,  a 
former  sheriff  of  Kane  county.  They  were 
the  parents  of  four  sons  and  one  daughter, 
all  of  whom  grew  to  mature  years.  They 
were  as  follows:  Francis  D. ,  who  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Sixteenth  Wisconsin  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  is  now  a  resident  of  Freeborn 
county,  Minnesota;  Martin  V.,  also  a  sol- 


dier of  the  Sixteenth  Wisconsin  Volunteer 
Infantry,  died  at  Corinth,  in  1862;  Nathan 
A.,  our  subject;  F.  H.,  who  was  a  member 
of  the  Third  Wisconsin  Cavalry,  now  re- 
sides at  Albion,  Dane  county,  Wisconsin; 
and  Sarah  E. ,  widow  of  Daniel  P.  Davis, 
now  resides  at  Harrison,  Nebraska. 

In  1845,  John  Drake  moved  west  with 
his  family,  and  settled  in  Dane  county, 
Wisconsin,  and  later  moved  to  Waushara 
county  and  located  on  Indian  land,  being 
the  first  white  man  to  settle  in  that  county. 
He  there  engaged  in  farming  and  also  kept 
a  stage  station  and  tavern.  In  1860,  his 
wife  died,  and  in  1862,  he  moved  to  Wi- 
nona,  Minnesota,  and  engaged  in  the  hotel 
business  for  several  years.  While  residing 
there  he  married  Mrs.  Lytle,  a  widow  lady. 
From  Winona,  he  moved  to  Ord,  Valley 
county,  Nebraska,  where  the  last  years  of 
his  life  were  spent,  his  death  occurring  No- 
vember 2,  1888. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  a  youth  of 
sixteen,  came  west  with  his  parents  to  Wis- 
consin, and  in  Waushara  county,  January 
9,  1860,  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Phebe  Holcomb,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Hoi- 
comb,  and  a  native  of  Allegany  county, 
New  York,  where  she  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated. By  this  union  are  four  children — 
Carrie  E.,  wife  of  Solomon  Trumbull,  re- 
siding in  Irvington,  Iowa;  Frank  L. ,  who 
died  a  young  man,  meeting  his  death  by 
accident;  William  J.,  a  contractor  and 
builder  of  Batavia;  and  Minnie,  at  home. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Drake  com- 
menced farming,  but  in  response  to  the  call 
of  President  Lincoln  and  the  governor  of 
his  state,  enlisted  May  2O,  1861,  in  the 
three-months'  service.  He  re-enlisted  No- 
vember 25,  1 86 1,  as  a  private  in  Company 
K,  Thirteenth  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infan- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


try.  With  his  regiment  he  was  sent  first  to 
the  Army  of  the  Frontier,  under  Gen.  Jim 
Lane,  was  subsequently  transferred  to  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee,  under  Grant,  and 
later  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  He 
participated  in  many  skirmishes  and  small 
fights,  marching  many  hundreds  of  miles 
over  Kansas  and  in  Tennessee,  chased  For- 
rest for  nearly  fifteen  months,  having  many 
skirmishes  with  his  army.  At  Clarksville, 
Tennessee,  he  was  wounded  and  disabled 
for  life.  At  Nashville,  Tennessee,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1864,  he  was  discharged  on  account 
of  his  wound. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  Wisconsin, 
Mr.  Drake  engaged  in  farming  during  the 
summer  of  1865  and  in  the  winter  follow- 
ing went  to  Memphis,  Tennessee,  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  government.  There  was  a 
militia  regiment  at  that  place  to  protect  the 
city,  and  with  it  Mr.  Drake  served  on  picket 
duty  a  few  times.  In  the  spring  he  again 
returned  to  Wisconsin,  where  he  remained 
one  year,  then  went  to  Winona,  Minnesota, 
where  he  spent  four  years,  coming  to  Bata- 
via  in  1870,  as  already  stated.  He  here  en- 
gaged with  L.  P.  Barker  &  Company,  and 
was  with  them  fifteen  years,  working  at  his 
trade  of  mason.  For  the  last  ten  years  he 
has  followed  mason  work  during  the  season. 
Politically  Mr.  Drake  is  a  stanch  Republic- 
an, his  first  ballot  for  president  being  cast 
for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1860.  He  was  ap- 
pointed deputy  sheriff  by  Mr.  Burke  in 
1894,  and  is  now  serving  his  fourth  year.  In 
1895  he  was  elected  constable,  but  after 
qualifying  he  soon  resigned  the  office.  In 
the  spring  of  1897  ne  was  elected  alderman 
of  the  fourth  ward,  and  is  yet  filling  that 
position.  As  a  delegate  he  has  attended 
many  conventions  of  his  party,  both  city  and 
county.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the 


G.  A.  R.,  post  No.  48,  from  which  he  has 
been  sent  as  delegate  to  the  state  encamp- 
ment, and  in  1894  was  commander  of  the 
post. 

HENRY  C.  KRUMM,  general  superin- 
tendent of  the  tile  works  at  McQueens 
station,  was  born  in  the  village  of  Klein 
Lukow,  province  of  Mecklenberg,  Schwerin, 
Germany,  August  3,  1846.  He  is  the  son 
of  Joseph  and  Caroline  (Strohpager) 
Krumm,  both  of  whom  are  natives  of  Ger- 
many, in  which  country  the  latter  died. 
Joseph  Krumm  was  the  son  of  Karl  and 
Sophia  (Bloom)  Krumm.  He  came  to  this 
country  at  an  early  day,  and  settled  in  Wis- 
consin, dying  at  Manitowoc,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-nine  years. 

Henry  C.  Krumm  attended  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  land  until  the  age  of 
fourteen  years,  when  he  was  confirmed  and 
united  with  the  Lutheran  church.  He  then 
secured  employment  in  a  brick  and  tile 
works  in  his  native  place,  and  was  thus  en- 
gaged at  the  time  of  his  coming  to  America, 
in  1869.  During  this  time,  however,  he 
served  in  the  German  army  in  its  war  with 
Austria  in  1866.  Five  years  later  his 
brother  served  in  the  war  with  France. 

Mr.  Krumm  sailed  from  Hamburg,  and 
landed  at  New  York,  September  26,  1869. 
He  proceeded  at  once  to  Marine  City,  St. 
Clair  county,  Michigan,  and  for  seven  years 
was  employed  in  the  brick  and  tile  works 
at  that  place.  He  then  came  to  Kane 
county,  and  at  Dundee  worked  in  the  brick 
and  tile  works  for  D.  H.  Haeger  nineteen 
years.  In  May,  1894,  he  bought  the  tile 
works  at  McQueens  station,  which  he  run 
for  two  years.  In  1896  the  business  was 
incorporated  under  the  name  of  the  Elgin 
Brick  and  Tile  Company,  the  incorporators 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


449 


being  a  number  of  gentlemen  of  Elgin  and 
Dundee.  Its  officers  are  J,  B.  Lane,  pres- 
ident; D.  McBride,  secretary;  and  Henry  C. 
Krumm,  general  manager.  In  addition  to 
the  tile  works  at  McQueen,  the  plant  in- 
cludes the  brick  works  at  Pingree.  Its  out- 
put is  about  six  hundred  thousand  each  of 
tile  and  brick  per  annum. 

Mr.  Krumm  was  married  in  Michigan, 
February  16,  1871,  to  Miss  Lena  Haeger, 
a  daughter  of  Fritz  and  Johanna  Haeger. 
She  was  born  in  the  village  of  Kriesow, 
province  of  Mecklenburg-Schwerin,  Ger- 
many, and  came  to  America  with  her  par- 
ents on  the  same  vessel  with  our  subject. 
By  this  union  six  children  have  been  born, 
as  follows:  Matilda,  who  married  Richard 
Ludwig,  employed  in  the  tile  works  at  Mc- 
Queen's station,  by  whom  she  has  three 
children,  Herbert,  Elsie  and  Fairy.  Emma, 
who  married  William  Lawrence,  also  of  the 
tile  works,  is  the  mother  of  three  children, 
Bertha,  Lydia,  and  an  infant.  Clara  mar- 
ried August  Pasley,  a  machinist  in  Dundee. 
Adolph,  Henry  and  Robert,  at  home. 

Politically  Mr.  Krumm  is  a  Republican, 
with  which  party  he  has  been  identified 
since  becoming  a  naturalized  citizen.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  a  member  of  Port  Huron 
tent,  Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Lutheran  church,  of  which 
body  his  wife  is  also  a  member.  As  a  citi- 
zen, Mr.  Krumrn  is  held  in  high  esteem,  and 
in  common  with  others  of  his  nationality, 
has  done  much  to  build  up  and  improve  his 
adopted  country. 


/CHARLES  T.  WILBER,  proprietor  of 
V>  the  Wilber  House,.  Carpentersville, 
and  who  for  some  years  efficently  served  as 
postmaster  of  the  village,  has  resided  here 


since  1863.  He  was  born  at  Seneca  Falls, 
New  York,  August  5,  1838.  His  father  was 
a  native  of  England  and  settled  in  New 
York  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  cent- 
ury. He  there  married  Maria  Walters,  a 
native  of  Connecticut,  by  whom  he  had  two 
sons  and  two  daughters,  as  follows:  Mary 
A. ,  wife  of  Patrick  Drew,  of  Seneca  Falls, 
New  York;  William,  who  came  west  in 
1862,  and  worked  in  the  shops  in  Carpen- 
tersville, is  now  deceased;  Kate  M.,  wife  of 
W.  H.  Haley,  of  New  Hartford,  New  York; 
and  Charles  T.,  of  this  review. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  man- 
hood in  his  native  state,  attended  the  com- 
mon schools  and  learned  the  molder's  trade, 
in  Seneca  Falls,  and  there  followed  the  busi- 
ness for  two  years.  In  1863  he  came  to  Illi- 
nois and  joined  his  brother  in  Carpentersville, 
and  soon  after  went  to  work  in  the  shops  of 
the  Illinois  Iron  and  Bolt  Company,  where 
he  continued  to  work  for  about  twenty-five 
years,  resigning  his  position  in  July,  1893. 

Mr.  Wilber  was  married  at  Carpenters- 
ville in  1867,  to  Miss  Mary  Allison,  a  native 
of  Illinois,  born  in  Chicago,  and  a  daughter 
of  John  Allison,  a  pioneer  merchant  of  Car- 
pentersville. By  this  union  there  are  five 
children, — Flora  M.,  residing  at  home,  and 
who  served  as  deputy  postmaster  under 
both  her  father  and  mother;  Wallie  B.,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  six  months;  W.  H.,  an 
electrician,  now  employed  in  the  Bolt 
Works;  Guy  R. ,  a  farmer  residing  in  Janes- 
ville,  Wisconsin;  and  Elion  Gladys,  a  pupil 
in  the  home  school. 

Politically  Mr.  Wilber  is  a  lifelong  Dem- 
ocrat, and  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for 
the  "  little  giant,"  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  in 
1860,  and  has  voted  for  each  succeeding 
presidential  nominee  of  that  party 'to  the 
present  time.  Under  the  first  administra- 


450 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tion  of  Grover  Cleveland,  Mrs.  Wilber  re- 
ceived the  appointment  of  postmaster  of 
Carpentersville,  and  acceptably  filled  the 
office  for  four  years.  Under  the  second  ad- 
ministration of  Cleveland,  Mr.  Wilber  was 
appointed  and  efficiently  conducted  the  of- 
fice for  four  years. 

In  1888,  Mr.  Wilber  engaged  in  the 
hotel  business  and  from  that  time  to  the 
present  has  continued  to  minister  to  the 
wants  of  the  traveling  public.  He  makes  a 
good  landlord,  being  of  genial  disposition 
and  one  who  tries  to  do  right  by  his  fellow- 
men.  For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  cent- 
ury he  has  been  a  resident  of  Carpenters- 
ville and  his  friends  are  numerous  through- 
out this  section  of  the  state. 


JOHN  F.  THORWARTH,  president  of 
the  Aurora  Brewing  Company,  is  one 
ot  the  most  enterprising  of  the  German- 
American  citizens.  He  was  born  in  Ba- 
varia, Germany,  April  16,  1834.  His  par- 
ents, George  and  Mary  Thorwarth,  were 
also  natives  of  that  country,  where  their  en- 
tire lives  were  spent.  On  a  farm  in  his  na- 
tive country  our  subject  spent  his  boyhood 
and  youth,  and  there  received  his  educa- 
tion, with  the  exception  of  two  winters' 
schooling  after  coming  to  America.  In 
1852,  when  but  eighteen  years  of  age,  he 
started  for  the  New  World,  shipping  on 
board  a  sailing  vessel,  and  was  fifty-six  days 
from  London  to  New  York.  He  came  di- 
rect to  Cook  county,  and  from  1852  to  1860 
was  engaged  in  farming.  He  then  visited 
the  old  country,  and  on  his  return  to  Cook 
county  engaged  in  general  merchandising 
in  the  town  of  Bremen,  where  he  remained 
until  1868.  During  the  war  Mr.  Thor- 
warth did  much  in  helping  the  poor  men  of 


Bremen  township  who  were  subject  to 
draft.  On  one  occasion  he  went  out  and 
collected  six  hundred  dollars  for  a  poor 
blacksmith.  By  his  own  exertions  he  se- 
cured means  for  paying  bounties  and  secur- 
ing substitutes  for  men  who  were  unable  to 
leave  their  families.  These  kind  deeds 
brought  him  prominently  before  the  people 
and  made  him  very  popular.  His  popular- 
ity was  such  that  the  people  insisted  on  his 
accepting  the  office  of  supervisor  of  the 
township,  which  position  he  filled  from  1864 
to  1866.  He  also  served  as  postmaster  and 
was  justice  of  the  peace  until  his  removal 
to  Aurora.  His  acquaintance  throughout 
his  section  of  the  county  was  quite  exten- 
sive, and  he  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  one 
and  alU 

In  1868  Mr.  Thorwarth  came  to  Aurora 
and  resumed  general  mercantile  business.  In 
1873  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Joseph 
Fulton  in  the  hardware  trade  which  connec- 
tion was  continued  until  1889,  when  he  sold 
his  interest  and  in  1890  sold  out  his  general 
merchandise  store.  In  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness he  had  been  quite  successful. 

After  selling  out  his  mercantile  establish- 
ment, with  two  others,  he  organized  the 
Aurora  Brewing  Company,  and  was  elected 
its  first  president,  which  position  he  still 
continues  to  hold.  The  brewery  is  situated 
on  the  west  side  of  Fox  river,  and  covers 
several  acres  of  land.  Its  output  is  aboutthir- 
ty  thousand  barrels  per  year,  and  they  pay  the 
United  States  government  about  twenty-six 
thousand  dollars  per  year  as  a  revenue  tax. 
Some  thirty-five  men  are  given  constant  em- 
ployment and  the  business  is  a  prosperous 
one. 

Since  coming  to  Aurora,  Mr.  Thorwarth 
has  repeatedly  been  honored  by  his  fellow 
citizens  with  various  offices  within  their  gift. 


J.   F.  THORWARTH. 


MRS.  J.   F.  THORWARTH. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


453 


From  1872  until  1884,  he  served  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  city  council.  He  was  then 
elected  mayor  and  served  one  term.  While 
mayor  an  application  was  made  by  certain 
persons  for  a  franchise  for  the  establishment 
of  water  works  for  the  city.  Through  the 
influence  of  Mr.  Thorwarth  the  application 
was  refused.  Under  their  proposition  they 
were  only  required  to  lay  out  about  ten 
miles  of  water  main  and  the  water  furnished 
the  city  would  have  cost  six  thousand  dol- 
lars per  year.  Rejecting  the  proposition, 
and  after  a  hard  legal  fight,  which  was 
taken  to  the  supreme  court  of  the  state,  the 
city  was  bonded  for  a  sufficient  amount  to 
put  in  the  works,  and  in  due  time  completed 
forty  miles  of  water  main.  The  interest  on 
the  bonds  amounts  to  no  more  than  would 
have  been  paid  to  the  private  corporation 
for  the  use  of  ten  miles  of  main  and  the 
city  has  an  income  at  the  present  time 
(1898)  of  about  twenty-five  thousand  dollars 
per  year,  which,  after  paying  the  interest, 
will  secure  a  sinking  fund  that  will  in  time 
pay  the  principal  of  the  bonds.  For  this 
good  work  the  citizens  can  thank  Mr.  Thor- 
warth and  those  who  backed  him  in  the 
matter. 

For  nine  years  he  served  as  assistant 
supervisor  from  Aurora  and  was  a  valuable 
member  of  the  county  board.  He  has  al- 
ways been  prominent  in  developing  the  best 
interests  of  the  city,  and  is  one  of  Aurora's 
valued  citizens.  In  securing  the  location 
of  the  present  magnificent  bridge  across  the 
river  on  New  York  street  he  was  quite  act- 
ive and  much  credit  is  due  him.  Enterpris- 
ing and  progressive  in  all  things,  he  never 
stands  back  when  a  work  is  being  done  that 
will  prove  beneficial  to  his  adopted  city  and 
county.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  blue  lodge,  chapter  and 


commandery.  In  politics  he  has  been  an 
ardent  and  enthusiastic  Republican  since 
the  organization  of  that  party.  Religiously 
he  was  reared  a  Lutheran,  of  which  church 
his  parents  were  members,  but  with  his 
family  he  now  attends  the  People's  church 
in  Aurora. 


f>HARLES  C.  QUACKENBUSH,  who 
\-J  resides  at  No.  310  South  Lincoln  ave- 
nue, Aurora,  Illinois,  is  the  present  well 
known  and  efficient  superintendent  and  cash- 
ier of  the  Carpentersville,  Elgin  &  Aurora 
Electric  railway,  was  born  in  Aurora,  May 
12,  1866.  His  father,  John  Quackenbush, 
is  a  native  of  Onondago  county,  New  York, 
where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  When 
a  young  man  he  came  to  Aurora,  where 
he  remained  until  the  commencement  of 
the  Civil  war,  when  he  enlisted  in  the 
first  call,  for  three-months  men.  At  the 
expiration  of  his  time,  he  re-enlisted  as  a 
private  in  Company  H,  Twenty-third  Illi- 
nois Volunteer  Infantry,  and  later  was  pro- 
moted to  first  lieutenant  of  the  company 
and  served  as  such  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  With  his  regiment  he  participated  in 
many  engagements,  was  with  Sherman  in 
his  march  to  the  sea,  and  was  also  in  the 
grand  review  at  Washington,  at  the  close 
of  the  war.  On  receiving  his  discharge 
from  the  service,  ha  returned  to  Aurora, 
and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  for 
a  number  of  years.  His  marriage  with 
Sarah  Riley  was  celebrated  in  Aurora.  She 
is  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  where  she  grew 
to  womanhood,  and  received  her  education. 
Withdrawing  from  the  mercantile  trade, 
Lieutenant  Quackenbush  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
Railroad  Company,  with  whom  he  remained 


454 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


some  years  and  then  moved  to  Chicago, 
where  he  now  resides. 

Charles  C.  Quackenbush  grew  to  man- 
hood in  Aurora,  received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  and  was  graduated  from 
the  high  schools.  He  then  began  working 
in  the  car  department  of  the  Burlington 
road,  where  he  remained  some  eight  or  nine 
years,  resigning  in  1891,  in  order  to  accept 
the  position  of  superintendent  of  the  Au- 
rora Street  Railway  Company.  From  that 
time  to  the  present,  he  has  had  charge  of 
the  business  and  has  increased  the  number 
of  miles  of  track  from  eighteen  to  twenty- 
eight.  That  he  has  made  an  efficient  officer 
is  attested  by  his  length  of  service  and  by 
the  estimation  in  which  he  is  held  by  the 
stockholders  and  patrons  of  the  road. 

Mr.  Quackenbush  was  married  in  Aurora, 
October  25,  1892,  to  Miss  -Delia  Verbeck, 
a  native  of  Kane  county,  Illinois,  born  in 
Aurora,  where  she  was  reared  and  educated, 
and  was  a  successful  teacher  in  the  public 
schools.  By  this  union  there  are  two  chil- 
dren, Elizabeth  Gail  and  Alta  Mabel.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Quackenbush  are  members  of  the 
People's  church.  They  reside  in  a  beauti- 
ful home  on  the  east  side  of  Aurora,  which 
is  the  abode  of  hospitality.  Politically,  Mr. 
Quackenbush  is  a  Republican,  with  which 
party  he  has  been  identified  since  attaining 
his  majority.  A  lifelong  resident  of  Aurora, 
he  is  well  known  by  all  its  people,  and  by 
them  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem. 


CHARLES  E.  ERIKSON,  secretary  and 
\~J  treasurer  of  the  Aurora  Automatic 
Machinery  Company,  of  Aurora,  Illinois, 
was  born  in  Stockholm,  Sweden,  April  19, 
1824,  and  is  the  son  of  Erik  and  Catherine 
Erikson.  The  elder  Erikson  came  to  the 


United  States  in  June,  1869,  and  located  in 
Chicago,  where  he  is  still  living,  but  retired 
from  active  business.  He  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  politi- 
cally he  is  a  Republican.  They  are  the  parents 
of  six  children, of  whom  our  subject  istheold- 
est,  the  others  being  Erika,  now  the  wife  of 
Axel  Wessman,  of  Chicago;  Ida,  wife  of 
Erik  Peterson,  of  Chicago;  Hannah,  wife 
of  Gustav  Osterholm,  of  Chicago;  August, 
in  Chicago;  and  Adolph,  who  died  in  child- 
hood. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his 
education  in  Stockholm,  where  he  learned 
the  machinist's  trade,  becoming  quite  profi- 
cient in  all  branches  of  machinery.  In  1872, 
he  sailed  for  the  United  States,  coming  di- 
rect to  Chicago,  and  at  once  engaged  at  his 
trade,  making  vaults,  etc.  This  was  after 
the  great  fire,  and  his  skill  as  a  machinist 
was  particularly  desirable  and  useful  at 
that  time.  He  remained  there  until  1880, 
when  he  went  to  New  York  city,  and  re- 
mained one  year,  and  then  returned  to  Chi- 
cago and  engaged  in  the  machinery  busi- 
ness, remaining  there  until  1890.  He  then 
came  to  Aurora,  and  was  superintendent  of 
the  Gardner  Sewing  Machine  Company  up 
to  the  fall  of  1893,  when  the  Automatic 
Machinery  Company  was  organized  and  he 
was  chosen  secretary  and  treasurer.  The 
business  was  first  established  by  Mr.  Er- 
ikson and  Alex  Levedahl,  and  was  com- 
menced in  a  small  way,  but  has  had  con- 
stant growth.  In  1895,  the  company-was 
incorporated,  with  a  capital  stock  of  fifty 
thousand  dollars,  all  of  which  is  paid  in. 
The  present  officers  are  Alex  Levedahl, 
president;  Simon  Florsheim,  vice-president; 
and  C.  E.  Erikson,  secretary  and  treasurer. 
The  officers  mentioned,  together  with  Oscar 
Norling  and  Thomas  H.  Ball,  comprise  the 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


455 


present  board  of  directors.  The  present 
building  was  erected  in  the  fall  of  1895. 

The  Automatic  Machinery  Company 
manufacture  bicycle  parts,  hubs  and  all  the 
ball  bearings  in  connection  with  their  wheel. 
Their  goods  are  known  by  the  trade  mark 
"Thor. "  They  ship  their  products  to  all 
parts  of  the  United  States,  England,  France, 
Germany  and  Sweden,  and  have  built  up  a 
large  trade.  The  output  is  from  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  to  three 
hundred  thousand  dollars  annually,  and  they 
are  running  to  their  full  capacity.  The  fac- 
tory is  located  on  Claim  street,  in  the  east- 
ern part  of  the  city.  They  employ  in  the 
busy  season  from  two  hundred  and  thirty  to 
two  hundred  and  fifty  hands,  during  which 
time  they  usually  run  night  and  day.  The 
plant  is  very  complete  and  they  make  their 
own  patterns,  and  have  their  drafting  rooms 
and  blacksmith  shop. 

Mr.  Erikson  was  united  in  marriage  No- 
vember 2,  1886,  with  Miss  Josephine  L. 
Miller,  anativeof  Chicago, and  they  have  now 
two  children,  Clifford  and  Ethel.  The  par- 
ents of  Mrs.  Erikson  are  still  living  in  Chi- 
cago. In  politics  Mr.  Erikson  is  a  Repub- 
lican. As  a  business  man  he  is  enterpris- 
ing, and  thoroughly  abreast  with  the  times. 
To  Mr.  Levedahl  and  himself  too  much 
credit  can  not  be  given  for  the  successful 
management  of  the  business  of  the  Auto- 
matic Machinery  Company,  which  is  now 
one  of  the  leading  industries  of  Aurora. 


REV.  ANDREW  PINGREE.  The  Pin- 
gree  family  in  America  sprang  from  the 
youngest  of  two  brothers,  Aaron  and  Moses 
Pengree,  who  emigrated  from  England  early 
in  the  seventeenth  century.  Aaron  Pengree 
died  childless,  while  a  large  family  was  born 


to  Moses  Pengree,  which  scattered  over 
New  England.  Moses  Pengree  died  Janu- 
ary 2,  1696,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years. 
The  spelling  of  the  name  in  due  time  was 
changed  from  Pengree  to  Pingree.  Of  the 
descendants  of  Moses  Pengree,  was  born 
Andrew  Pingree,  Sr. ,  in  the  town  of  Rowley, 
Essex  county,  Massachusetts,  February  17, 
1775.  He  became  a  manufacturer  of  shoes 
in  a  town  near  Lynn,  but  afterward  moved 
to  the  town  of  Weare,  Hillsboro  county, 
New  Hampshire,  where  their  first  child  was 
born.  He  subsequently  lived  in  Springfield, 
Granthum,  Meriden  and  Plainfield,  New 
Hampshire.  In  1838,  he  moved  with  his 
family  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  bought 
a  farm  on  which  he  lived  until  his  death, 
March  25,  1846.  He  married  Abia  Straw, 
born  in  Weare,  New  Hampshire,  in  1786. 

Andrew  Pingree,  Sr. ,  while  not  a  church 
goer,  was  a  profoundly  religious  man,  and 
remained  at  home  with  his  family  on  the 
Sabbath  day,  reading  his  Bible.  One  year 
he  was  elected  tithing  man  of  the  church  • 
and  did  not  miss  a  service.  One  of  his 
duties  was  to  keep  order  in  the  church,  and 
it  is  said  that  the  youngsters  were  more  cir- 
cumspect that  year  than  any  other.  Only 
once  during  the  year  did  he  lose  control  of 
his  gravity.  A  small  urchin  sitting  next  to 
him  in  church,  drew  from  his  pocket  a  knife 
and  twist  of  tobacco,  gravely  offered  Father 
Pingree  a  chew.  He  was  so  seriously  ear- 
nest in  doing  so  that  the  humor  of  it  struck 
the  tithing  man  as  too  ludicrous  to  restrain 
an  extensive  smile.  During  the  rest  of  the 
year  he  was  solemnity  and  gravity  personi- 
fied. Andrew  Pingree,  Sr. ,  and  wife  were 
the  parents  of  ten  children,  three  of  whom 
are  now  living — Sallie,  Dr.  Daniel,  and 
Betsy  Ann.  The  deceased  are  Andrew,  our 
subject;  Israel  Straw,  Abia,  Francis,  Betsy, 


456 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Emily,  and  William  Cutler.  Of  the  three 
living,  Sallie  is  the  wife  of  Moses  Fall 
Ramer,  of  Elgin.  Daniel  is  a  physician  and 
surgeon  of  Hico,  Texas.  Betsy  N.  is  now 
the  companion  of  Mrs.  Pingree,  the  widow 
of  our  subject.  She  first  married  Hiram 
Nelson,  of  Vermont,  and  their  only  daugh- 
ter, Jenny  C.,  married  A.  J.  Nichols,  of  St. 
Charles,  and  they  have  one  child,  Harry. 
The  second  union  of  Betsy  N.  was  with  Otto 
W.  Perkins,  who  died  in  1870.  They  had 
no  children  of  their  own  but  adopted  John 
Vanderhook,  who  married  Lizzie  Gallagher, 
by  whom  he  has  three  children,  John  Les- 
ter, William  Roy,  and  Sadie  May.  Father 
Pingree  was  a  man  of  noble  character,  in- 
dustrious, economical,  temperate  and  hon- 
est. At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was  of 
Universalist  faith.  In  politics  he  was  a 
Democrat. 

Rev.  Andrew  Pingree,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  born  in  Weare,  New  Hamp- 
shire, July  16,  1803.  He  subsequently  re- 
sided in  Springfield,  Granthum,  Meriden 
and  Plainfield,  New  Hampshire.  He  re- 
ceived a  good  common-school  education, 
and  at  the  age  of  about  twenty-one  years 
learned  the  clothier's  trade.  He  taught 
school  winters  and  worked  at  his  trade  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  the  year,  until  he 
earned  enough  to  pay  his  expenses  while  at- 
tending Kimball  Union  Academy,  at  Meri- 
den, until  the  spring  of  1827.  About  that 
time  he  went  to  Hingham,  Massachusetts, 
where  he  clerked  in  a  store,  taught  school 
in  winter,  and  at  the  same  time  studied  for 
the  ministry  with  Rev.  A.  A.  Folsom,  of 
Hingham.  It  was  during  this  period  while 
teaching  at  North  Scituate  that  he  met  the 
girl  who  later  became  his  wife.  She  was 
one  of  his  pupils  at  one  time.  In  1834  he 
began  his  ministry,  and  soon  afterward  went 


to  Belfast,  Maine,  where  he  was  minister  of 
the  gospel  and  principal  of  the  high  school. 
Later  he  filled  a  like  position  at  Castine, 
Maine.  In  1838  he  came  west  with  his 
father's  family  and  took  up  a  tract  of  land, 
shortly  afterward  returning  to  the  east, 
where  he  continued  preaching  and  teaching 
until  his  final  emigration  to  Kane  county, 
in  1846. 

On  the  i4th  of  January,  1844,  at  Scitu- 
ate, Massachusetts,  Mr.  Pingree  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Hannah  Merritt  Cur- 
tis, born  in  Plymouth  county,  Massachu- 
setts, April  12,  1811,  and  the  daughter  of 
Ammiel  and  Hannah  (Merritt)  Curtis,  both 
descended  from  Pilgrims  who  carne  over  in 
the  Mayflower.  Hannah  Merritt  lived  all 
her  life  on  the  place  where  she  was  born, 
and  died  there  in  1825,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
five  years.  She  was  the  daughter  of  John 
Merritt.  In  early  life  Amrniel  Curtis  was  a 
merchant,  and,  later,  a  farmer  in  Massachu- 
setts. He  came  to  Illinois  and  died  in 
1851,  aged  seventy-one  years,  his  death  be- 
ing the  result  of  an  accident.  He  was  the 
father  of  three  children — John,  who  died  in 
infancy;  Hannah  M.,  widow  of  our  subject, 
and  Martha  Augusta,  who  made  her  home 
with  Mrs.  Pingree  until  her  death. 

After  their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pin- 
gree took  up  their  home  at  North  Scituate, 
where  they  resided  until  September  i,  1846, 
when  they  came  to  Kane  county.  For  a 
year  and  a  half  after  coming  west  they  re- 
sided in  St.  Charles,  Mr.  Pingree  teaching 
school  and  filling  the  pulpit  of  the  Universal- 
ist church.  Some  time  after  the  death  of 
his  father  he  moved  to  the  family  estate  in 
Rutland  township  and  began  the  accumula- 
tion of  land,  which  at  the  time  of  his  death 
aggregated  nearly  fifteen  hundred  acres.  He 
continued  preaching  until  the  business,  inci- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


457 


dent  to  the  management  of  his  large  estate, 
prevented,  but  at  funerals  and  weddings  he 
officiated  until  the  end. 

Mr.  Pingree  was  a  man  of  wide  learning 
and  culture,  with  a  knowledge  of  civil  en- 
gineering, doing  considerable  surveying 
throughout  the  county.  He  was  the  second 
supervisor  of  Rutland  township  and  served 
in  that  capacity  for  eighteen  years.  He 
often  served  as  special  commissioner  for  the 
county  and  as  executor  and  administrator  of 
estates,  guardian  of  minor  children,  notary 
public  and  for  many  years  postmaster  at 
Pingree  Grove.  He  was  a  trustee  of  Lom- 
bard University,  Galesburg,  and  did  much 
to  promote  its  interests.  In  politics  he  was 
a  Democrat,  but  was  in  favor  of  the  aboli- 
tion of  slavery. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pingree  were  never  blessed 
with  children  of  their  own,  but  adopted 
Emma  Gilbert,  who  married  Captain  L.  M. 
Kelly,  of. Elgin,  and  died,  leaving  three  chil- 
dren. Mrs.  Pingree  still  attends  to  her  own 
business,  can  read  without  glasses,  and  is  in 
possession  of  all  her  faculties  to  a  remarka- 
ble degree.  Mr.  Pingree  died  at  his  home 
at  Pingree  Grove,  August  18,  1879,  and  in 
his  death  Kane  county  lost  one  of  its  most 
useful  and  highly  respected  citizens.  Few 
men  in  northern  Illinois  were  better  known, 
and  none  more  highly  esteemed. 


MICHAEL  STENGER,  deceased,  was 
born  at  Gramschatz,  Bavaria,  Ger- 
many, February  2,  1827,  and  there  grew  to 
manhood.  In  1848  he  accompanied  his 
parents,  Peter  and  Barbara  (Stark)  Stenger, 
to  America.  They  were  both  natives  of 
Bavaria,  as  were  also  their  parents.  On 
landing  at  New  York  the  family  made  their 
way  direct  to  Naperville,  Du  Page  county, 


Illinois,  where  the  father  engaged  in  a  brew- 
ing business  for  a  number  of  years.  His 
brewing  plant  was  burned  down,  but  at 
once  rebuilt  and  the  business  continued  with 
gratifying  success.  He  eventually  retired, 
turning  the  business  over  to  his  two  sons, 
John  and  Nicholas,  who  carried  it  on  until 
1892,  when  they  sold  out  to  a  syndicate. 
The  children  born  to  Peter  Stenger  and  wife 
were:  Anna,  Peter,  Nicholas,  Mary,  John, 
Michael,  Nicholas,  second,  Melchoir  and 
Barbara.  Of  these  Anna,  Michael,  Nicho- 
las and  Melchoir  are  deceased. 

Michael  Stenger  attained  his  education 
in  the  parochial  schools  of  his  native  coun- 
try. In  1850,  while  living  in  Naperville,  he 
caught  the  gold  fever  and  went  with  a  body 
to  delve  for  the  precious  metal  in  the  newly- 
discovered  mines  of  California.  There  is  a 
superstition  existing  among  Germans  that 
the  first  day  of  August  is  an  unlucky  one  to 
commence  an  important  enterprise,  and  it 
was  on  August  i,  1850,  the  expedition  set 
forth,  with  some  misgivings  as  to  a  success- 
ful outcome.  The  superstition  was  fully 
verified  in  his  case,  he  finding  little  or  no 
gold,  and  later  turned  his  attention  to  farm- 
ing. He  remained  in  California  for  seven 
years. 

Returning  home  by  sea  and  the  Isthmus 
of  Panama,  Mr.  Stenger  again  took  up  his 
life  in  the  Prairie  state.  On  the  26th  of 
December,  1857,  he  married  Miss  Margare- 
tha  Herbert,  a  daughter  of  Phillip  and  Mar- 
garetha  (Dieter)  Herbert,  natives  of  Hesse 
Darmstadt,  Germany,  where  Margaretha 
Herbert  was  also  born,  and  from  which 
country  the  family  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  in  1854.  After  marriage  our  subject 
came  to  Aurora  and  carried  on  the  business 
of  retail  liquor  dealer  until  1876,  when  he 
retired  on  a  competence,  having  amassed 


458 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


property  to  the  value  of  seventy  thousand 
dollars.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  May  25,  1895,  he  owned  several 
business  blocks,  some  seventy  lots  in  the 
best  residence  portion  of  the  city,  also  six 
residences,  including  the  one  at  No.  310 
New  York  street,  in  which  his  widow  now 
resides.  He  owned  a  tract  of  land  of  thirty- 
eight  acres  on  New  York  street,  which  he 
converted  into  a  park — called  Stenger park. 
He  later  sold  it  to  a  syndicate,  who  platted 
the  same — it  now  being  known  as  Arlington 
Heights.  He  was  a  man  of  good  educa- 
tion and  had  learned  much  by  travel  and 
business  associations  with  other  men.  He 
possessed  a  good  knowledge  of  the  law, 
which  was  of  considerable  utility  to  him  on 
several  important  cases  in  which  he  became 
involved.  His  desire  was  to  obtain  that 
only  which  was  his  by  right  and  justice, 
and  he  was  always  willing  to  battle  for 
these  privileges.  To  Michael  Stenger  and 
wife  were  born  the  following  named  chil- 
dren: Henry,  Mary;  Emma,  who  died  young; 
Emma,  second  of  the  name;  Michael,  Jr., 
Barbara  and  Anna.  With  the  exception  of 
the  infant,  Emma,  all  are  still  living,  and  re- 
side in  Aurora,  save  Henry,  who  is  in  busi- 
ness at  Mendota,  Illinois.  In  politics  Mr. 
Stenger  was  a  stanch  Democrat,  and  a 
member  of  the  German  Catholic  church  of 
Aurora,  as  are  his  wife  and  family.  Three 
daughters  and  one  son  make  their  home 
with  their  widowed  mother.  The  family 
are  held  in  high  esteem. 


EDWIN   W.    THOMPSON,    one   of  the 
leading  livery  stable  keepers  of  Aurora, 
was  born  June  7,  1845,  m  Dorset,  Vermont, 
and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Julia  A.  (Colson) 
Thompson.     The    father   was   born  in   the 


town  of  Grafton,  Windham  county,  Ver- 
mont, September  i,  1814,  while  his  father, 
William  Thompson,  was  born  in  London- 
derry, New  Hampshire,  where  he  engaged 
in  farming,  and  from  which  state  he  re- 
moved to  Vermont  at  an  early  day,  settling 
in  Windham  county,  where  he  livexL  and 
died.  His  children  were  Jonathan  H.,  John, 
Henry,  William,  Harvey,  James  and  Mary 
Ann,  all  of  whom  came  west  except  Mary 
Ann  and  Henry. 

John  Thompson  was  by  occupation  a 
farmer,  and  came  to  Kane  county  in  Sep- 
tember, 1845,  locating  in  Sugar  Grove 
township,  where  he  purchased  a  partially 
improved  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  acres.  He  continued  the  cultivation  of  • 
that  farm,  to  which  he  subsequently  made 
some  additions,  until  his  death  in  August, 
1892.  In  politics  he  was  a  Republican,  and 
in  early  life  was  a  member  of  the  Congre- 
gational Church,  to  which  his  wife  also  be- 
longed. He  was  a  large-sized  man,  fully 
six  feet  in  height,  and  weighed  about  one 
hundred  and  eighty-five  pounds.  Julia,  his 
wife,  was  a  daughter  of  David  and  Chloe 
(Morse)  Colson.  She  was  a  native  of  Dor- 
set, Vermont,  and  her  father  was  a  native 
of  the  same  state.  He  was  an  officer  or 
the  State  Militia,  and  our  subject  as  yet  has 
his  old  commission.  Mrs.  Thompson  died 
in  August,  1891.  She  was  the  mother  of 
five  children,  all  of  whom  died  in  infancy 
but  Bert  H.  and  our  subject.  Bert  H.  is 
now  living  on  the  old  homestead. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  on  . 
the  home  farm  in  Sugar  Grove  township, 
where  he  attended  the  common  schools, 
and  assisted  his  father  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  farm.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years 
he  started  out  in  life  for  himself  by  renting 
a  farm,  adjoining  that  of  his  father.  He 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


459 


continued  in  that  occupation  until  about 
1885,  with  the  exception  of  about  three 
years,  when  he  removed  to  Sugar  Grove 
Station,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber,  coal 
and  feed  business,  and  also  did  some  auc- 
tioneering. He  remained  in  Sugar  Grove 
until  1890,  when  he  removed  to  Aurora,  and 
buying  out  the  stables  of  Fred  Wright  en- 
gaged in  the  livery  business  which  he  has 
since  continued.  He  is  located  at  No.  67 
Broadway  and  has  a  full  line  of  livery,  and 
is  well  equipped  for  the  business.  He  also 
operates  the  sprinkling  wagons,  and  has  a 
transfer  line,  merchant's  express,  and  stor- 
age warehouse.  His  business  is  quite  ex- 
tensive, and  he  is  worthy  of  the  patronage 
received. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  united  in  marriage 
March  5,  1866,  at  Batavia,  Illinois,  to  Miss 
Mary  E.  Paul],  a  native  of  Sugar  Grove 
township,  and  a  daughter  of  Stephen  G. 
and  Roxey  A.  (Barker)  Paull,  who  were  na- 
tives of  New  York,  who  moved  to  Medina 
county,  Ohio,  and  from  there  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  1837,  locating  in  Sugar  Grove  town- 
ship, where  they  engaged  in  farming.  Their 
other  children  were  Jane  H. ,  who  married 
N.  W.  Thompson,  and  died  in  1893;  John 
B.,  Mary  E.,  and  Flora  D.,  the  latter  being 
the  wife  of  Robert  L.  Wing.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Thompson  are  the  parents  of  two  children, 
Clarence  Stephen,  and  John  Paull,  the  lat- 
ter dying  November  ro,  1895. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson  are  members  of 
the  People's  church,  Aurora.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican,  and  for  twelve  years  served 
as  school  trustee,  in  Sugar  Grove  township, 
and  for  a  time  served  as  highway  commis- 
sioner. Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of 
Waubansie  lodge,  No.  45,  I.  O.  O.  F.  ; 
Aurora  lodge,  No.  390,  K  P.,  and  is  captain 
of  the  uniform  rank.  He  is  also  a  member 


of  the  Knights  of  the  Globe,  and  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  He  is  a  man  of 
good  business  standing  and  is  respected 
by  all. 


JOSEPH  B.  SEYMOUR,  now  living  a  re- 
tired life  at  405  Lasalle  street,  Aurora, 
Illinois,  came  to  the  state  in  1842.  He  is  a 
native  of  New  York,  born  in  Yates  county, 
September  i,  1824,  and  is  the  son  of  John 
and  Elizabeth  (Wright)  Seymour,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  New  York,  the  former 
born  in  Duchess  county,  in  1783.  In  1842, 
he  came  with  his  family  to  Illinois,  and  set- 
tled in  Cook  county,  where  he  purchased  a 
fairly  improved  farm  on  which  was  built  two 
log  houses  and  he  further  improved  and  de- 
veloped the  place.  Later  he  built  a  good 
frame  residence  and  good  frame  barn.  An 
active  and  enterprising  farmer  he  continued 
at  farm  labor  until  late  in  life,  when  he 
moved  to  Elgin,  and  died  at  the  residence 
of  his  son,  John  W. ,  at  the  age  of  ninety- 
three  years.  Of  their  family  of  twelve 
children  five  are  yet  living. 

Joseph  B.  Seymour  came  to  Illinois 
when  eighteen  years  of  age,  having  spent 
his  boyhood  and  youth  in  his  native  state, 
where  he  had  very  limited  educational  ad- 
vantages, attending  school  during  a  few  win- 
ter months.  On  coming  to  Illinois,  he  as- 
sisted his  father  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
home  farm  until  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
after  which  he  gave  him  half  time  until  his 
marriage. 

Mr.  Seymour  was  married  in  Cook 
county,  Illinois,  June  11,  1848,  to  Miss 
Mary  Saviah  Haven,  who  was  born  Novem- 
ber 28,  1832,  in  Carthage,  Jefferson  county, 
New  York,  and  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Lydia  (Strong)  Haven,  the  former  a  native 


460 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


of  Massachusetts,  born  about  1790,  and  the 
latter  a  native  of  New  Hampshire.  They 
were  married  in  Paris,  Oneida  county.  New 
York.  In  1844,  Samuel  Haven  with  his 
family  came  west,  and  located  in  Cook 
county,  Illinois.  By  occupation  he  was  a 
blacksmith  and  followed  that  business  a  few 
years  after  coming  west.  He  spent  the  last 
years  of  his  life  with  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Lydia 
Knowles,  in  Michigan,  and  there  died.  Of 
his  family  of  two  sons  and  five  daughters, 
Mrs.  Seymour  and  a  sister,  Mrs.  Martha 
Vernon,  of  Chicago,  are  the  only  survivors. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seymour  began  their  do- 
mestic life  on  a  farm  in  Cook  county.  He 
first  purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  on  which  was  a  frame  house,  the  farm 
being  partially  improved.  From  time  to 
time  as  his  means  increased  he  purchased 
other  tracts  and  became  the  owner  of  four 
hundred  acres  on  which  were  three  good 
dwelling  houses,  two  good  barns,  and  which 
in  due  time  he  made  one  of  the  best  farms 
in  Cook  count)'.  He  continued  to  reside 
upon  the  place  until  1867,  when  he  rented 
it  and  moved  to  Aurora,  where  he  purchased 
a  residence  on  Broadway,  in  which  he  lived 
until  1882,  when  he  sold  and  removed  to 
Elgin  and  there  resided  six  years.  In  1888, 
he  returned  to  Aurora,  purchased  lots  and 
built  a  good  substantial  residence  where  he 
yet  resides. 

While  residing  in  Elgin,  Mr.  Seymour 
farmed  a  small  place  adjacent  to  the  city, 
and  with  that  exception  has  lived  a  retired 
life,  but  looking  after  his  farm  in  Cook  coun- 
ty. A  part  of  the  place  he  sold,  but  yet 
owns  two  hundred  and  seventy  acres.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Seymour  have  one  son,  Horace 
Jerome,  who  resides  in  Elgin,  and  of  whom 
mention  is  made  elsewhere  in  this  work. 
In  early  life  Mr.  Seymour  was  a  Whig,  but 


on  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party, 
became  identified  with  it,  supporting  its 
men  and  measures  up  to  1884,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  an  advocate  of  the  princi- 
ples of  the  Prohibition  party.  For  many 
years  Mrs.  Seymour  has  taken  a  very  active 
interest  in  temperance  work,  and  in  mis- 
sionary work.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  of  Aurora,  and  for  the  erection  of 
the  present  house  of  worship  they  contribu- 
ted of  their  means.  For  twenty-five  years 
he  served  as  steward  of  the  M.  E.  church 
and  has  also  served  as  trustee. 

When  Mr.  Seymour  came  to  Illinois, 
Chicago  was  but  an  insignificant  town  and 
he  has  lived  to  see  it  take  rank  as  the  sec- 
ond city  in  the  union.  The  changes  that 
have  been  made  in  the  fifty-six  years  of  his 
residence  in  Illinois  can  scarcely  be  con- 
ceived. An  almost  unbroken  wilderness  at 
the  time  of  his  arrival,  the  country  is  now 
dotted  with  flourishing  villages  and  cities, 
and  the  magnificent  farms  with  their  large 
dwelling  houses  and  barns  indicate  that  the 
people  are  prosperous,  indeed. 


NR.  ZACK,  senior  member  of  the  firm 
of  Zack  &  Mylius,  engaged  in  plumb- 
ing, gas  and  steam  fitting,  and  sewerage,  52 
North  Broadway,  Aurora,  was  born  in  this 
city  December  21,  1860,  and  is  the  son  of 
Michael  and  Anna  (Izabaugh)  Zack.  The 
father  came  from  Austria  to  this  country  in 
1849,  located  in  Chicago  for  one  year  and 
a  half,  and  came  to  Aurora,  and  was  one  of 
its  first  settlers.  He  was  a  tailor  by  trade, 
and  carried  on  a  shop  in  Chicago  and  also 
for  a  short  time  in  Aurora;  later  he  moved 
to  a  farm,  on  which  he  is  yet  living,  and  is 
about  seventy-five  years  of  age.  He  is 


N.   R.  ZACK. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


463 


a  member  of  the  German  Catholic  church. 
His  wife  died  about  1890,  when  about  sixty- 
five  years  of  age.  She  was  also  a  member 
of  the  Catholic  church.  Of  their  family  of 
nine  children  four  are  deceased.  The  living 
are  Mary,  residing  at  home;  Nettie,  wife  of 
Jacob  Marx,  of  Aurora;  N.  R. ,  our  subject; 
Anna,  wife  of  Michael  Wannamaker,  of 
Kane  county;  Michael  on  the  old  home- 
stead; and  Frances. 

Our  subject  attended  the  schools  of  Au- 
rora, and  spent  his  youthful  days  on  a  farm, 
until  seventeen  years  old,  when  he  went  to 
Minneapolis,  Minnesota,  where  he  com- 
menced to  learn  the  plumbing  business. 
After  remaining  in  Minneapolis  some  eight 
months,  he  returned  to  Aurora,  and  went  to 
work  in  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
railroad  shops  in  the  coach  department  and 
remained  three  years.  He  started  in  busi- 
ness on  the  island,  and  was  one  of  the  firm 
of  John  Linden  &  Co.,  with  whom  he  was 
connected  six  years,  after  which  he  estab- 
lished his  present  business,  under  Fouth 
Brothers'  store,  becoming  the  senior  mem- 
ber of  Zack  &  Mylius.  They  came  to  their 
present  place  of  business,  in  1894,  where 
they  keep  on  hand  a  full  line  of  plumbing, 
steam  and  gas-fitting  material,  as  much 
probably  as  any  other  two  firms  in  the  city. 
They  do  an  extensive  business,  and  are 
worthy  of  the  patronage  received. 

On  the  i6th  of  October,  1884,  Mr.  Zack 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Frances 
Beaver,  daughter  of  John  Beaver,  a  well- 
known  citizen  of  Aurora.  Four  daughters 
have  come  to  bless  their  union — Kittie, 
Mamie,  Haddie,  and  Olga.  The  parents 
are  members  of  the  Catholic  church  and 
politically  Mr.  Zack  is  Democratic  in 
national  affairs,  and  in  local  affairs  he  is 

independent. 
22 


A  DONIRAM  RIDDLE,  of  Aurora,  first 
f\  came  to  this  state  in  1846,  remained 
four  years,  returned  east,  and  in  1856 
located  in  De  Kalb  county,  and  two  years 
later  came  to  Kane  county,  where  he  has 
since  continued  to  reside.  The  family  are 
of  Scotch  descent,  the  first  of  the  name  lo- 
cating in  New  Hampshire  at  an  early  day. 
James  Riddle,  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  as 
was  his  son,  Enoch  Riddle,  who  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Grafton,  Grafton  county.  In 
his  native  state  Enoch  Riddle  married  Polly 
Prescott,  also  a  native  of  Grafton,  New 
Hampshire,  and  a  daughter  of  Reuben 
Prescott,  who  was  a  pioneer  of  that  state. 
They  became  the  parents  of  six  sons  and 
one  daughter:  Adoniram,  our  subject;  Pres- 
cott, who  moved  to  California  about  1850, 
and  there  resides;  Lyman,  also  residing  in 
California;  Cyrus,  who  died  in  De  Kalb 
county,  Illinois;  Orisina,  widow  of  John 
Cole,  residing  in  De  Kalb  county;  Robert, 
who  resides  in  Will  county;  and  Charles, 
also  residing  in  Will  county.  After  his 
marriage,  Enoch  Riddle  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  his  native  county,  and  there  contin- 
ued for  many  years.  In  his  old  age  he 
came  west  to  Illinois,  where  he  joined  his 
children,  locating  first  on  a  farm  in  De  Kalb 
county,  where  his  wife  died,  after  which  he 
resided  with  a  son  in  Will  county,  and  there 
died. 

Until  sixteen  years  of  age,  Adoniram 
Riddle  remained  on  the  home  farm,  during 
which  time  he  received  a  fair  common-school 
education.  Going  to  Vermont,  he  spent 
three  years  working  first  on  a  farm  and  then 
on  a  turnpike.  He  then  went  to  Massachu- 
setts and  took  a  position  in  a  cotton  factory, 
where  he  remained  nearly  three  years,  and 
at  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  entered  a  ma- 


464 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


chine  shop  and  worked  one  year.  He  then 
went  to  Boston  and  worked  for  the  Boston 
Locomotive  Company  for  about  two  years. 
From  Boston  he  went  to  Keene,  New  Hamp- 
shire, where  he  engaged  in  railroad  work, 
first  in  the  repair  shops,  and  then  in  charge 
of  an  engine  on  the  road.  In  1846,  he  came 
west,  and  entered  a  tract  of  some  six  hun- 
dred acres  in  De  Kalb  county,  Illinois,  to 
which  he  removed  in  1856.  On  removing 
to  the  place  he  at  once  began  its  develop- 
ment, and  remained  on  the  farm  about  two 
years.  In  1858  he  sold  out,  moved  to 
Aurora,  purchased  two  lots  on  the  corner 
of  Broadway  and  LaSalle  streets,  where  he 
built  a  residence  into  which  the  family 
moved.  On  coming  to  this  place  he  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Burlington  road,  first  in 
the  roundhouse  department,  and  about  one 
year  later  was  given  charge  of  an  engine,  on 
which  he  continued  to  run  for  about  twenty 
years.  He  then  gave  up  railroading,  pur- 
chased a  stone  quarry  opposite  the  seminary, 
and,  in  partnership  with  his  son,  engaged  in 
getting  out  rock.  They  built  up  a  large 
business,  shipping  considerably,  besides  sup- 
plying the  home  demand.  In  1895,  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  adjoining  the 
city  limits  of  Aurora,  and  has  since  been  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits. 

In  1852,  in  Carroll  county.  New  Hamp- 
shire, Mr.  Riddle  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Hannah  Cook,  a  native  of  that 
county,  and  a  daughter  of  Eben  Cook,  also 
a  native  of  New  Hampshire.  She  had  one 
sister,  Emily,  widow  of  Thomas  Christopher, 
a  carpenter  and  joiner  of  Boston,  Massachu- 
setts, where  his  death  occurred.  Mrs.  Chris- 
topher made  her  home  with  Mrs.  Riddle  for 
a  number  of  years.  There  are  two  living 
children  by  this  union,  the  oldest  being 
Clarence,  who  is  married  and  operates  the 


stone  quarry.  The  other  is  D.  A.,  a  manu- 
facturing jeweler  of  Providence,  Rhode 
Island.  They  lost  one  daughter,  Alice,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  three  months. 

Mr.  Riddle  was  reared  a  Democrat,  but 
believing  in  the  equality  of  all  men,  he  be- 
came a  Republican  on  the  organization  of 
that  party,  with  which  he  has  since  con- 
tinued to  act.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Master 
Mason.  As  a  citizen  he  has  ever  borne  his 
part  in  the  upbuilding  of  his  adopted  city. 
He  was  one  of  the  originators  of  the  Aurora 
street  railway,  became  a  stockholder  and 
was  one  of  its  first  directors,  serving  until 
the  road  was  sold  to  the  New  York  Com- 
pany. For  forty  years  he  has  been  identi- 
fied with  the  interests  of  Aurora,  and  has 
here  many  warm  friends. 


JOHN  GARDNER,  who  is  living  a  retired 
life  in  the  city  of  Aurora,  is  a  well-known 
and  highly  respected  citizen,  and  for  many 
years  was  actively  engaged  in  business  in  the 
place.  He  was  born  near  the  city  of 
Newark,  Essex  county,  New  Jersey,  De- 
cember 5,  1820,  and  is  the  son  of  Daniel 
Gardner,  born  in  Essex  county,  New  Jer- 
sey. In  his  native  state  Daniel  Gardner 
grew  to  manhood  and  married  Phileta  Ed- 
wards, a  native  of  what  is  now  Union  coun- 
ty, New  Jersey,  and  a  daughter  of  Nathan- 
iel Edwards,  who  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years 
offered  his  services  to  his  country,  and 
fought  during  the  entire  struggle  for  Amer- 
ican independence.  By  trade  Daniel  Gard- 
ner was  a  cooper,  and  followed  that  occu- 
pation, in  connection  with  farming,  during 
his  entire  life.  He  died  in  New  Jersey  in 
1858,  his  wife  surviving  him  some  three 
years,  passing  away  in  1861.  Of  their  fam- 
ily of  twenty-six  children,  ten  sons  and  four 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


465 


daughters  grew  to  mature  years.  There 
were  living  sixteen  of  the  children  at  one 
time.  Of  the  entire  number,  only  three 
now  survive,  John,  Joseph  and  Luther,  all 
residing  in  Aurora. 

John  Gardner  grew  to  mature  years  in 
Essex  county,  New  Jersey,  and  there 
learned  the  cooper's  trade  with  his  father, 
and  followed  it  for  some  years.  He  was 
married  in  Essex  county  in  1847,  to  Emma 
Ball,  a  native  of  that  county,  where  she 
was  reared  and  educated,  and  a  daughter  of 
Noah  Ball,  also  a  native  of  Essex  county. 
By  trade  he  was  a  hatter,  but  late  in  life 
engaged  in  fanning.  His  wife  was  Fannie 
Edwards,  likewise  a  native  of  New  Jersey. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gardner  six  children  were 
born,  of  whom  Emma  Frances  and  Charles 
Henry  died  in  childhood;  Mary  Emma  died 
at  the  age  of  seven  years;  Burton,  when 
about  five  years  old;  and  Horace  in  child- 
hood. The  only  survivor  is  Hattie,  who 
yet  resides  under  the  parental  roof. 

After  their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gardner  began  their  domestic  life  in  the 
suburbs  of  Newark,  where  they  resided  until 
1853.  While  residing  in  Orange  county, 
New  Jersey,  he  manufactured  a  ship  load  of 
butter  cases,  which  were  filled  with  butter 
and  sent  to  Australia.  In  September,  1853, 
Mr.  Gardner  came  to  Illinois,  and  purchased 
a  farm  near  Eola,  consisting  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-one  acres  of  improved  land.  He 
further  improved  the  place,  and  there  re- 
sided about  fourteen  months,  when  he  sold 
out  and  returned  to  Orange,  New  Jersey, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business. 
The  first  year  he  lost  heavily  by  having  sev- 
eral thousand  feet  of  very  valuable  lumber 
being  caught  in  a  storm  and  washed  out  to 
sea.  He  continued  the  lumber  business 
about  three  years,  and  in  February,  1858, 


again  came  west,  locating  in  Aurora,  where 
he  bought  several  lots  on  which  he  erected 
five  dwelling  houses,  which  he  later  sold. 
He  also  erected  a  cooper  shop,  and  engaged 
in  coopering,  in  which  he  was  actively  en- 
gaged for  over  twenty  years,  usually  employ- 
ing two  or  three  men.  His  principal  prod- 
uct was  butter  firkins,  which  he  manufac- 
tured for  the  Aurora  market. 

Mr.  Gardner  and  his  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Park  Place  Baptist  church,  with 
which  body  he  has  been  connected  since 
coming  to  Aurora.  For  the  past  twenty- 
five  years  he  has  devoted  his  time  largely 
to  church  work.  He  was  ordained  a  deacon 
of  the  church  in  1873.  With  that  earnest 
desire  to  help  his  fellow  men,  he  has  freely 
given  of  his  time  to  the  Master's  cause. 
The  good  that  he  has  done  will  only  be 
known  at  the  last  day. 


JOSEPH  W.  GARDNER,  of  Aurora, 
Illinois,  has  been  actively  engaged  in 
contracting  and  building  in  this  city  since 
1855.  He  is  a  native  of  Essex  county,  New 
Jersey,  born  May  I,  1825,  and  is  the  son  of 
Daniel  and  Phileta  (Edwards)  Gardner, 
both  of  whom  are  natives  of  the  same  state, 
the  former  born  in  1781  and  the  latter  in 
1787.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Nathaniel 
Edwards,  who  served  as  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,  under  General  Washing- 
ton. By  trade  Daniel  Gardner  was  a 
cooper,  which  he  followed  in  connection 
with  farming,  for  many  years  residing  near 
the  city  of  Newark,  New  Jersey,  where  he 
reared  his  large  family,  and  where  his  death 
occurred. 

Joseph  W.  Gardner  is  one  of  a  family  of 
twenty-six  children  born  to  Daniel  and 
Phileta  Gardner,  the  children  all  being 


466 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


at  single  births.  Of  the  number  Luther, 
John,  and  our  subject  are  the  only  ones  liv- 
ing. Joseph  W.  Gardner  grew  to  mature 
years  in  his  native  state,  and  at  Newark, 
New  Jersey,  learned  the  carpenter's  and 
joiner's  trade,  serving  a  fouryears'  apprentice- 
ship. Before  he  attained  his  majority,  he 
engaged  in  contracting  and  building,  super- 
intending the  erection  of  three  dwelling 
houses  in  Newark.  He  was  married  in  that 
city  April  17,  1847,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Gar- 
rison, a  native  of  Sussex  county,  New  Jer- 
sey, and  a  daughter  of  James  Garrison.  By 
this  union  were  three  children,  two  of  whom 
are  living — Ann  Eliza,  wife  of  John  Glaspie, 
who  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  for  the  union, 
but  is  now  a  merchant  and  postmaster  of 
Galatia,  Colorado.  William  Edward,  who 
is  assisting  his  father  in  contracting  and 
building.  He  was  married  in  Aurora,  No- 
vember 23,  1 88 1,  to  Miss  Annie  E.  Free- 
man, who  was  born,  reared  and  educated 
in  Aurora,  and  the  daughter  of  James  Free- 
man, who  was  for  forty  years  a  merchant 
of  the  city,  but  who  died  in  1896.  By  this 
union  are  two  children,  James  Lewis 
and  Gertrude  May,  both  students  in  the 
Aurora  schools.  James  Freeman,  the  father 
of  Mrs.  William  E.  Gardner,  was  a  native 
of  Wales,,  born  in  1830,  in  a  house  which 
was  on  the  line  between  England  and  Wales. 
He  came  to  America  with  his  parents  in 
1838,  and  to  Aurora  in  1840.  Here  he 
grew  to  manhood  and  married  Ann  Eliza 
Graves,  daughter  of  the  first  Baptist  minister 
of  Aurora. 

After  their  marriage,.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gardner  resided  some  three  years  in  New- 
ark, where  he  engaged  in  contracting  and 
building.  From  Newark,  he  moved  to 
Piermont,  New  York,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  repair  and  construction  shops  of  the  New 


York  &  Erie  railroad,  continuing  there  about 
three  years,  serving  as  foreman  in  the  shops. 
In  1855,  he  came  to  Aurora,  Illinois,  and 
purchased  the  property  where  he  now  re- 
sides. He  at  once  commenced  contracting 
and  building,  in  which  he  has  been  actively 
engaged  from  that  time  until  the  present. 
Many  of  the  public  buildings  and  substantial 
residences  of  Aurora  attest  his  skill  as  a 
builder.  His  building  operations  have  been 
quite  extensive,  and  his  work  has  always 
been  considered  the  very  best.  Com- 
mencing life  for  himself,  empty-handed,  by 
his  own  labor  he  has  secured  a  competency 
and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  substantial 
men  of  Aurora. 

Politically  Mr.  Gardner  was  an  old 
Jackson  Democrat,  but  of  recent  years  he 
has  voted  independent  of  party,  casting  his 
vote  for  the  man  that  he  considered  best 
qualified  for  the  office.  His  son  is  also  in- 
dependent in  politics.  Religiously,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Park  Place  Baptist  church, 
with  which  he  has  been  identified  for  forty 
years.  His  wife  and  family  are  also  mem- 
bers of  the  same  church.  On  the  I7th  of 
April,  1897,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gardner  cele- 
brated their  golden  wedding,  a  large  number 
of  relatives  and  friends  meeting  with  them 
in  honor  of  the  occasion  and  presenting  them 
a  number  of  testimonials  of  their  esteem 
and  friendship.  For  forty  years  they  have 
been  residents  of  Aurora,  and  their  friends 
are  numerous  indeed. 


JAMES  V.  MINK. — Prominent  among 
the  energetic,  far  seeing  and  successful 
business  men  of  Elgin  is  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  who  is  a  well-known  real-estate 
dealer,  with  office  in  room  7,  Town's  Block. 
He  was  born  in  that  city  June  26,  1852,  a 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


467 


son  of  Robert  and  Sarah  Jane  (Van  Tine) 
Mink,  natives  of  New  York.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  John  Mink,  was  also  born  in 
New  York,  of  Holland  Dutch  descent,  and 
was  a  fanner  by  occupation.  At  an  early 
day  he  came  west  and  took  up  his  residence 
in  Kane  county,  Illinois,  but  died  two  years 
later,  when  nearly  ninety  years  of  age.  He 
reared  a  small  family.  Our  subject's  ma- 
ternal grandfather  was  born  in  this  country 
and  died  in  middle  life. 

In  1842  Robert  Mink,  our  subject's  fa- 
ther, came  to  Kane  county  and  purchased 
a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  acres  two  miles 
northeast  of  Elgin,  which  he  transformed 
into  one  of  the  most  highly-cultivated  tracts 
in  the  locality.  After  engaging  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits  for  many  years,  he  laid  aside 
business  cares  and  lived  retired  in  Elgin  for 
a  few  years  before  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1880,  when  he  was  sixty-seven  years  of 
age.  His  wife  had  passed  away  three  years 
previous  at  the  age  of  sixty-five.  Both  were 
earnest,  consistent  Christians,  the  mother 
belonging  to  the  Baptist  Church,  while  the 
father  was  a  Presbyterian  in  faith.  Four 
children  were  born  to  them,  of  whom  three 
are  still  living:  John  W.,  Leander  F.,  and 
James  V. 

Upon  the  home  farm  James  V.  Mink 
was  reared,  and,  after  attending  the  district 
schools  for  a  time,  he  entered  the  Elgin 
Academy,  where  he  completed  his  education. 
For  five  or  six  years  after  starting  out  in  life 
for  himself,  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade 
in  Elgin,  but  for  the  past  twenty  years  has 
been  interested  in  real  estate,  doing  a  large 
and  profitable  business  along  that  line. 
Besides  his  property  in  Elgin,  he  owns  an 
excellent  farm  of  three  hundred  acres  five 
miles  east  of  that  place,  and  also  city  prop- 
erty in  Chicago. 


On  the  1 8th  of  May,  1878,  Mr.  Mink 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Gracie 
Todd,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Anna 
(McNeil)  Todd,  and  to  them  have  been  born 
seven  children,  three  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters, namely:  Edna  J.,  Royal  J.,  Clyde, 
Annie,  Gladys,  Mamie,  and  one  who  died  in 
infancy.  Only  three  are  now  living — Annie, 
Gladys  and  Clyde.  The  family  have  a 
beautiful  home  at  No.  554  Douglas  avenue, 
which  was  erected  in  1885.  Mrs.  Mink 
holds  membership  in  the  Congregational 
church. 

Politically  Mr.  Mink  is  identified  with 
the  Republican  party,  and  for  four  years  he 
most  efficiently  served  as  alderman  of  the 
First  ward.  Integrity,  activity  and  energy 
have  been  the  crowning  points  of  his  suc- 
cess, and  his  connection  with  different  busi- 
ness enterprises  has  been  of  a  decided 
advantage  to  the  city.  He  is  public-spir- 
ited and  progressive,  giving  his  support  to 
all  measures  which  he  believes  calculated 
to  advance  the  general  welfare. 


CAPT.  FRANCIS  H.  BOWMAN,  pres- 
ident of  the  Bowman,  Warne  &  Stew- 
art Bank,  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  has  been  a 
resident  of  the  city  since  1845,  ar|d  is. well- 
known  and  greatly  esteemed  by  all  the  peo- 
ple of  Kane  county.  He  is  a  native  of  New 
York,  born  in  Broome  county,  May  9,  1816, 
and  is  a  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Sylvia  (Barn- 
aby)  Bowman,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Vermont.  TheBowmans  are  of  English  an- 
cestry and  were  early  settlers  of  the  Green 
Mountain  State,  where  Ephraim  Bowman, 
the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born. 

Ebenezer  Bowman  was  born  about 
1794,  and  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native 
state,  where  his  marriage  with  Sylvia  Barn- 


468 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


aby  took  place.  About  1814  the  young 
couple  removed  to  Broome  county.  New 
York,  where  he  cleared  a  farm  in  the  wil- 
derness, built  a  hewed  log  house  and  there 
resided  until  the  death  of  his  wife  in  1828. 
He  then  moved  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
remained  a  short  time,  afterward  returned 
to  Vermont,  again  married,  and  there  re- 
sided during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  Our 
subject  is  the  oldest  of  two  sons  and  three 
daughters  born  to  Ebenezer  and  Sylvia 
Bowman.  His  brother,  Benjamin  Carlton 
Bowman,  grew  to  manhood  and  settled  in 
Pennsylvania,  but  later  moved  to  Williams- 
port,  where  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade 
and  in  banking,  being  for  some  years  presi- 
dent of  a  Williamsport  bank.  He  died  there 
in  1896.  One  sister,  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Yaw, 
resides  in  Franklin  county,  Vermont.  An- 
other sister,  Prudencia,  wife  of  John  Col- 
cord,  resides  in  Vermont.  The  third  one, 
Hannah  M.,  married  Hannibal  P.  Wood, 
and  located  in  Illinois,  where  she  died. 

Francis  H.  Bowman  was  twelve  years  of 
age  when  his  mother  died.  He  then  went 
to  live  with  his  uncle,  Hiram  H.  Heath,  of 
Ithaca,  New  York,  and  later  removed  with 
him  to  Auburn,  New  York.  Good  common- 
school  advantages  were  given  him  while  re- 
siding both  at  Ithaca  and  Auburn,  which  he 
industriously  improved.  When  still  in  his 
youth  he  entered  a  hardware  store  iri  Au- 
burn, New  York,  as  a  clerk,  and  there  re- 
mained nine  years,  securing  a  good  practical 
training  in  business  affairs.  The  last  few 
years  of  his  stay  there  he  was  a  confidential 
clerk  of  the  firm  and  transacted  much  of 
the  business. 

While  his  business  relations  were  pleas- 
ant and  he  had  the  full  confidence  of  his 
employers,  the  life  of  a  mere  clerk  was  dis- 
tasteful to  him.  He  desired  to  better  his 


condition  in  life,  and  with  that  end  in  view 
came  west  in  1845  a°d  located  in  St. 
Charles,  Illinois.  Here  he  at  once  engaged 
in  the  hardware  trade,  a  line  with  which  he 
was  thoroughly  familiar.  For  three  years 
he  carried  on  the  business  alone,  and  then 
associated  with  himself  John  Lloyd,  and  a 
foundry  business  was  added  to  that  of  hard- 
ware, the  combined  line  being  carried  on 
under  the  firm  name  of  Bowman  &  Lloyd. 
This  was  continued  from  1848  until  1861. 

The  war  for  the  union  was  now  in  prog- 
ress and  Mr.  Bowman  determined  to  en- 
list. Accordingly  he  sold  out  his  interest  in 
the  hardware  line  to  Owen  Butler,  but  by 
mutual  consent  retained  his  interest  in  the 
foundry.  In  October,  1861,  he  was  com- 
missioned captain  of  Company  G,  Fifty- 
second  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  with  his  regi- 
ment marched  first  to  St.  Louis,  from  which 
place  it  went  south,  joining  the  advance  in 
time  to  take  part  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh  in 
April,  1862.  Soon  after  this  engagement 
he  resigned  his  commission  and  returned 
home. 

On  his  return  Captain  Bowman  resumed 
active  relations  with  Mr.  Lloyd  in  the 
foundry  and  about  one  year  later  re-pur-, 
chased  the  interest  of  Owen  Butler  in  the 
hardware  trade.  This  relation  was  contin- 
ued for  some  years.  Captain  Bowman  then 
selling,  lived  retired  for  one  year.  But  one 
of  his  temperament  could  not  endure  that 
kind  of  a  life.  He  was  one  of  the  organiz- 
ers of  the  Kane  County  National  Bank,  and 
was  a  director  during  its  existence.  J.  C. 
Baird  &  Co.  succeeded  to  the  Kane  County 
National  Bank  in  which  Captain  Bowman 
was  a  stockholder  and  director,  and  at  the 
death  of  Mr.  Baird,  some  time  later,  he  be- 
came its  general  manager.  For  about 
three  years  the  business  was  continued  un- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


469 


der  the  old  name,  when  a  new  co-partner- 
ship was  formed  by  Mr.  Bowman,  John 
Warne  and  John  Stewart,  since  which  time 
the  bank  has  been  run  under  the  name  of 
Bowman,  Warne  &  Stewart,  bankers.  It  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  reliable  and  solid 
institutions  of  the  county,  due  in  a  great 
measure  to  the  well-known  business  ability 
and  conservatism  of  Captain  Bowman. 

After  remaining  a  bachelor  in  St.  Charles 
for  four  years,  in  October,  1849,  Mr.  Bow- 
man returned  to  his  native  state,  and  at 
Elmira  married  Helen  M.  Smith,  who  was 
born,  reared  and  educated  in  that  city.  She 
was  a  faithful  wife  and  helpmeet  to  him  for 
forty-two  long  years,  passing  away  in  De- 
cember, 1891.  There  were  three  children 
by  this  union:  Carleton  Smith,  a  farmer  re- 
siding in  Kane  county;  Francis  E.,  who 
died  in  infancy,  and  Edward  Harvey,  who 
was  a  lawyer  by  profession,  practicing  for 
about  five  years  in  Chicago.  He  was  acci- 
dentally drowned  in  1890. 

In  early  life  Captain  Bowman  was  po- 
litically a  Whig,  casting  his  first  presiden- 
tial ballot  for  William  Henry  Harrison  in 
1840.  With  that  party  he  continued  to  act 
until  the  organization  of  the  Republican 
party,  when  he  joined  its  ranks,  voting  for 
General  Fremont  for  president  in  1856. 
From  that  time  to  the  present  he  has  never 
missed  voting  for  the  Republican  nominee 
for  the  highest  office  in  the  gift  of  the 
people.  His  interest  in  the  party  has  never 
abated,  and  in  the  campaign  of  1896  he  was 
a  warm  supporter  of  William  McKinley, 
and  an  earnest  advocate  of  protection  and 
reciprocity.  In  the  various  conventions  of 
his  party — county,  district  and  state — he  has 
often  served  as  a  delegate,  and  by  his  fel- 
low citizens  has  been  honored  with  many 
local  offices,  including  supervisor  of  his 


township,  being  the  first  elected  to  that 
office  in  St.  Charles,  trustee  of  the  town  of 
St.  Charles,  school  trustee  and  school  treas- 
urer, serving  in  the  latter  position  some 
twelve  or  fourteen  years.  In  every  position, 
public  or  private,  he  has  discharged  its 
duties  faithfully  and  well.  Fraternally  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  subordi- 
nate and  encampment,  and  has  filled  every 
position  in  his  local  lodge  and  camp.  He 
has  also  served  as  a  delegate  from  his  lodge 
to  the  grand  lodge  and  also  to  the  grand  en- 
campment. For  more  than  fifty  years  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  order  and  has 
taken  great  interest  in  its  welfare  and  in  the 
dissemination  of  its  principles,  believing 
them  to  be  for  the  best  good  of  humanity. 
In  addition  to  his  banking  business, 
Captain  Bowman  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
tile  factory,  the  condensing  company  and 
the  Crown  Electric  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany. Few  concerns  established  in  St. 
Charles  but  have  had  his  hearty  co-opera- 
tion. For  fifty-three  years  he  has  been 
identified  with  the  commercial  and  manu- 
facturing interests  of  Kane  county,  and  few 
men  are  better  known  and  none  more  highly 
respected.  As  a  business  man  and  financier 
he  has  the  confidence  of  all.  His  memory 
will  long  be  cherished  by  those  who  know 
him,  and  his  industry,  thrift  and  business 
sagacity  will  be  an  incentive  to  those  who 
come  after  him. 


CHARLES  LEVEY,  a  retired  farmer 
V~>  living  at  Batavia,  traces  his  ancestry 
in  this  country  to  Jacob  Levey,  a  native  of 
Germany,  who  emigrated  to  this  country 
prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  who 
assisted  in  its  struggle  for  independence. 
His  son,  John  Levey,  was  born  in  Schenec- 


470 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tady,  New  York.  He  married  Nancy  Clute, 
a  native  of  New  York,  but  of  German  de- 
scent. They  were  the  parents  of  eight  sons 
and  six  daughters,  the  sons  all  growing  to 
mature  years,  six  of  whom  are  yet  living, 
as  follows:  Samuel  is  a  farmer  of  McHenry 
county,  Illinois;  Andrew  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  Minnesota;  John  resides  in  New  York; 
James  resides  in  Schenectady  county,  New 
York,  where  he  is  engaged  in  farming;  Peter 
is  also  a  resident  of  Schenectady  county, 
and  Charles  of  this  review.  The  two  sis- 
ters living  are  Catharine,  wife  of  John  Akin, 
of  Farmington,  Illinois,  and  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  Cornell  Brunk,  of  New  York. 

Charles  Levey,  our  subject,  was  born  in 
Schenectady  county,  New  York,  August  4, 
1829,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Nancy 
(Clute)  Levey.  He  there  grew  to  man- 
hood and  had  but  limited  educational  privi- 
leges. A  young  man  of  twenty-four  years, 
he  came  west  in  1853,  and  first  located  in  Du 
Page  county,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming  for  several  years.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Batavia, 'Illinois,  October  10,  1855, 
to  Miss  Ann  Frydendall,  a  native  of  Sche- 
nectady county.  New  York,  and  who  came 
to  Illinois  with  her  parents,  Daniel  and 
Hannah  (Venton)  Frydendall,  in  1842.  Her 
father  was  by  occupation  a  farmer  and  en- 
gaged in  that  calling  during  his  entire  life, 
dying  February  13,  1888.  His  wife  sur- 
vived him,  and  died  April  15,  1898,  when 
eighty-four  years  old.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Levey  are 
the  parents  of  six  living  children,  as  follows: 
Theodore,  married  and  engaged  in  farming 
in  Blackberry  township;  Charles  W. ,  mar- 
ried and  also  engaged  in  farming;  Daniel,  a 
carpenter  and  joiner,  married  and  residing 
in  Aurora;  Elmer,  a  farmer  of  Blackberry 
township;  Belle,  wife  of  Lewis  Krumlanz, 
and  May,  wife  of  Thomas  Mead,  of  Batavia. 


In  1865,  Mr.  Levey  moved  with  his  fam- 
ily to  Kane  county  and  purchased  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  Black 
berry  township,  which  was  partially  im- 
proved, and  on  which  was  a  log  dwelling 
house.  He  at  once  commenced  its  improve- 
ment and  in  due  time  built  a  large  house, 
barn  and  other  outbuildings,  and  there  re- 
sided for  some  years.  Renting  out  his  own 
farm,  he  subsequently  rented  a  farm  of  six 
hundred  acres,  on  which  he  resided  three 
years.  He  still  owns  the  old  homestead, 
which  is  operated  by  his  son  Elmer.  Hav- 
ing a  sufficient  amount  of  this  world's  goods 
to  enable  him  to  live  in  ease  and  retirement, 
in  the  fall  of  1889,  he  purchased  residence 
property  and  removed  to  Batavia.  Occa- 
sionally he  visits  the  old  farm,  when  the 
weather  is  pleasant,  and  assists  his  boys  in 
the  farm  work. 

Politically,  Mr.  Levey  was  formerly  a 
Jackson  Democrat,  but  is  now  independent, 
voting  for  such  men  as  he  thinks  best  qual- 
ified to  fill  the  offices.  He  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Illinois  for  forty-five  years,  while 
his  wife  has  resided  here  fifty-six  years. 
They  are  both  well  known  in  Kane  and  Du 
Page  counties  and  are  held  in  the  highest 
esteem. 


JOHN  KEMP,  of  Aurora,  Illinois,  came 
to  this  city  in  1855,  and  for  about  a 
third  of  a  century  was  one  of  its  most  enter- 
prising business  men.  He  is  now  living  a 
retired  life,  enjoying  the  fruits  of  honest 
toil.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Hull, 
Yorkshire,  England,  May  29,  1816.  His 
father,  John  Kemp,  Sr.,  was  also  a  native 
Yorkshire,  and  there  married  Francis  Hart, 
born  and  reared  in  the  same  shire.  John 
Kemp,  Sr. ,  was  a  sailor  in  early  life,  and 


\ 


JOHN   KEMP. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


473 


spent  some  years  upon  the  sea.  In  1829  he 
came  to  America  and  located  near  Montreal, 
Canada,  and  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers 
of  that  county.  From  there  he  moved  to 
New  York  state  and  removed  to  Toronto, 
Canada,  where  he  died. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  but  thir- 
teen years  of  age  when  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  America.  He  remembers  well 
the  hardships  endured,  as  pioneers  of  a  new 
country.  However,  he  went  to  Montreal, 
learned  the  harness  maker's  trade,  serving 
an  apprenticeship  of  four  years.  He  there 
married,  September  10,  1835,  Miss  Eliza- 
beth McCullum,  born  in  the  Isle  of  Wight, 
and  a  daughter  of  James  McCullum,  a 
native  of  Scotland.  By  this  union  are  four 
children,  as  follows:  Elizabeth,  who  grew 
to  womanhood,  married  and  is  now  de- 
ceased; Charlotte,  wife  of  John  Kessler,  re- 
siding in  Rhilander,  Wisconsin;  Mrs.  Fannie 
Rowland,  now  residing  in  Los  Angeles,  Cal- 
ifornia; and  Matilda,  wife  of  Henry  Greg- 
ory, residing  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina. 

After  marriage  Mr.  Kemp  worked  in 
Montreal  for  twelve  years,  then  moved  to 
Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  where  for  a  time  he 
worked  at  his  trade  as  a  journeyman,  and 
later  started  a  shop  of  his  own,  and  carried 
on  business  for  three  years.  He  then  moved 
to  Chicago,  where  he  remained  about  nine 
months,  and  in  1855  moved  to  Aurora, 
then  a  town  of  about  twelve  hundred  inhab- 
tants,  bought  property  and  has  here  since 
continued  to  reside.  He  commenced  busi- 
ness on  the  west  side,  and  was  the  second 
to  engage  in  the  harness  trade  on  that  side 
of  the  city.  After  a  few  years  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  Horace  Gilbert  and  the 
firm  did  a  very  profitable  and  extensive 
business  for  thirty  years,  often  working  as 
many  as  fifteen  men  in  their  shops.  Mr. 


Kemp  did  all  the  cutting  and  laying  out  the 
work  for  the  entire  force.  He  remained  in 
active  business  until  1888,  when  he  sold  out 
and  has  since  lived  retired.  During  this 
time  he  purchased  two  farms  in  Hancock 
county,  Iowa,  one  of  which  he  continued  to 
hold  for  twenty-five  years.  He  also  pur- 
chased vacant  lots  in  Aurora,  which  he 
held  for  a  rise  in  value. 

Politically,  Mr.  Kemp  is  a  Republican, 
with  which  party  he  has  continued  •to  act 
since  its  formation,  but  he  has  never  wanted 
nor  would  he  ever  accept  public  office. 
When  a  young  man  of  nineteen,  he  was 
converted  and  united  with  the  Wesleyan 
Methodist  church,  but  later  transferred  his 
membership  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  with  which  body  he  has  been  act- 
ively connected  for  many  years,  and  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  since  coming  to 
Aurora  a  member  of  the  official  board  of 
his  church.  His  wife  has  also  been  an 
active  member  of  the  same  church  for  many 
years.  For  forty-three  years  he  has  been  a 
well-known  citizen  of  Aurora,  where  he  and 
his  most  estimable  wife  areheld-in  the  high- 
est respect  by  one  and  all. 


JOHN  N.  KURD  came  to  Aurora  in  the 
fall  of  1854  and  has  here  since  made 
his  home.  While  now  living  a  retired  life 
he  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  active 
and  enterprising  business  men  and  manu- 
facturers of  the  city.  He  was  born  in  Ben- 
nington  county,  Vermont,  July  i,  1830, 
and  is  the  son  of  Gilbert  and  Eleanor 
(Thomas)  Hurd,  both  of  whom  are  natives 
of  the  same  state,  the  former  born  in  Ben- 
nington  county,  in  1803.  The  grandfather, 
Abraham  Hurd,  was  a  native  of  Vermont, 
of  which  the  Hurd  family  were  pioneers, 


474 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


emigrating  there  from  Connecticut.  The 
marriage  of  Gilbert  Hurd  and  Eleanor 
Thomas  was  celebrated  in  1827.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Reuben  Thomas,  who  was  like- 
wise a  native  of  Vermont,  of  which  state 
his  father,  Reuben  Thomas,  Sr. ,  was  a  pio- 
neer. Gilbert  Hurd  followed  the  occupation 
of  a  farmer  in  his  native  state,  and  in  1853 
emigrated  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Oswego, 
Kendall  county,  where  he  remained  one  year 
and  then  came  to  Aurora,  when  he  purchased 
farm  and  town  property.  For  many  years 
he  engaged  in  farming  and  in  buying  and 
dealing  in  stock,  sheep  and  wool.  He  was 
a  very  liberal  man  and  gave  of  his  means 
for  the  erection  of  different  churches  and 
also  gave  liberally  to  charitable  and  benevo- 
lent purposes.  His  death  occurred  March 
30,  1876.  His  widow  survives  him  and  re- 
sides on  the  old  homestead  where  the  fam- 
ily have  lived  for  more  than  forty  years. 
She  is  now  eighty-eight  years  old. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  one  of  a 
family  of  four  sons  who  grew  to  mature 
years.  Reuben  T.  married  and  resided  for 
a  time  in  Vermont,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  business.  He  later  moved  to  Aurora, 
where  he  became  a  prominent  business  man 
and  died  here  in  October,  1894.  His  wife 
preceded  him  to  their  heavenly  home  some 
three  years  previously,  leaving  three  chil- 
dren. John  N.,  of  this  review,  was  next 
in  order  of  birth.  Hosea  B.,  who  now  re- 
sides with  his  mother  and  brother  in  Aurora. 
Samuel,  the  fourth  son,  died  January  i, 
1897. 

In  his  native  state  John  N.  Hurd  grew 
to  manhood,  and  received  a  good  common- 
school  education.  After  attaining  his  ma- 
jority he  taught  six  winter  terms  of  school 
and  in  the  summer  assisted  in  taking  care 
of  the  home  farm.  In  1854  lie  joined  the 


family  in  Aurora,  and  in  partnership  with  a 
brother  engaged  in  farming  and  also  in  deal- 
ing in  stock  and  wool.  They  continued  in 
these  lines  until  about  1867,  when,  with  his 
brother  Samuel,  he  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture and  sale  of  tinware,  employing  agents 
and  furnishing  them  with  an  outfit,  sold  all 
through  the  country.  They  usually  had 
some  ten  or  twenty  teams  on  the  road,  and 
gave  employment  to  over  fifty  hands.  They 
did  a  very  extensive  business  which  was 
continued  until  1885.  For  about  six  years 
of  that  time,  our  subject,  in  company  with 
Daniel  Volentine,  was  engaged  in  the  wool 
business.  The  partnership  was  dissolved  by 
the  death  of  Mr.  Volentine,  and  for  the 
succeeding  two  years  he  was  with  William 
Volentine,  the  son  of  the  former  partner. 
The  business  of  Mr.  Hurd  was  not  confined 
solely  to  the  lines  mentioned.  He  from 
time  to  time  engaged  in  buying  and  selling 
farms  and  in  the  improvement  of  city  prop- 
erty. He  also  assisted  other  parties  who 
were  trying  to  establish  themselves  in  busi- 
ness by  loaning  them  money. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1869,  Mr.  Hurd 
went  east,  and  in  Washington  county,  New 
York,  March  1 6,  married  Maria  Gray,  a  na- 
tive of  that  county,  and  a  daughter  of  Will- 
iam Gray,  also  a  native  of  that  state.  By 
this  union  were  two  children,  one  of  whom, 
Gracia,  died  at  the  age  of  fourteen  months. 
The  other,  Rhoda  M.,  is  now  the  wife  of 
William  H.  Parker,  Jr.,  of  Aurora,  by  whom 
she  has  one  son,  John  Alfred.  Politically 
Mr.  Hurd  is  a  stanch  Republican,  as  was  also 
his  father,  though  in  early  life  the  father 
was  a  Whig.  He  never  cared  for  public 
office,  and  has  repeatedly  refused  to  con- 
sider his  nomination  or  election  to  any. 
However  he  was  elected  and  served  one 
term  as  alderman  of  his  ward,  discharging 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


475 


his  duties  in  a  faithful  manner.  On  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Second  National  Bank,  he 
acquired  some  stock  and  for  a  number  of 
years  served  as  director.  In  the  forty-four 
years  of  his  residence  in  Aurora,  he  has 
done  his  part  towards  its  growth  and  de- 
velopment. 


D WIGHT  A.  CHAMBERLIN,  super- 
visor and  a  prominent  business  man 
of  Elgin,  is  the  well-known  district  agent  of 
the  Rockford  Insurance  Company,  with  office 
in  the  Elgin  National  Bank  building,  Elgin, 
Illinois.  He  is  a  native  of  the  Prairie  state, 
born  in  Rockford,  June  2,  1849,  and  is  a 
son  of  Alfred  A.  and  Nancy  E.  (Munger) 
Chamberlin,  the  former  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont, and  the  latter  of  Massachusetts.  In 
their  family  were  four  children:  Marian 
C. ,  widow  of  John  Loop,  of  Santa  Monica, 
California;  Emma,  wife  of  George  M. 
Welles,  of  Elgin;  ThyrsaT.,  wife  of  George 
W.  Bridgman,  of  Bridgman,  Michigan;  and 
Dwight  A.,  our  subject. 

Alfred  A.  Chamberlin,  the  father,  was  a 
pioneer  of  northern  Illinois,  locating  at  Au- 
rora when  the  settlers'  cabins  were  few  and 
far  between.  At  that  time  the  great  Prairie 
state  gave  but  little  promise  of  the  bright 
future  that  was  before  it.  Chicago  was 
then  but  a  small  village,  and  the  most  en- 
thusiastic of  its  citizens  little  dreamed  of 
what  it  was  destined  to  be.  The  .county 
of  Kane  existed  but  in  name,  its  many  thou- 
sands of  acres  of  fertile  land  unturned  by 
the  plow.  For  some  years  after  his  re- 
moval to  Illinois,  he  engaged  in  the  foundry 
business  in  Rockford,  with  moderate  suc- 
cess. From  Aurora  he  removed  to  Oregon, 
Ogle  county,  Illinois,  and  later  to  Rock- 
ford.  In  1859  he  moved  to  Cherry  Valley, 


Illinois,  and  there  engaged  in.  the  milling 
business  until  his  retirement  to  private  life. 
In  1894  he  came  with  his  wife  to  Elgin  and 
lived  with  his  children,  dying  at  the  home 
of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Welles,  June  3,  1897, 
at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  His  wife  pre- 
ceded him  but  five  days,  dying  May  29, 
1897,  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years.  For 
a  period  of  sixty-three  years  they  traveled 
life's  journey  together, happy  in  each  other's 
love.  One  could  not  live  without  the 
other,  and  so  the  angel  of  death  tarried  but 
a  few  days  after  taking  the  one  before  he 
called  for  the  other.  Religiously  she  was  a 
Baptist,  and,  while  he  never  united  with  any 
religious  body,  he  attended  services  with 
her.  In  his  life  he  endeavored  to  faithfully 
carry  out  the  golden  rule. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
William  Chamberlin,  was  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont and  there  died.  In  his  family  were 
six  or  seven  children  who  grew  to  maturity. 
The  maternal  grandfather,  Lyman  Munger, 
was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  where  he 
died  at  an  advanced  age. 

Dwight  A.  Chamberlin,  our  subject,  was 
about  ten  years  of  age  when  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Cherry  Valley,  and  his  education 
begun  in  the  public  schools  of  Rockford, 
was  afterward  completed  in  the  same  place. 
In  1871  he  commenced  the  insurance  busi- 
ness in  his  home  village,  and  for  some  years 
traveled  in  the  interest  of  the  Rockford  In- 
surance Company.  His  success  as  a  solic- 
itor soon  gave  him  standing  with  his  com- 
pany and  his  patronage  rapidly  grew  so  that 
he  became  well  known  in  many  localities, 
and  many  held  their  insurance  until  his  ar- 
rival that  it  might  be  given  him.  In  1885 
he  removed  to  Elgin,  opened  an  office  and 
has  here  since  continued  to  reside.  Having 
visited  this  place  while  on  the  road,  he  had 


476 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


here  a  number  of  patrons  to  begin  with,  and 
that  number  he  rapidly  increased.  His 
business  has  been  a  large  one  and  fairly 
profitable  even  in  the  midst  of  the  hard 
times  from  1893  to  1897.  His  company  is 
well  known  to  be  among  the  best  in  the 
country  and  a  risk  placed  with  it  is  known 
to  be  safe. 

On  the  2nd  of  July,  1886,  Mr.  Cham- 
berlin  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Cora  L.  Orth,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary 
(Gardner)  Orth,  and  their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  two  children:  Harry  D.  and 
Marie  E.  Mrs.  Chamberlin  is  a  member  of 
the  First  Congregational  church  of  Elgin. 
John  Orth,  her  father,  was  a  native  of  New 
York,  and  came  to  Illinois  early  in  the  '505, 
locating  in  the  township  of  Caledonia, 
Boone  county,  where  he  engaged  in  farming 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
October  10,  1878.  His  widow  is  a  native 
of  Lockport,  Niagara  county,  New  York, 
where  they  were  united  in  marriage.  She 
is  still  living  on  the  old  homestead  in  Cale- 
donia township,  loved  and  respected  by  a 
large  circle  of  friends.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  two  children:  Ida  C.  and  Cora  L. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Chamberlin  is  a  member 
of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  Maccabees,  Royal 
League  and  Home  Forum.  Politically,  he 
is  a  Republican,  with  which  party  he  has 
been  identified  since  casting  his  first  presi- 
dential vote  for  U.  S.  Grant,  in  1872.  For 
two  years  he  served  as  assistant  supervisor 
of  Elgin,  and  in  the  spring  of  1897  was 
elected  supervisor  for  a  term  of  two  years. 
He  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in 
political  affairs  and  for  the  success  of  his 
party  has  labored  hard  in  season  and  out 
in  the  dissemination  of  party  principles. 
During  the  campaign  of  1896  he  gave  much 
time  to  the  work,  and  of  his  means  he  has 


usually  given  with  a  generous  hand.  In  his 
business  he  is  recognized  as  a  hustler,  and 
in  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties  he  has 
exhibited  the  same  energy  that  character- 
izes him  as  a  business  man.  As  a  progress- 
ive citizen  of  Elgin  and  Kane  county  he  is 
well  worthy  a  place  among  its  most  honored 
men,  and  few  men  in  the  county  have  more 
stanch,  true  and  tried  friends  than  the 
genial,  open-handed  and  warm-hearted  sub- 
ject of  this  biography. 


JOSEPH  TEFFT,  M.  D.,  the  first  mayor 
k-l  of  Elgin,  and  for  years  one  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  Kane  county,  was 
born  in  Lebanon,  Madison  county,  New 
York,  August  29,  1812,  acquired  a  good 
literary  education  for  the  times,  read  medi- 
cine with  an  uncle  in  Great  Barrington, 
Vermont,  and  in  1833  attended  medical 
lectures  at  a  college  in  Brattleboro,  that 
state.  His  father,  Jonathan  Tefft,  Sr. ,  was 
born  in  Madison  county,  New  York,  March 
1 8,  1790,  and  in  that  county  married  Eliza- 
beth Collins,  who  was  born  December  8, 
1792,  and  died  August  24,  1856.  In  1835 
they  emigrated  to  Illinois,  first  settled  on  a 
farm  adjoining  the  town  of  Elgin,  but  in 
Cook  county.  On  removing  to  section  36, 
Elgin  township,  Kane  county,  the  following 
year,  he  sold  the  Cook  county  farm  to  his 
son.  The  family  were  members  of  the 
Society  of  Friends,  and  were  widely  and 
favorably  known.  Having  sold  the  farm  to 
his  son  Jonathan,  he  temoved  to  the  city  of 
Elgin,  where  he  died  January  26,  1866,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  In  politics 
he  was  first  a  Whig  and  later  a  Republican. 
(Further  mention  is  made  of  the  family  in 
the  sketch  of  Jonathan  Tefft,  on  another 
page  of  this  volume.)  The  family  has  been 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


477 


-identified  with  the  history  of  this  country 
since  colonial  days.  In  the  possession  of 
Jonathan  Tefft,  of  Elgin  township,  is  the 
certificate  of  marriage  of  his  grandparents, 
Jeremiah  Tefft  and  Rhoda  Hoxsie,  of  Rich- 
mond, Kings  county,  Colony  of  Rhode 
Island,  dated  October  23,  1768.  After  the 
Revolutionary  war  they  removed  to  what 
was  then  the  "far  west,"  locating  in  Mad- 
ison county,  New  York,  where  they  reared 
a  large  family  of  children  and  spent  their 
remaining  days. 

With  his  father's  family  our  subject  came 
to  Illinois  in  the  fall  of  1835,  making  the 
entire  journey  with  ox  teams.  He  first 
located  at  South  Elgin,  but  later  traded 
farms  with  his  father,  taking  the  one  in 
Cook  county,  a  part  of  which  is  now  Lord's 
Park.  Upon  this  place  are  still  standing 
apple  trees  which  were  planted  by  Jonathan 
Tefft.  He  was  the  first  physician  of  Elgin, 
and  in  the  discharge  of  his  professional 
duties,  as  well  as  the  common  duties  of 
pioneer  life,  he  experienced  many  hardships. 
At  one  time  he  and  his  brother-in-law,  P. 
C.  Gilbert,  had  occasion  to  go  to  McHenry 
county.  On  their  return  they  found  that  a 
flood  had  washed  away  the  bridge  over  Fox 
river,  and  following  the  direction  of  a 
neighbor  they  started  to  ford  the  stream,  the 
Doctor  taking  the  lead.  The  horses,  how- 
ever, had  to  swim  partly  across.  On  arriv- 
ing home  the  Doctor  found  an  urgent  call 
awaiting  him.  He  immediately  re-crossed 
the  river,  saw  his  patient  and  returned,  the 
feat  being  accomplished  with  great  fatigue 
both  to  man  and  beast. 

Some  of  the  earliest  settlers  tried  to 
drive  away  those  who  came  a  little  later,  so 
that  they  might  secure  larger  tracts  of  land 
when  their  first  claims  were  perfected,  but 
their  threats  had  no  effect  upon  Dr.  Tefft. 


He  was  warned  to  leave  his  claim,  but  paid 
no  attention  to  it.  A  notice  was  tacked  to 
his  door,  and  finally  one  of  the  band  -came 
to  his  cabin,  telling  him  the  rest  of  the 
crowd  were  waiting  at  the  edge  of  the  tim- 
ber to  punish  him  if  he  did  not  leave.  He 
defied  them  and  they  asked  for  a  parley. 
He  replied  if  they  would  leave  their  rifles  in 
the  field,  they  might  approach  and  seat 
themselves  upon  a  log  in  his  yard,  and  that 
he  would  come  out,  rifle  in  hand,  and  par- 
ley with  them.  This  was  done,  with  the  re- 
sult that  he  told  them  plainly  that  he  would 
stand  by  his  rights  as  an  American  citizen, 
and  if  he  were  injured  more  than  one  of 
them  would  suffer  from  the  encounter.  He 
was  left  in  peace,  his  firmness  and  determ- 
ination having  won  the  day.  He  continued 
in  active  practice  until  1875,  and  was  fre- 
quently called  in  consultation  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death.  Being  a  great  reader  and 
student,  as  well  as  an  enterprising  pro- 
gressive man,  he  kept  abreast  of  the  times 
in  his  profession,  the  general  sciences  and 
literature.  He  was  one  of  the  most  hon- 
ored and  highly  respected  citizens  of  the 
community. 

Dr.  Joseph  Tefft  was  twice  married,  his 
first  union  being  with  Miss  Emeline  Gilbert, 
by  whom  he  had  one  child,  Julia,  now  de- 
ceased. For  his  second  wife  he  married 
Mrs.  Lavina  (Johnson)  Ormsby,  a  native  of 
Putney,  Vermont,  born  August  25,  1815. 
By  this  union  there  was  one  child,  Leslie 
E.  She  died  in  Elgin,  January  22,  1897. 

Dr.  Joseph  Tefft  was  the  first  mayor  of 
Elgin,  and  served  in  all  five  terms.  He  was 
president  of  the  Elgin  Academy  from  its  in- 
ception until  his  death,  which  occurred 
August  26,  1888.  He  was  also  president  of 
the  Scientific  Society,  and  was  a  man  high- 
ly honored  and  respected  by  all,  and  his 


478 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


death  was  sincerely  felt  in  the  community 
for  which  he  did  so  much,  and  where  he  so 
long  resided. 


JAMES  W.  BATTLE,  ex-mayor  of  Au- 
rora, was  born  in  the  town  of  Gill, 
Franklin  county,  Massachusetts,  October  5, 
1831.  His  father,  Ichabod  D.  Battle,  and 
his  mother,  Miranda  S.  (Moore)  Battle, 
were  both  natives  of  Orange,  Massachusetts. 
By  trade  the  father  was  a  wheel-wright  and 
wagonmaker,  which  occupation  he  followed 
during  his  entire  life.  His  death  occurred 
at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years,  and  he  was 
a  remarkably  well  preserved  man  until  the 
end,  running  a  sawmill  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
three  years.  His  wife  died  at  the  age 
of  fifty-seven  years.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  eight  children,  of  whom  four  are 
still  living,  as  follows:  Jane  I.,  widow  of 
Hetsel  Purple,  resides  in  Greenfield,  Mass- 
achusetts, but  spends  most  of  her  time  with 
her  children;  James  W.,  our  subject;  Edwin 
P.,  formerly  an  engineer  on  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  railroad,  now  resides 
in  Chicago;  Charles  S.,  living  in  Aurora. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in 
town  and  country,  and  attended  school  in 
the  country  until  about  sixteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  secured  employment  on  a 
farm,  at  five  dollars  per  month,  during  the 
summer.  He  then  went  to  work  in  a  pail 
factory,  where  he  remained  a  year  or  two, 
going  from  there  to  Athol,  Massachusetts, 
where  he  was  employed  in  a  hotel.  From 
Athol  he  went  to  Phillipston  and  worked  at 
splitting  palm  leaf,  for  making  hats.  He 
continued  there  one  season,  but  there  was 
too  much  brimstone  in  the  business,  and  so 
he  secured  work  in  the  chair  factory.  After 
being  employed  there  a  short  time,  he  went 


to  Capa  Cod  and  drove  a  peddler's  wagon, 
but  soon  returned  to  Winchester,  New 
Hampshire,  where  he  engaged  in  the  same 
business.  From  there  he  went  to  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  and  later  to  Norwalk,  in  the 
same  state,  and  in  1853,  commenced  firing 
on  a  railway  locomotive,  remaining  there 
fourteen  months.  On  account  of  cholera 
he  went  east  and  was  married  November  4, 
1854,  to  Miss  Cordelia  Lobdell,  a  native  of 
Monroeville,  Ohio,  by  whom  he  had  one 
child,  Emma  C.,  wife  of  Frank  Griffith, 
now  residing  in  Racine,  Wisconsin,  by  whom 
she  has  three  children,  Jamie,  Frank  and 
Sadie.  In  1856  Mrs.  Cordelia  Battle  was 
called  to  her  final  rest. 

The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Battle  oc- 
curred September  7,  1859,  when  he  was 
united  with  Miss  Isabella  Gilbert,  daughter 
of  Lyman  and  Emily  Gilbert,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Massachusetts.  Her  father 
was  born  in  1796,  and  died  November  4, 
1849;  her  mother  died  May  7,  1881,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six  years;  they  were  members 
of  the  Universalist  church.  In  their  family 
were  seven  children:  George,  born  in  1824, 
died  June  4,  1863;  Foster,  born  February 
19,  1825,  died  April  5,  1842;  Cephas,  born 
October  13,  1827,  moved  to  South  Carolina, 
in  early  manhood,  where  his  death  occurred 
in  June,  1894;  Lyman,  born  August  10, 
1829,  died  May  i,  1856;  Isabella,  born  Oc- 
tober 25,  1833,  is  the  wife  of  our  subject; 
Emily,  born  June  12,  1838,  died  May  19, 
1857;  and  Foster,  the  second,  born  March 
1 8,  1846,  died  July  27,  1889. 

In  1855,  our  subject  came  west  with  his 
wife,  and  located  in  Michigan  City,  Indiana, 
and  for  seven  months  was  with  the  New 
Albany  &  Salem  railroad  as  fireman,  and 
then  secured  a  position  as  engineer  on  the 
Michigan  Central  railroad.  With  that  road 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


479 


he  continued  until  1859,  when  he  went  to 
the  Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph  railroad,  but  did 
not  long  remain  with  it,  resigning  on  account 
of  ill  health.  He  went  to  Massachusetts  to 
regain  his  health,  and  was  under  the  doctor's 
care  for  some  time,  and  then  engaged  in 
farming.  In  the  spring  of  1860,  he  bought 
out  a  store,  at  Northfield  Farms,  Massachu- 
setts, and  was  in  the  mercantile  business 
until  1862,  when  he  sold  out  and  returned 
west  to  Aurora,  taking  an  engine  on  the 
Burlington  road.  He  continued  in  that  serv- 
ice, until  the  day  Lincoln  was  assassinated. 
From  Aurora  he  went  to  Janesville,  Wiscon- 
sin, and  for  four  years  ran  an  engine  on  the 
Wisconsin  division  of  the  Chicago  &  North- 
western railroad.  He  then  opened  a  hotel 
in  Chicago,  the  Clarenden,  on  the  corner  of 
Clark  and  Ontario  streets,  but  only  remained 
there  six  months,  when  he  sold  out  and  re- 
turned to  the  Burlington  railroad  at  Aurora, 
and  ran  an  engine  for  six  years.  He  next 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in  Aurora, 
with  Robert  Pierpont,  and  was  with  him  six 
years. 

On  the  introduction  of  the  street  rail- 
way in  Aurora,  he  was  made  superintend- 
ent, and  continued  to  be  thus  employed 
until  his  appointment  as  superintendent  of 
the  water  work's  in  1886.  He  held  that  po- 
sition three  years,  and  then  went  into  the 
lumber  business,  as  the  senior  member  of 
the  firm  of  Battle&  Glover.  After  five  months 
they  sold  the  business  to  the  street  railway 
company.  In  1878,  Mr.  Battle  was  elected 
alderman,  and  was  re-elected  until  1882, 
when  he  was  nominated  and  elected  mayor 
of  the  city,  serving  one  term.  In  1892,  he 
was  again  elected  alderman  of  his  ward,  and 
served  two  years.  He  was  in  the  council 
when  the  city  changed  its  lighting  from  gas 
to  electric  light,  being  the  first  city  in  the 


country  to  establish  that  system.  Repre- 
sentatives from  various  cities  in  almost  every 
state  in  the  union  came  here  to  see  the 
plant. 

In  1894,  Mr.  Battle  was  again  elected 
mayor,  but  was  counted  out.  He  contested 
the  election,  and  was  declared  elected  by 
the  county  court.  An  appeal  was  taken  to 
the  supreme  court,  by  the  other  party,  and 
that  court  confirmed  the  decision  of  the 
county  court.  He  was  then  given  the  office, 
but  had  only  six  weeks  to  serve.  Since 
that  time  he  has  been  in  private  life,  giving 
his  attention  to  other  interests  until  in  April, 
1898,  he  was  elected  supervisor  of  Aurora 
township  without  opposition.  He  is  now 
one  of  the  directors  of  the  Silver  Plate 
Manufacturing  Company,  a  stockholder  in 
the  cotton  factory  of  Aurora,  and  has  been 
connected  with  various  other  manufactures 
of  the  city,  of  late  years.  Mr.  Battle  was 
made  a  Master  Mason  in  Harmony  lodge, 
at  Northfield,  Massachusetts,  in  1863,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Jerusalem  Temple  at 
Aurora.  For  many  years  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Railway  Locomotive  Engineers.  In 
politics  he  is  an  ardent  Republican.  He 
has  never  asked  for  an  office  for  himself, 
and  it  has  been  with -him,  that  the  office 
sought  the  man,  and  not  the  man  the  office. 
In  all  official  acts  he  strives  to  do  his  duty, 
regardless  of  popular  feeling. 


JOHN  W.  LINDEN,  who  represents  the 
Seventh  ward  as  a  member  of  the  board 
of  aldermen  in  the  city  of  Aurora,  was  born 
in  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Luxemberg,  Janu- 
ary 27,  1859,  and  is  the  son  of  Peter  and 
Mary  Ann  (Flammang)  Linden,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  the  same  country. 
In  his  native  land  Peter  Linden  followed 


480 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  trade  of  wagon  maker,  but  on  coming 
to  this  country  in  1861  engaged  in  farming, 
which  occupation  he  followed  until  his  death, 
January  26,  1883,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven 
years.  He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in 
what  is  known  as  the  "big  woods."  He 
was  a  member  of  the  St.  Nicholas  Roman 
Catholic  church,  as  was  also  his  wife,  who 
died  January  4,  1898,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
four  years.  Of  their  family  of  five  chil- 
dren, John  is  the  city  inspector  of  sewers; 
Henry  engaged  in  the  saloon  business  in  Au- 
rora; Susan,  wife  of  Nicholas  Linster,  of 
Aurora,  an  employe  of  the  Chicago,  Bur- 
.lington  &  Quincy  Railroad  Company  in  the 
shops  at  Aurora;  Maggie,  wife  of  Peter 
Wagner,  an  electric  lineman  of  Aurora,  and 
John  W.,  our  subject. 

John  W.  Linden  was  educated  in  the 
country  schools  and  also-in-the  parochial 
schools  of  Aurora.  For  fifteen  years  he 
was  an  employe  of  the  woolen  mills  at  Au- 
rora, in  the  carding  and  spinning  depart- 
ments. After  leaving  the  mill  he  engaged 
in  the  wholesale  and  retail  liquor  business, 
as  agent  for  the  Pabst  Company  of  Mil- 
waukee. 

Mr.  Linden  was  married  in  October, 
1885,  to  Miss  Catherine  Winkle,  daughter 
of  Jacob  Winkle,  one  of  the  first  German 
settlers  in  this  section,  coming  here  in  the 
forties.  Religiously  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Linden 
are  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church. 
He  takes  great  interest  in  politics,  and  is  an 
ardent  believer  in  the  restoration  of  silver. 
He  is  the  present  chairman  of  the  Demo- 
cratic senatorial  committee,  of  Kane  and 
Du  Page  counties,  and  has  held  that  posi- 
tion for  the  past  six  years.  He  has  been  a 
delegate  to  the  various  state  conventions  of 
his  party,  and  was  a  delegate  to  the  first  sil- 
ver convention  held  in  this  state.  Few  men 


are  better  posted  in  political  issues,  espe- 
cially on  living  questions.  In  1891  he  was 
elected  alderman  from  his  ward,  and  has 
since  held  the  office  by  re-election.  That 
he  has  made  a  good  officer  is  attested  by  his 
continuous  service.  As  a  citizen  he  is  alive 
to  all  the  best  interests  of  Aurora. 


REV.  JONATHAN  C.  STOUGHTON,  a 
superannuated  minister  of  the  Rock 
River  conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  residing  at  No.  70  South  Lincoln  av- 
enue, Aurora,  Illinois,  was  born  in  Ashta- 
bula  county,  Ohio,  November  3,  1820,  and 
is  the  son  of  Henry  and  Almira  (Clapp) 
Stoughton,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Connecticut.  The  father  moved  from  Con- 
necticut toAshtabula  county,  Ohio,  in  1812, 
when  a  young  man,  and  was  there  married. 
His  life  occupation  was  that  of  a  farmer, 
and  his  death  occurred  in  Windsor  town- 
ship, Ashtabula  county,  in  1876,  when  in 
his  eighty-sixth  year.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Congregational  church,  while  living 
in  Connecticut,  but,  after  coining  to  Ohio, 
did  not  unite  with  any  church,  as  there  were 
no  churches  of  that  denomination  there  at 
that  time.  He  was  well  and  favorably 
known  in  the  county,  which  was  so  long  his 
home.  His  wife,  who  was  a  devout  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  died 
in  1844.  Of  their  seven  children,  four  are 
still  living:  Mary,  wife  of  Mr.  Gould,  re- 
siding in  Ashtabula  county,  Ohio;  Sarah, 
also  a  resident  of  that  county;  and  Henry 
E.,  of  Cambridge,  Illinois,  which  has  been 
his  home  for  many  years. 

Jonathan  C.  Stoughton,  who  was  the 
eldest  of  the  seven  children  born  to  his 
parents,  remained  on  the  home  farm  until 
in  his  eighteenth  year,  when  he  came  to  Illi- 


REV.  J.  C.   STOUGHTON. 


MRS.  J.   C.   STOUGHTON. 


.<*' 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


4*3 


nois,  and  worked  on  a  farm  in  Trivola  town- 
ship, Peoria  county,  for  one  hundred  dol- 
lars per  year,  remaining  there  for  three 
years.  He  then  entered  Knox  College,  at 
Galesburg,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1846.  During  vacations  he  taught  school, 
and  worked  in  the  harvest  fields,  that  he 
might  secure  the  means  to  continue  his 
studies. 

At  an  early  age  he  was  converted,  and 
united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
From  the  time  of  his  conversion,  he  felt  the 
desire  to  enter  the  ministry.  In  1846,  he 
joined  the  Rock  River  conference,  with 
which  he  has  since  held  official  connection. 
In  1854,  after  having  served  at  various 
places,  he  came  to  Aurora,  and  took  charge 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  this 
place.  Two  years  later,  by  appointment 
from  the  conference,  he  built  the  Jennings 
Seminary.  In  1858,  he  went  to  Freeport, 
where  he  continued  until  1860.  He  was 
elected  a  delegate  from  the  Rock  River 
conference  to  the  general  conference,  held 
at  Buffalo,  New  York,  in  1860.  He  then 
went  to  Champaign,  Illinois,  and  there 
erected  a  building,  and  started  the  Cham- 
paign and  Urbana  Seminary.  A  few  years 
later,  when  the  Illinois  legislature  had 
passed  an  act  for  the  creation  of  a  State 
University,  the  building  and  grounds  of  the 
seminary  were  offered  the  state,  as  an  in- 
ducement to  locate  the  university  there. 
Had  it  not  been  for  this  generous  offer,  it  is 
more  than  probable  the  university  would 
have  been  established  elsewhere. 

During  the  summer  of  1861  and  that  of 
1862  he  was  in  the  recruiting  service,  and 
was  instrumental  in  securing  many  volun- 
teers. In  the  fall  of  1862,  Mr:  Stoughton 
offered  his  services  as  a  private,  and  with 
the  command  went  to  Camp  Douglas,  where 

23 


he  was  commissioned  by  Governor  Yates 
as  a  captain  of  cavalry,  but  never  served  in 
that  capacity.  He  was  later  commissioned 
chaplain  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
seventh  Regiment,  Illinois  Volunteer  Infan- 
try. He  was  sent  south  to  Memphis,  and 
was  with  Sherman  when  after  Price  in  Ten- 
nessee, and  on  the  Tallahatchie  river.  He 
also  took  part  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg. 
He  stood  the  service  fairly  well,  but  took 
sick  on  the  Yazoo,  in  the  fall  of  1863,  and 
was  compelled  to  leave  the  service.  He 
personally  knew  Grant,  Sherman,  and  many 
of  the  leading  officers  of  the  Western  army. 
Returning  home,  he  shortly  after  was 
assigned  to  .  Grace  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  Chicago,  where  he  remained  one 
year,  returning  to  Champaign,  and  com- 
pleting the  institution,  which  had  been 
abandoned  thus  far  during  the  war.  At  this 
time  he  was  not  engaged  in  pastoral  work, 
but  was  appointed  by  the  conference  as  a 
general  agent,  and  lectured  much  on  tem- 
perance. In  1864,  he  started  and  edited  a 
temperance  paper,  which  was  wiped  out  by 
the  fire  in  Chicago,  in  1871.  As  a  lecturer 
on  temperance,  he  attained  great  celebrity, 
and  his  services  were  in  great  demand. 
After  traveling  in  Europe  for  a  time,  he  re- 
turned and  again  took  up  the  regular  work 
of  the  ministery.  After  serving  the  Galena 
street  church,  Aurora — followed  with  Rock 
Falls,  Rochelle  and  Wyanet- — he  then  went 
to  New  Mexico,  in  charge  of  the  English 
mission,  at  old  Santa  Fe.  Later  he  was 
sent  to  Chicago  as  pastor  of  the  Asbury, 
and  later  to  the  Winter  street  church,  the 
State  street  church  and  the  Fifty-fourth 
street  church.  After  leaving  Chicago,  he 
served  three  years  at  Sugar  Grove,  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  when  he  came  to  Aurora, 
where  he  has  since  continued  to  reside.  He 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


is  now  retired,  after  having  served  the  church 
fifty  years  in  the  active  work  of  the  ministry, 
though  not  always  as  a  pastor. 

Mr.  Stoughton  has  always  taken  an  in- 
terest in  political  affairs,  believing  it  to  be 
the  duty  of  a  minister,  as  well  as  a  layman, 
to  exercise  all  the  rights  of  citizenship.  In 
1870,  he  ran  as  an  independent  candidate 
for  congress,  against  General  Farnsworth, 
who  two  years  previously  had  been  elected 
by  fifteen  thousand  majority.  Notwith- 
standing the  large  majority  to  overcome, 
Mr.  Stoughton  made  a  vigorous  canvass. 
For  a  few  days  after  the  election,  the  Chi- 
cago papers  had  reported  he  was  elected, 
but  the  back  townships  counted  him  out. 

On  the  Qth  of  January,  1847,  Dr. 
Stoughton  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Amanda  Cheritre,  a  native  of  New 
York  state.  By  this  union  there  were  three 
children,  a  son  and  two  daughters.  The 
son,  Lorenzo  T.,  was  drowned  in  Fox  river, 
at  Montgomery,  in  1864.  With  another  boy 
he  was  in  a  skiff,  floating  down  the  river, 
and  not  observing  the  dam,  was  carried  over 
and  drowned.  Of  the  daughters,  Ethel  is 
now  the  wife  of  Rev.  W.  K.  Beans,  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  Spokane 
Falls,  by  whom  she  has  one  son,  Lorenzo 
W. ,  student  in  the  medical  department,  of 
the  Northwestern  University,  class  of  '99. 
Estella,  now  the  wife  of  Justice  Ament,  of 
Chicago.  The  wife  and  mother  died,  August 
24,  1880,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years. 
She  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  and  a  very  active  worker  in 
the  same.  September  i,  1881,  Dr. 
Stoughton  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Mary  J.  Leet,  of 
Bradford,  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  Will- 
iam and  Helen  Leet.  See  sketch  elsewhere 
in  this  volume.  Mrs.  Stoughton  is  a  woman 


of  superior  business  ability,  and  is  a  very 
successful  worker  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  of  which  she  has  been  a  member 
for  many  years. 

Since  1847,  Dr.  Stoughton  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Sons  of  Temperance,  and  for 
many  years  was  grand  worthy  patriarch  of 
the  order.  Through  his  instrumentality, 
many  persons  have  been  saved  from  the 
curse  of  drink,  and  started  in  the  way  of 
righteousness.  In  1852,  he  was  made  a 
Royal  Arch  Mason.  While  residing  in  New 
Mexico,  he  was  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R. , 
but  has  not  affiliated  with  the  order  to  any 
great  extent  since  his  return  to  Illinois. 
While  for  many  years  a  strong  Republican, 
in  1872  he  supported  Horace  Greeley  for 
president,  making  many  speeches  in  his  be- 
half in  Indiana  and  Illinois.  For  some 
years  he  has  been  an  active  worker  in  the 
Prohibition  party. 


JOSEPH  MOULTON  FISH,  who  is  re- 
siding in  the  city  of  Aurora,  is  a  native 
of  the  town  of  Danby,  Rutland  county,  Ver- 
mont, born  May  27,  1816.  His  father,  John 
Fish,  was  also  a  native  of  that  state,  while 
his  grandfather,  Elisha  Fish,  was  born  in 
Rhode  Island,  and  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,  and  also  in  the  war  of 
1812.  He  was  a  pioneer  settler  of  Rutland 
county,  Vermont.  The  family  are  of  En- 
glish origin,  the  great  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  coming  from  England  and  locating 
in  Rhode  Island.  John  Fish  grew  to  man- 
hood in  his  native  state,  and  there  married 
Abigail  Moulton,  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
Moulton,  who  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts and  a 'pioneer  of  Vermont.  By  occu- 
pation John  Fish  was  a  farmer,  and  during 
the  war  of  1812  served  as  a  non-commis- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


485 


sioned  officer.  His  wife  died  in  Vermont, 
and  he  later  moved  to  Illinois,  and  resided 
with  his  son  Joseph,  his  death  occurring  at 
Lockport,  Illinois,  in  April,  1863. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  oldest 
son  of  John  and  Abigail  Fish,  and  fifth  in 
order  of  birth  of  a  family  of  eight  sons  and 
four  daughters,  eight  of  whom  grew  to  ma- 
ture years,  married,  reared  families,  and 
are  all,  except  subject,  now  deceased.  In 
his  native  state  he  grew  to  manhood,  and 
there  received  limited  school  privileges,  but 
made  the  best  use  of  every  advantage  for 
obtaining  an  education.  His  youth  was 
spent  in  almost  every  kind  of  employment, 
and  he  received  a  thorough  practical  busi- 
iness  training.  In  addition  to  mercantile 
training  he  was  for  a  time  employed  in  the 
machine  shops  at  Danby,  Rutland  county, 
Vermont.  After  he  had  reached  his  major- 
ity he  commenced  business  for  himself, 
starting  a  blacksmith  shop,  in  which  he  em- 
ployed several  men.  He  continued  in  that 
business  for  five  years,  and  was  then  for 
seven  years  engaged  in  the  wholesale  mar- 
ble business,  quarrying  and  manufacturing. 
Selling  out,  he  removed  to  Buffalo,  New 
York,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
lumber  on  Buffalo  creek,  where  he  erected 
a  mill,  and  had  charge  of  a  very  extensive 
business,  purchasing  all  the  material,  selling 
all  the  lumber,  and  employing  all  the  men. 

In  the  spring  of  1859,  Mr.  Fish  sold  his 
interest  in  Buffalo,  came  to  Illinois,  and  lo- 
cated at  Lockport,  Will  county,  and  there 
engaged  in  the  real  estate  and  livery  busi- 
ness, and  for  four  years  served  as  deputy 
sheriff  of  Will  county.  In  1865,  he  moved 
to  Aurora,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  and 
the  real  estate  business,  continuing  in  that 
line  for  several  years,  during  which  time  he 
was  the  owner  of  several  improved  farms  in 


Kane  county,  and  also  much  city  property, 
and  now  owns  considerable  improved  res- 
idence property. 

Mr.  Fish  was  married  in  Rutland  county, 
Vermont,  in  1846,  to  Miss  Martha  B.  Smith, 
a  native  of  that  county,  and  a  daughter  of 
Asa  Smith.  After  a  happy  married  life  of 
fifty-three  years,  Mrs.  Fish  was  called  to 
her  final  rest,  May  7,  1897,  and  her  remains 
were  interred  in  Spring  Lake  cemetery. 
Religiously,  she  was  reared  in  the  Quaker 
faith.  Mr.  Fish,  though  not  a  member,  is 
an  attendant  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  but  like  his  wife  was  reared  a 
Quaker.  While  not  having  any  children  of 
their  own,  they  reared  and  educated  three 
children. 

Politically,  Mr.  Fish  was  an  Old-line 
Whig,  but  became  a  Republican  on  the  or- 
ganization of  that  party,  and  has  been  iden- 
tified with  it  to  the  present  time.  He  was 
elected  and  served  eight  years  as  a  member 
of  the  board  of  aldermen,  during  which 
time  he  served  on  some  important  commit- 
tee, was  chairman  of  the  courthouse,  public 
buildings,  and  public  grounds,  was  also 
chairman  of  the  judiciary  committee  for 
several  years,  and  a  member  of  the  finance. 
For  nine  consecutive  years  he  served  as  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  when  he  resigned  the 
office.  He  served  four  years  as  deputy 
sheriff  in  Kane  county,  also  served  for  nine 
years  on  board  of  town  auditors.  He  has 
served  as  a  delegate  to  county,  congressional 
and  state  conventions,  where  he  has  exerted 
considerable  influence.  In  whatever  posi- 
tion called  upon  to  fill  he  made  an  efficient 
officer. 

For  a  third  of  a  century,  Mr.  Fish  has 
b^en  a  resident  of  Aurora,  and  in  that  time 
has  made  many  warm  friends,  who  esteem 
him  for  his  worth  as  a  man,  and  who  recog- 


486 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


nize  his  ability  in  every  public  or  private 
capacity.  Commencing  life  in  limited  cir- 
cumstances, by  his  industry,  economy,  and 
business  ability,  he  has  become  one  of  the 
prosperous  citizens  of  Kane  county,  well- 
known  throughout  its  length  and  breadth. 


EZEKIEL  PEARCE,  a  retired  farmer, 
living  at  326  South  La  Salle  street, 
Aurora,  is  a  pioneer  of  northern  Illinois. 
He  was  born  in  Logan  county,  Ohio,  August 
6,  1827,  and  is  the  son  of  Daniel  and  Sarah 
(Titsworth)  Pearce,  the  former  a  native  of 
Maryland  and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  The  fa- 
ther was  by  occupation  a  farmer,  and,  in 
1832,  came  to  Illinois,  and  located  a  claim 
in  Kendall  county,  to  which  he  removed  his 
family  in  1833,  at  which  time  they  did  not 
know  of  a  white  man  north  of  them.  They 
settled  near  what  is  now  the  town  of  Os- 
wego,  and  there  was  only  two  families  be- 
tween them  and  Chicago.  The  family  of  a 
Mr.  Walker  was  the  only  one  residing  be- 
tween Oswego  and  Joliet. 

Daniel  Pearce  served  twelve  days  in  the 
war  of  1812,  when  he  was  called  back  on 
account  of  the  cessation  of  hostilities.  He 
was  married  three  times,  and  was  the  father 
of  fourteen  children,  nine  of  whom  were  by 
his  last  wife,  the  mother  of  our  subject. 
Of  these  nine,  all  are  living  but  two.  They 
were  Lemuel,  who  went  to  California  in 
1850,  in  company  with  our  subject,  and, 
after  their  arrival,  left  him  and  went  south 
with  a  friend,  to  engage  in  farming  was 
never  afterward  heard  from;  Ezekiel,  our 
subject;  Joseph,  a  farmer  residing  in  Kos- 
suth  county,  Iowa;  Elizabeth,  who  married 
J.  B.  Stafford,  and  is  now  deceased;  Daniel, 
who  resides  on  a  cotton  plantation,  in  Mis- 
sissippi; James,  living  near  Oswego,  Illi- 


nois; Rebecca,  wife  of  W.  H.  Chappell,  of 
St.  Joseph,  Missouri;  Isaac,  who  is  in  the 
grain  business  in  Dakota;  and  Calvin,  on 
the  homestead,  near  Oswego.  The  father 
died  in  1878,  when  eighty-nine  years  old, 
and  the  mother  in  1874,  when  seventy-five 
yearsold.  They  were  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist church  at  Oswego. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  on 
the  farm,  and  agricultural  pursuits  have 
been  his  life  work.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
two  years  he  began  life  for  himself,  working 
a  farm  on  shares.  In  1850,  he  went  to 
California,  by  the  overland  route,  in  com- 
pany with  his  brother,  Lemuel.  They  left 
Oswego,  Illinois,  March  11,  1850,  and 
reached  Placerville,  commonly  known  as 
Hangtown,  on  the  I4th  of  July,  following. 
They  started  in  a  company  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  persons,  but  dissensions  arose,  and 
there  were  but  few  of  the  number  together, 
on  their  arrival  in  California.  They  passed 
through  Salt  Lake  City,  and  there  spent 
eight  days,  resting  and  viewing  the  sights. 
On  account  of  ill  health,  he  was  compelled 
to  return  home  much  before  the  time  ex- 
pected. On  his  return  he  resumed  farming, 
and  in  1860,  made  his  first  purchase  of  land 
in  Kendall  county,  consisting  of  about  thir- 
ty-five acres.  As  his  means  increased,  he 
made  additions  to  his  farm,  until  he  had 
two  hundred  and  seventy- six  acres,  which 
is  yet  in  his  possession,  and  which  he  farmed 
for  many  years.  He  also  has  land  in  Ply- 
mouth county,  Iowa. 

In  1852,  Mr.  Pearce  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Sarah  A.  Brownell,  a  daugh- 
ter of  David  Brownell,  of  Kendall  county. 
By  this  union  were  six  children:  Sarah  E., 
now  the  wife  of  J.  S.  Hoyt,  a  farmer  of 
Plymouth  county,  Iowa,  by  whom  she  has 
one  child,  Harry;  Nora,  wife  of  Thomas 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


487 


Goudie,  by  whom  she  has  three  children, 
Daniel,  James  and  Margaret,  also  resides  in 
Plymouth  county,  Iowa;  Frank  D. ,  who 
married  Miss  Loucks,  bywhom  he  has  five 
children,  Roy,  Nathan,  Ezekiel,  Lida  and 
Edith,  is  a  farmenresiding  in  Oswego  town- 
ship, Kendall  county;  Fred  K.,  who  mar- 
ried Miss  F.  Gibbons,  by  whom  he  has 
two  children,  Arthur  and  Georgia,  resides 
on  the  old  homestead  in  Kendall  county. 
Two  others  died  in  early  childhood.  The 
mother  of  these  children  died  in  1883,  at 
the  age  of  fifty-seven  years.  Mr.  Pearce's 
second  marriage  was  in  March,  1888,  to 
to  Mrs.  Stafford,  nee  Ferris,  and  widow  of 
Joseph  Stafford. 

Mrs.  Pearce  is  a  member  of  the  Episco- 
pal .church,  and,  fraternally,  Mr.  Pearce  is  a 
member  of  Oswego  lodge,  No.  303,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.,  of  Oswego,  Illinois.  Politically,  he  is 
a  Democrat.  While  not  in  the  service  him- 
self, his  two  brothers,  Isaac  and  Calvin, 
took  part  in  the  late  war,  each  serving  three 
years.  The  latter  went  with  Sherman  to 
the  sea.  Isaac  was  a  member  of  the  Fourth 
Illinois  Cavalry,  and  was  taken  prisoner, 
and  spent  a  short  time  in  Andersonville. 
Both  returned  and  are  yet  living. 


F)ETER  VAN  DEUSEN,  of  Aurora,  Illi- 
1  nois,  though  not  numbered  among  the 
pioneers  of  Kane  county,  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Aurora  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury. He  is  a  native  of  New  York,  born  in 
"the  town  of  Livingston,  Columbia  county, 
July  8,  1812.  His  father,  Robert  Van 
Deusen,  was  a  native  of  the  same  county 
and  state,  as  was  his  grandfathe"r,  James 
Van  Deusen.  The  family  was  among  the 
pioneers  of  Columbia  county  and  was  origi- 
nally from  Holland.  Robert  Van  Deusen 


grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  county,  and 
married  Barbara  Sharp,  born  at  Greenbush, 
near  Albany,  New  York,  of  which  place  her 
father  was  an  early  settler.  Robert  Van 
Deusen  was  by  occupation  a  farmer,  and 
after  remaining  in  New  York  for  a  few 
months  after  marriage,  he  moved  to  the 
town  of  Sheffield,  Berkshire  county,  Massa- 
chusetts, where  his  death  occurred  some 
years  later,  and  where  his  wife  also  died. 
Of  their  five  sons  and  four  daughters,  all 
grew  to  mature  years,  married  and  became 
heads  of  families.  Of  this  number  our  sub- 
ject and  one  sister  are  the  only  survivors. 
The  sister,  Sally,  is  now  the  wife  of  John 
Hillier,  and  resides  in  Sheffield,  Berkshire 
county,  Massachusetts. 

Peter  Van  Deusen  spent  his  boyhood 
and  youth  on  the  farm  in  Columbia  county, 
and  had  but  very  limited  educational  ad- 
vantages, attending  school  during  a  few 
weeks  only  of  the  winter  months.  In 
other  seasons  of  the  year,  he  had  to  work 
on  the  farm.  After  leaving  the  parental 
roof,  he  worked  out  as  a  farm  hand  for  sev- 
eral years.  He  first  married  in  Litchfield 
county,  Connecticut,  in  1840,  Miss  Har- 
riet Foster,  a  native  of  Connecticut.  By 
this  union  were  two  sons:  Ward,  married 
and  residing  in  Cherokee  county,  Iowa;  and 
Frank,  married  and  residing  in  Litchfield 
county,  Connecticut. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Van  Deusen 
rented  a  farm  in  Litchfield  county,  Connect- 
icut, which  he  operated  a  few  years,  and 
then  purchased  the  place  on  which  he  re- 
sided for  several  years.  Selling  that  farm, 
he  purchased  the  old  homestead  in  Berk- 
shire county,  Massachusetts,  which  was  only 
two  miles  from  his  Connecticut  farm.  After 
operating  that  farm  for  a  number  of  years, 
he  sold  out  and  came  west.  While  residing 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  Massachusetts  he  lost  his  wife  in  1862. 
Some  six  years  later,  in  1868,  he  married 
Miss  Fannie  Cleveland,  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts. The  following  year  he  located  in 
Will  county,  Illinois,  where  he  rented  a 
farm  some  four  or  five  years.  He  then 
moved  to  Aurora  and  was  employed  in  va- 
rious enterprises  for  some  years.  Purchas- 
ing a  lot  soon  after  his  arrival  here,  he  built 
a  neat  and  substantial  residence  at  224 
Claim  street,  which  is  yet  his  home. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Van  Deusen  was  a  Whig, 
but  since  the  organization  of  the  Republican 
party  he  has  been  identified  with  it,  and 
has  been  an  earnest  advocate  of  its  princi- 
ples. While  not  a  member  of  any  church, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Deusen  attend  the  Con- 
gregational church.  In  the  many  years 
that  have  passed  since  coming  to  Kane 
county,  they  have  made  many  warm  friends, 
who  esteem  them  for  their  worth  as  citizens, 
and  who  honor  them  for  their  upright 
character. 


JAMES  WRIGHT,  a  progressive  farmer 
residing  on  section  35,  Plato  township, 
was  born  on  the  farm  on  which  he  now  re- 
sides, March  5,  1859.  He  received  limited 
schooling  in  the  district  school  until  his 
fourteenth  year,  attending  three  months 
each  winter.  His  father  died  at  that  time, 
making  it  necessary  for  him  to  shift  for  him- 
self. He  worked  for  a  farmer  during  his 
fourteenth  year,  and  attended  the  winter 
term  of  school.  Until  his  eighteenth  year 
he  worked  by  the  month  for  various  farmers 
and  then  leased  eighty  acres  from  his  moth- 
er, for  a  period  of  ten  years.  The  first 
year  his  mother  kept  house  for  him,  after 
which  he  kept  "bach"  for  five  years,  then 
sold  his  four-years'  leasehold  to  a  brother. 


The  next  six  ye:  rs  he  worked  on  farms 
again,  saving  his  money,  and  one  by  one 
bought  up  the  shares  of  his  brothers  and 
sisters  in  the  farm,  until  he  now  owns  the 
entire  tract,  consisting  of  one  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  as  fine  farming  land  as  lies 
in  the  Fox  River  valley.  He  bought  the 
final  share  in  1884. 

The  house  first  built  by  his  father  on 
his  first  purchase,  in  the  '303,  was  burned 
some  years  ago,  and  our  subject  now  resides 
in  the  old  house  that  stood  on  the  hundred- 
acre-tract,  purchased  by  his  father  many 
years  after  his  settlement  in  Plato  township. 
In  the  spring  of  1898  he  built  a  fine  large 
barn,  thirty-eighty  by  eighty  feet,  with  a 
high  basement  stable  for  the  sheltering  of 
his  herd  of  half  a  hundred  milch  cattle,  and 
his  teams  of  fine  horses.  A  breeder  of  fine 
horses,  Mr.  Wright  owns  "  Ben,"  a  beauti- 
ful white  horse,  whose  grandsire  was  the 
famous  Percheron  "Success,"  the  first  of 
his  race  to  be  brought  to  America.  His 
dam  was  of  Arabian  blood,  and  "Ben" 
shows  the  finer  qualities  of  each,  and  is  so 
gentle  a  child  can  drive  him.  He  has  the 
beautiful  outlines  and  finely  arched  neck  of 
his  Arabian  sires.  In  1899,  Mr.  Wright  de- 
signs building  a  commodious  residence  to 
take  the  place  of  the  one  he  now  occupies, 
which,  though  old,  is  made  comfortable  and 
cosy  on  the  inside  by  the  hard  of  Mrs. 
Wright. 

Like  all  thrifty  fanners,  Mr.  Wright  be- 
lieves in  building  first  the  barn  to  shelter 
the  stock  and  store  the  grain,  which  will 
build  the  house  later.  His  farm  is  well 
cultivated  and  is  used  for  dairy  purposes;  all 
the  products  of  the  fields  are  fed  upon  the 
place,  making  it  annually  more  fertile  than 
the  previous  year.  When  a  youth  of  seven- 
teen, Mr.  Wright  worked  with  a  threshing 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


489 


machine,  and  when  eighteen  purchased  a 
half  interest  in  a  machine,  and  since  that 
time  has  been  engaged  each  summer  and 
fall  more  or  less  in  the  threshing  business. 
He  early  began  those  habits  of  thrift  which 
have  made  him  independent  in  middle  life, 
not  owing  a  dollar  and  able  to  pay  cash  for 
all  he  buys.  When  he  first  began  life  for 
himself  he  had  occasionally  to  contract 
debts,  but  which  spurred  him  on  until  paid. 
Independence  is  the  fruit  of  his  labor. 

William  Wright,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  London,  England,  in  1813, 
and  was  the  son  of  a  small  farmer  who  was 
not  able  to  give  his  son  an  education.  He 
had  early  to  earn  his  own  living,  and  when 
a  mere  child  was  employed  at  a  few  shillings 
per  month,  with  board,  to  drive  crows  from 
the  fields  for  the  large  farmers.  While  thus 
employed  he  was  not  given  enough  to  eat; 
but  he  managed  to  earn  enough  to  bring 
him  to  America,  although  his  earnings  were 
small,  and  it  took  a  long  time  to  secure  the 
required  amount.  He  reached  New  York 
in  1836,  with  only  a  shilling  in  his 
pocket.  As  soon  as  he  could  earn  a  small 
sum  he  came  on  to  Kane  county,  and  for 
three  years  worked  at  anything  that  came 
to  his  hands.  He  entered  eighty  acres  on 
section  36,  Plato  township,  later  adding 
adjoining  one  hundred  acres  in  section  35. 
At  first  he  raised  grain  exclusively,  but 
drifted  into  dairy  farming  and  that  became 
more  profitable.  He  died  in  1872,  in  his 
fifty-ninth  year.  In  politics  he  was  a  Re- 
publican. 

After  living  a  bachelor's  life  for  five  or 
six  years  after  coming  to  Kane  county,  Mr. 
Wright  married  Miss  Sylvia  Seward,  a  native 
of  Binghamton,  New  York,  who  came  to 
Kane  county  with  her  parents  when  a  miss 
of  twelve  or  thirteen  years.  She  was  the 


daughter  of  Levi  and  Harriet  (Spencer) 
Seward.  By  this  union  ten  children  were 
born,  eight  of  whom  are  now  living:  John, 
living  near  Plato  Centre;  William,  living  in 
Kansas;  Mark,  who  resides  in  Nebraska; 
Sarah,  wife  of  Harry  Elmore, of  Rockford.Ill- 
nois;  James,  our  subject;  Huldah.who  makes 
her  home  with  our  subject;  Jesse;  Levi,  liv- 
ing at  Bafford,  Kansas;  Katherine,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  and  Frank  who 
died  in  infancy.  The  mother  of  these  chil- 
dren died  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years. 

James  Wright,  our  subject,  married,  in 
Geneva, Illinois,. December  8, 1885, Miss  Har- 
riet Tucker,  born  in  Campton  township,  Kane 
county,  and  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Clara 
(Andrew)  Tucker,  now  residents  of  Plato 
township.  By  this  union  five  children  have 
been  born,  four  of  whom  are  now  living: 
Meerll  Elmer,  born  October  14,  1886;  Ida 
May,  born  May  8,  1887;  Lester  Leroy,  born 
April  8,  1894;  and  Orris  L.,  born  July  4, 
1897.  One  child  died  in  infancy. 

Fraternally;  Mr.  Wright  is  a  member  of 
Wasco  camp,  No.  1701,  M.  W.  A.  In 
politics  he  is  a  thorough  Republican. 


JOHN  KELLY  is  a  prominent  farmer 
residing  on  section  15,  Hampshire 
township,  where  he  is  engaged  with  his 
brother,  Timothy  Kelly,  Jr.,  in  general  and 
dairy  farming.  He  was  born  on  the  farm 
where  he  now  resides,  October  14,  1865, 
and  is  the  son  of  Timothy  and  Mary  (Ryan) 
Kelly,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ireland. 
Timothy  Kelly,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  County  Tipperary,  Ire- 
land, March  25,  1818,  and  came  to  America 
in  1840,  taking  passage  on  an  old  sailing 
vessel,  and  being  shipwrecked.  The  voy- 
age lasted  sixteen  weeks,  when  he  landed 


490 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


at  New  York,  where  he  lived  one  year, 
working  at  his  trade  of  blacksmith.  On 
coming  to  Illinois,  he  secured  a  position  of 
blacksmith  for  the  stage  line  running  be- 
tween Chicago  and  Galena,  and  was  placed 
in  charge  of  the  shop  at  the  stage  station 
one  mile  west  of  the  old  village  of  Hamp- 
shire. He  was  the  first  blacksmith  in  the 
township.  Besides  the  company's  shoeing 
and  repairing,  he  was  allowed  to  do  such 
other  work  as  came  to  the  shop.  Having 
the  only  smithy  in  the  neighborhood,  he 
was  seldom  idle,  and,  by  his  thrifty  habits, 
prospered.  Soon  he  began  buying  land,  his 
first  purchase  being  about  1845,  when  he 
secured  a  portion  of  the  tract  which  now 
comprises  the  homestead,  to  which  he  added 
until  it  now  comprises  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  as  fine  land  as  is  to  be  found 
in  the  Prairie  state.  He  built  the  house  and 
barns,  and  began  the  tiling  of  the  land;--to 
which  his  sons  have  added  until  they  have 
more  than  one  thousand  rods  of  tiling.  In 
addition  to  his  farm,  Mr.  Kelly  purchased 
one  of  one  hundred  and  forty-five  acres, 
which  he  gave  to  his  son  James,  who  occu- 
pies the  same. 

In  1 848, ".in  Du  Page  county,  Illinois, 
Timothy  Kelly  married  Mary  Ryan,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Timothy  and  Ellen  (Eagan)  Ryan, 
who  emigrated  to  the  states  in  the  early 
'403.  By  this  union  ten  children  were  born, 
as  follows:  Michael,  a  blacksmith  residing 
in  Hampshire;  Ellen,  wife  of  Michael  Burns, 
an  account  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in 
this  work;  James,  living  in  the  village  of 
Hampshire;  Julia,  wife  of  Lawrence  Somers, 
of  Hampshire;  Maggie,  Mary  and  Bridget, 
who  died  quite  young;  John,  our  subject; 
Timothy,  Jr.,  in  partnership  with  our  sub- 
ject on  the  farm;  and  one  who  died  in 
infancy. 


After  the  building  of  the  railroad  and 
the  discontinuing  of  the  stage  line,  Mr. 
Kelly  erected  a  forge  on  the  farm,  and  con- 
tinued his  trade,  until_his  farming  interests 
were  such  as  to  demand  his  whole  attention. 
After  a  long  and  useful  life,  Mr.  Kelly  died 
June  23,  1889.  Religiously  he  was  a  Cath- 
olic, and  in  politics  a  Democrat. 

John  Kelly,  our  subject,  was  reared  on 
the  farm,  and  received  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Hampshire  village,  which  he  at- 
tended until  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  He 
remained  on  the  farm  with  his  father  until 
his  death,  since  which  time,  in  partnership 
with  his  brother  Timothy,  he  has  been  en- 
gaged in  its  cultivation.  They  keep  it  un- 
der a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  have 
upon  the  place  about  fifty  head  of  cows, 
the  product  of  which  they  ship  to  Chicago. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  and,  religiously, 
a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  at  Hamp- 
shire. He  married  Maggie  Manning,  born 
in  Boston,  and  a  daughter  of  Phillip  and 
Ellen  (Hawes)  Manning,  both  of  whom 
were  born  in  County  Tipperary,  Ireland, 
and  both  living  in  Rutland  township,  Kane 
county,  in  good  health. 


HIRAM  T.  HARDY,  M.  D.,  has  been 
actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession  at  Kaneville,  Illinois,  for  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century.  He  is  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  born  at  North  Groton,  Grafton 
county,  March  12,  1838.  The  family  are 
of  English  descent,  and  early  settlers  of 
New  England.  David  Hardy,  the  grand- 
father, was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  as 
was  also  his  son,  Luther  Hardy,  the  father 
of  our  subject.  The  latter  grew  to  man- 
hood in  Grafton  county,  and  there  married 
Lucy  Tenney,  also  a  native  of  the  Granite 


LIHRAflV 
OF  THE 

Of  1UIN01S. 


H.  T.   HARDY,  M.   D. 


MRS.   H.  T.   HARDY. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


493 


state,  and  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and 
Betsy  (Taylor)  Tenney,  the  latter  being  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  Taylor,  a  soldier  of  the 
Revolutionary  war.  Luther  Hardy  was  a 
substantial  farmer  of  Grafton  county,  where 
he  reared  his  family,  and  there  spent  his 
entire  life,  dying,  however,  while  on  a  visit 
to  Boston,  Masachussetts,  March  27,  1872. 
His  wife  passed  away  August  20,  1871. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  upon  the  home  farm, 
and  in  the  common  schools  received  his 
primary  education,  completing  his  literary 
course  at  theThetford,  Vermont,  Academy. 
After  leaving  school,  he  was  engaged  in 
teaching  for  about  two  years,  during  which 
time  he  began  the  study  of  medicine,  under 
the  instruction  of  Dr.  E.  C.  Worcester,  and 
took  his  first  course  of  lectures  at  Dartmouth 
College.  In  the  spring  of  1862,  he  enlisted 
in  the  Seventh  Squadron,  Rhode  Island 
Cavalry,  for  three-months'  service.  They 
were  sent  to  the  front,  and  did  duty  in 
Shenandoah  Valley,  Virginia,  principally  in 
scouting  and  picket  duty.  He  was  dis- 
charged at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
enlistment,  returned  home,  and  resumed  the 
study  of  medicine.  His  services,  however, 
were  needed  in  the  field,  and,  in  the  fall  of 
1863,  he  again  enlisted,  this  time  joining  the 
Third  Vermont  Battery,  and  with  this  bat- 
tery he  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  participating  with  it  in  many 
engagements,  among  which  was  the  battle 
of  the  Wilderness,  numerous  engagements 
around  Petersburg  and  Richmond,  and  in 
fact  all  along  the  line.  Early  in  1865  they 
broke  camp,  and  started  after  Lee,  and 
our  subject  was  present  at  Appomattox 
Courthouse,  when  General  Lee  surrendered. 
After  the  surrender  he  was  detailed  to  hos- 
pital duty,  at  Farmville,  Virginia,  and  there 


remained  until  his  discharge,  June  15, 
1865. 

After  receiving  his  discharge,  Mr.  Hardy 
returned  home,  and  again  took  up  the  study 
of  medicine.  In  the  fall  of  1865  he  re- 
turned to  Dartmouth  College,  and  grad- 
uated from  that  noted  institution  of  learning 
in  the  class  of  1866,  receiving  his  degree  of 
M.  D.  Soon  after  graduating,  he  located 
at  Strafford,  Vermont,  and  began  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession,  remaining  thereabout 
five  years,  and  building  up  a  good  practice. 

While  residing  at  Strafford,  Dr.  Hardy 
was  united  in  marriage,  March  12,  1868, 
with  Miss  Sophia  E.  Buzzell,  a  native  of 
Vermont,  borri  and  reared  at  Strafford,  and 
in  its  schools,  and  at  Flushing,  Long 
Island,  receiving  her  education.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  John  D.  and  Wealthy  A.  (Smith) 
Buzzell,  both  natives  of  Vermont.  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Hardy  have  two  children  living, 
Ralph  H.  and  Adra  Genevieve.  The  for- 
mer is  married,  and  is  engaged  in  business 
in  Kaneville.  The  latter  is  a  student  of  the 
Kaneville  school,  and  has  developed  fine 
musical  talent.  One  daughter,  Mabel  Le 
Rue,  died  in  1877,  at  the  age  of  four  and  a 
half  years. 

In  the  spring  of  1-871,  Dr.  Hardy  came 
to  Illinois  and  located  at  Elgin,  where  the 
parents  of  Mrs.  Hardy  had  previously  set- 
tled. During  the  summer  following,  Dr. 
Hardy  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  Elgin,  but  in  the  fall  of  that  year 
moved  to  Dorchester,  Saline  county,  Ne- 
braska, but  only  remained  there  during  the 
winter,  returning  to  Elgin  in  the  spring  of 
1872,  and  there  engaging  in  practice  about 
eighteen  months,  and,  in  the  fall  of  1873, 
removing  to  and  making  a  permanent  lo- 
cation at  Kaneville.  Here  he  has  since 
been  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his 


494 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


profession,  a  period  of  twenty-five  years. 
His  practice  is  a  large  one,  extending  for 
many  miles  around.  His  success  as  a  physi- 
cian has  been  such  as  to  commend  him  to 
the  entire  community.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Fox  River  Valley  Medical  Association, 
the  Chicago  Medical  Association,  the  Illinois 
State  Medical  Association  and  the  American 
Medical  Association,  in  each  of  which  he 
has  been  somewhat  active,  preparing  various 
papers,  and  taking  part  in  the  discussions. 
He  keeps  fully  abreast  of  the  times  and 
well  posted  in  all  the  medical  discoveries, 
and  while,  naturally  conservative,  does  not 
hesitate  to  adopt  that  which  accords  with 
his  judgment. 

The  father  of  Mrs.  Hardy,  John  D.  Buz- 
zell,  came  west  with  his  family  in  1870,  lo- 
cating in  Elgin,  Illinois,  where  he  lived  a 
retired  life,  and  there  spent  his  last  years, 
dying  in  1874.  After  his  death,  Mrs.  Buz- 
zell  moved  to  Kaneville,  making  her  home 
with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Hardy,  where  her 
death  occurred  in  1881.  They  were  both 
highly  honored  and  respected  people. 

Politically  Dr.  Hardy  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican, and  in  1860,  cast  his  first  presi- 
dential ballot  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  From 
that  time  to  the  present,  he  has  advocated 
the  men  and  measures  of  that  party,  and 
has  cast  his  vote  for  each  of  its  presidential 
candidates.  A  friend  of  education  and  the 
"public  schools,  he  has  served  several  years 
as  a  member  of  the  school  board  of  Kane- 
ville, and  is  at  present  one  of  the  board. 
Religiously  the  Doctor  and  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Congregational  church  at  Elgin, 
and  attend  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
at  Kaneville,  and  for  eleven  years  the 
Doctor  served  as  superintendent  of  its  Sun- 
day-school, and  was  also  leader  of  the 
choir,  while  Mrs.  Hardy  was  organist  for 


some  years.  Their  son,  Ralph  H.,  is  now 
leader  of  the  choir  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  Fraternally  the  Doctor  is  a 
Master  Mason,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  the  exam- 
ining physician  for  the  camp  at  Kaneville. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Aurora  post, 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  Few  men 
are  better  known  in  Kane  county,  and  none 
more  highly  honored  than  the  subject  of  this 
sketch. 


DANIEL  J.  FELLOWS,  one  of  the  en- 
terprising and  progressive  business 
men  of  St.  Charles,  dates  his  residence  in 
Kane  county  from  November,  1839,  and  is 
there  justly  numbered  among  its  pioneers  as 
well  as  its  representative  and  prominent 
citizens.  The  Fellows  family  is  of  English 
origin  and  was  founded  in  the  United  States 
at  a  very  early  day,  its  representatives  lo- 
cating in  New  York,  of  which  state  our  sub- 
ject's grandfather  was  a  native. 

His  father,  Stephen  Fellows,  was  also 
born  in  New  York,  and  when  a  child  of  five 
years  lost  his  father.  In  Genesee  county, 
that  state,  he  grew  to  manhood  and  mar- 
ried Sabra  Stephens,  who  was  born  in  New 
York,  of  German  lineage.  In  1835  they 
removed  to  Cuyahoga  county,  Ohio,  where 
our  subject  was  born  March  16,  1836,  but 
after  a  residence  there  of  one  year  they  re- 
turned to  New  York.  In  November,  1839, 
however,  they  came  to  Kane  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  the  father  purchased  a  claim  of 
three  hundred  acres.  He  later  entered  the 
land  and  converted  it  into  a  fine  farm,  con- 
tinuing to  make  it  his  home  until  called  to 
his  final  rest  in  1875,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
one  years.  He  was  one  of  the  charter  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  church  of  St.  Charles, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


495 


which  he  helped  to  organize,  and  always 
took  an  active  and  prominent  part  in  all 
church  work.  His  wife  survived  him  for 
five  years,  and  they  now  lie  side  by  side  in 
the  Garfield  cemetery  near  the  old  home- 
stead. 

To  this  worthy  couple  were  born  five 
sons  and  seven  daughters,  of  whom  three 
sons  and  six  daughters  are  still  living.  Lu- 
cinda  was  the  wife  of  Joseph  Allard,  a  resi- 
dent of  Iowa.  Hiram  has  been  a  resident 
of  Oregon  since  1847,  having  driven  across 
the  plains  with  two  yoke  of  oxen  and  being 
six  months  en  route.  Darius  died  in  Utah. 
Mary,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Martin 
Johnson,  of  Janesville,  Wisconsin.  Laura 
is  the  widow  of  A.  L.  Wheeler  and  is  a  res- 
ident of  St.  Charles.  Alexander  is  de- 
ceased. Daniel  J.  is  next  in  order  of  birth. 
Stephen  A.  lives  in  Ogle  county,  Illinois. 
Caroline  is  the  wife  of  John  M.  Kendall,  of 
Vandalia,  Illinois.  Lydia  is  the  wife  of 
James  Earnshaw,  of  Olwein,  Iowa.  Sarah 
is  the  wife  of  H.  M.  Wing,  of  Olwein,  Iowa. 
Jerome  Lawrence  also  makes  his  home  in 
the  same  town  in  Iowa. 

Daniel  J.  Fellows  was  only  a  child  of 
three  years  when  brought  by  his  parents  to 
this  state,  and  upon  the  old  homestead  in 
Kane  county  he  grew  to  manhood,  attend- 
ing the  local  schools  and  aiding  in  the  work 
of  clearing  and  developing  the  home  farm. 

After  reaching  man's  estate  he  rented  a 
farm  and  began  life  for  himself.  In  this 
county  he  was  married  in  March,  1858,  to 
Miss  Serepta  Madison,  a  native  of  New 
York  State,  and  a  daughter  of  Dyer  Madi- 
son, another  pioneer  of  Kane  county,  who 
brought  his  family  here  when  Mrs.  Fellows 
was  a  child  of  twelve  years. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Fellows  contin- 
ued to  engage  in  agricultural  pursuits  until 


1865,  when  he  rented  his  farm,  and  since 
November  of  that  year  has  lived  at  his  pres- 
ent home  in  St.  Charles.  For  about  five 
years  he  engaged  in  pressing  hay  and  hand- 
ling stock  and  grain,  and,  later,  in  connection 
with  the  stock  business,  he  was  interested 
in  general  merchandising  for  about  three 
years.  On  the  3d  of  June,  1874,  he  started 
for  California  with  three  car  loads  of  sheep, 
which  he  disposed  of  in  San  Francisco,  the 
venture  proving  quite  profitable,  and  the 
money  derived  therefrom  he  invested  in 
half  a  block  on  Forty- eighth  street,  Chicago. 
After  four  months  spent  upon  the  Pacific 
slope  he  returned  to  St.  Charles,  and  again 
engaged  in  the  stock  and  grain  business  un- 
til 1887.  That  year  he  and  his  family  went 
to  California  by  way  of  the  Southern  Pacific 
railroad,  and  from  the  southern  part  of  that 
state  proceeded  to  San  Francisco, and, later, 
to  Oregon,  visiting  his  brother,  who  had 
left  his  old  home  in  Kane  county  just  forty 
years  before.  This  pleasant  trip  occupied 
five  months.  Since  his  return,  Mr.  Fellows 
has  given  his  attention  principally  to  the 
real-estate  business,  handling  Chicago  and 
farm  property. 

Our  subject's  first  wife  died  November 
ii,  1870,  leaving  three  children.  Sabra 
Ellen  married  Fred  Moore  and  removed  to 
.Kansas,  where  she  died,  leaving  three  chil- 
dren. Elmer,  who  is  now  interested  in  the 
stock  and  grain  business  in  St.  Charles,  is 
married  and  has  six  children.  Harry,  also 
of  St.  Charles,  is  married  and  has  three 
children.  In  Marengo,  Illinois,  December 
25,  1872,  Mr.  Fellows  married  Helen  M. 
Beam,  a  native  of  Kane  county,  and  a 
daughter  of  James  Beam,  an  early  settler 
and  pioneer  teacher  of  this  region.  This 
wife  died  March  5,  1889.  Two  children 
blessed  this  union:  Willis  Daniel,  a  resi- 


496 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


dent  of  St.  Charles;  and  Bessie  L.,a  graduate 
of  the  East  Side  High  School,  now  living 
at  home.  On  the  25th  of  September,  1889, 
in  St.  Charles,  Mr.  Fellows  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Eliza  H.  Dailey,  who  was 
born,  reared  and  educated  in  Nova  Scotia, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  James  S.  Dailey,  also 
a  native  of  Nova  Scotia.  By  the  last  mar- 
riage there  are  three  children,  namely: 
Howard  M.,  Stephen  L.  and  Laura  Elva. 
Mr.  Fellows  cast  his  first  presidential 
ballot  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1860,  and 
was  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party  for  many  years,  but  for  the  past  eight 
years  he  has  been  identified  with  the  Pro- 
hibition party.  He  has  never  cared  for 
political  honors,  preferring  to  give  his  entire 
time  and  attention  to  his  business  interests. 
Earnest  and  consistent  Christian  people,  he 
ana  his  wife  are  faithful  members  of  the 
Baptist  church,  with  which  he  has  long 
been  officially  connected,  and  is  now  serv- 
ing as  deacon.  Almost  his  entire  life  has 
been  passed  in  Kane  county,  and  that  those 
who  know  him  best  are  numbered  among 
his  warmest  friends  testifies  to  a  well-spent 
life  and  honorable  career. 


JACOB  D.  RICKERT,  the  well-known 
engineer  at  the  Elgin  Watch  Factory, 
of  Elgin,  Illinois,  and  one  of  the  honored 
early  settlers  of  that  place,  is  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  born  May  25,  1838,  in  Schuyl- 
kill  county,  of  which  his  parents,  Joseph 
and  Elizabeth  (Diebert)  Rickert,  were  also 
natives.  Both  were  of  German  descent  and 
were  representatives  of  old  Pennsylvania 
families.  Joseph  Rickert,  who  was  a  farm- 
er by  occupation,  brought  his  family  to  Illi- 
nois about  1848,  and  first  located  in  Gene- 
va, Kane  county,  where  he  worked  at  his 


chosen  calling  for  about  six  years.  He  then 
removed  to  Elmhurst,  Du  Page  county, 
twelve  years  later  went  to  Bloomingdale, 
Illinois,  and,  after  fifteen  years  spent  at  that 
place,  removed  to  Wheaton,  where  he  lived 
for  three  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he 
located  in  Naperville,  all  in  Du  Page  county. 
At  the  last  named  place  he  died  in  1878, 
and  his  wife  passed  away  at  the  home  of 
her  son,  Daniel,  in  Aurora,  in  1889.  They 
were  earnest  members  of  the  German  Evan- 
gelical church,  and  in  politics  the  father 
was  first  a  Whig  and  later  a  Republican. 
In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple  were 
seven  children,  four  of  whom  are  still  liv- 
ing, namely:  Esther,  the  wife  of  Samuel 
Kline;  Sarah,  wife  of  Walter  L.  Good;  Dan- 
iel, a  resident  of  Aurora;  and  Jacob  D. ,  of 
this  sketch. 

Until  attaining  his  majority  our  subject 
remained  with  his  parents,  and  in  the  schools 
of  Geneva,  Illinois,  he  began  his  education, 
the  family  having  removed  to  that  place 
when  he  was  about  eight  years  of  age.  The 
district  schools  afforded  him  the  only  oppor- 
tunity he  had  for  obtaining  an  education. 
Mr.  Rickert  manifested  his  patriotism  by 
enlisting  at  St.  Charles,  Kane  county,  Sep- 
tember 1 6,  1 86 1,  in  Company  D,  Eighth 
Illinois  Cavalry,  and  was  in  all  the  engage- 
ments of  his  regiment  until  after  the  battle 
of  Williamsburg,  Virginia,  in  1863.  While 
on  a  foraging  expedition  in  charge  of  Quar- 
termaster Chamberlain,  he  and  his  com- 
rades met  a  regiment  of  Confederate  sol- 
diers, who  made  them  prisoners.  For  about 
a  month  he  was  confined  in  Libby  prison 
and  was  then  paroled  under  the  condition 
that  they  would  fight  no  more.  They  were 
ordered  to  Washington,  District  of  Colum- 
bia, where  there  was  a  large  number  of 
paroled  prisoners,  more  than  could  be  pro- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


497 


vided  for,  and  Mr.  Rickert  was  among 
those  discharged  by  order  of  the  Secretary 
of  War. 

Since  his  return  from  the  war,  Mr. 
Rickert  has  been  employed  as  a  stationary 
engineer,  and  in  that  capacity  has  been 
with  the  Elgin  Watch  Factory  since  Janu- 
ary 8,  1867,  almost  a  third  of  a  century. 
His  long  continuance  in  their  service  plain- 
ly indicates  the  confidence  and  trust  the 
company  repose  in  him. 

On  the  6th  of  January,  1864,  Mr.  Rick- 
ert was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Har- 
riet A.  Smith,  a  native  of  Bloomingdale, 
Du  Page  county,  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of 
Alvin  and  Mrs.  (Walker)  Smith,  who  weie 
among  the  early  settlers  of  that  place, 
where  the  mother  died.  The  father,  who 
was  a  native  of  Vermont  and  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  departed  this  life  while  living 
in  Elgin.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rickert  have  four 
children:  Charles  A.,  an  employe  in  the 
Elgin  Watch  Factory,  wedded  Mary  John- 
son, of  Carpentersville,  and  has  one  child, 
Gale;  Judson  D.  married  Frances  Barber 
and  is  employed  in  the  finishing  department 
of  the  watch  factory;  Lillian,  who  is  also 
connected  with  the  factory,  resides  at  home; 
and  Nellie  E.  expects  to  graduate  from  the 
Michigan  University  at  Ann  Arbor  in  the 
spring  of  1898.  The  family  have  a  very 
pleasant  home  at  No.  274  Grove  avenue, 
which  was  erected  by  Mr.  Rickert,  and 
which  is  the  abode  of  hospitality  and  good 
cheer. 

Politically,  he  is  an  ardent  Republican, 
and,  socially,  he  is  an  active  and  prominent 
member  of  the  Grand  Army  Post,  No.  49, 
of  Elgin,  and  he  also  belongs  to  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen  and  the  Loyal 
Legion.  He  is  a  man  of  domestic  tastes 
and  industrious  habits,  and  commands  the 


confidence  and  respect  of  all  with  whom  he 
comes  in  contact,  either  in  business  or  so- 
cial life.  Mrs.  Rickert  is  an  earnest  mem- 
ber of  the  Congregational  church  and  a 
most  estimable  lady. 


JOHN  H.  SCOTT,  who  is  now  living  a 
retired  life  in  Aurora,  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Kane  county  since  1838.  He  is  a 
native  of  Oneida  county,  New  York,  born 
October  26,  1834.  His  father,  John  Scott, 
was  a  native  of  County  Derry,  Ireland,  born 
about  1804,  came  with  his  parents  to  the 
New  World,  when  a  lad  of  eleven  years. 
They  settled  in  Oneida  county,  New  York, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood,  married  Mary 
Atkinson,  a  native  of  Leeds,  England,  and 
who  came  to  America  with  her  father, 
Francis  Atkinson,  when  a  child  of  nine 
years.  John  Scott  was  a  wagon  maker  by 
trade,  and  followed  that  occupation  in  con- 
nection with  carpentering  in  early  life.  In 
1837,  he  moved  to  Chicago,  then  a  town 
of  about  three  thousand  people,  and  for  a 
year  was  an  overseer  on  the  Illinois  &  Mich- 
igan canal.  In  1838  he  came  to  Kane 
county,  and  spent  the  winter  of  1838-9  in 
the  village  of  St.  Charles.  In  the  spring  of 
1839,  he  took  up  a  claim  of  sor  .e  four  hun- 
dred acres  in  Virgil  township  The  Indian 
tent-poles  were  still  on  the  place,  and  also 
the  tent-poles  of  the  soldiers  under  General 
Scott,  who  removed  the  Indians  from  this 
vicinity. 

After  locating  upon  the  farm,  John 
Scott  commenced  its  improvement,  and  at 
the  same  time  did  a  great  deal  of  carpenter 
work  in  Kane  and  adjoining  counties,  up  to 
within  a  short  distance  of  Chicago.  He 
built  three  good  houses  on  his  claim,  and, 
in  1856,  engaged  in  merchandising  at  Black- 


498 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


berry  Station,  now  Elburn.  He  remained 
there  for  two  years,  then  returned  to  his 
farm,  but  later  sold  it  and  removed  to  Syca- 
more, De  Kalb  county,  built  a  residence, 
and  there  engaged  in  business  for  a  time, 
then  returned  to  farm  life,  and  still  later  lo- 
cated in  Elburn,  where  he  remained  about 
a  year.  He  then  went  to  St.  Charles, 
where  he  died  at  the  residence  of  his  son, 
William,  in  1880.  His  wife  passed  away 
about  two  years  later.  He  was  quite  a 
prominent  man  in  the  early  days  of  Kane 
county,  and  was  one  of  the  last  county 
commissioners  prior  to  the  adoption  of  the 
township  organization  law.  For  several 
years  he  served  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and 
was  one  of  the  most  active  and  enterprising 
citizens  of  this  county. 

John  H.  Scott,  our  subject,  came  to  the 
state  a  lad  of  three  years,  and  was  but  four 
years  old  when  he  came  to  Kane  county. 
In  the  primitive  schools  of  the  early  days, 
he  obtained  his  primary  education,  and  later 
attended  the  St.  Charles  High  School  and 
the  Elgin  Academy.  He  remained  upon  the 
home  farm  until  after  attaining  his  major- 
ity, and  with  his  father  was  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  trade  at  Blackberry  Station.  In 
1858  he  purchased  his  father's  interest  in 
the  store,  which  he  continued  for  one  year, 
then  exchanged  it  for  a  farm  in  Kaneville 
township. 

On  the  22nd  of  November,  1858,  in 
Ogle  county,  Illinois,  he  married  Miss 
Martha  J.  Ostrander,  a  native  of  Erie  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  where  she  was  reared  and 
educated,  and,  for  a  time  previous  to  her 
marriage,  engaged  in  teaching  in  the  public 
schools.  By  this  union  two  children  were 
born,  who  grew  to  maturity,  the  eldest,  Lill- 
ian Lizzie,  being  now  the  wife  of  F.  G. 
Hanchett,  a  prominent  attorney  of  Aurora. 


The  other,  R.  B.  Scott,  is  also  a  lawyer  of 
prominence  in  Aurora"  He  married  Alice 
M.  Downing,  a  daughter  of  W.  H.  Down- 
ing, of  Aurora. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scott  began  their  domestic 
life  in  the  town  of  Blackberry,  but,  in  1859 
moved  to  the  farm  in  Kaneville  township, 
which  was  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  improved  land.  He  at  once  be- 
gan the  cultivation  of  the  farm,  and  en- 
gaged in  general  farming  and  stockraising 
for  about  seven  years,  when  he  sold  the 
farm  and  January  i,  1867,  moved  to  Kane- 
ville, and  for  a  time  was  clerk  in  the  em- 
ploy of  B.  A.  Coy,  and  later  with  B.  A. 
Coy  &  J.  W.  Prichard.  After  being  in  the 
firm  for  a  time,  he  purchased  the  interest 
of  the  firm,  and  continued  the  business  un- 
til 1888,  and  meeting  with  gratifying  suc- 
cess. During  this  tirne  he  invested  his 
surplus  means  in  two  farms,  one  near  Kane- 
ville, consisting  of  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
one  acres,  well-improved,  and  a  place  of 
four  hundred  acres  in  Blackberry  township, 
which  was  also  well  improved. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Scott  is  a 
Republican,  his  first  presidential  ballot  be- 
ing cast  for  John  C.  Fremont,  in  1856.  He 
has  cast  his  presidential  ballot  for  the  nom- 
inee of  that  party  at  every  election  from 
that  time  to  the  present,  save  in  1896, 
when  he  was  prevented  from  voting  by  an 
accident,  which  confined  him  to  the  house. 
By  his  fellow  citizens  he  has  been  hon- 
ored with  various  local  offices,  including 
that  of  township  treasurer,  in  which  he 
served  several  years,  justice  of  the  peace 
for  eight  years,  and  also  assessor  for 
several  years.  A  friend  of  education,  he 
served  for  years  as  a  member  of  the 
school  board,  and  for  some  sixteen  years 
was  postmaster  at  Kaneville.  In  many  of 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


499 


the  conventions  of  his  party,  county,  con- 
gressional and  state,  he  served  as  a  delegate. 
Faithful  in  all  things,  he  discharged  every 
duty  in  a  satisfactory  manner. 

Mr.  Scott  lost  his  wife  July  5,  1896, 
and  she  was  laid  to  rest  in  Spring  Lake 
cemetery.  She  was  for  many  years  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Methodist  church, 
and  died  in  the  faith.  For  more  than  forty 
years,  Mr.  Scott  has  also  been  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in  which 
he  has  taken  an  active  part,  and  where  his 
influence  for  good  has  been  been  felt  by 
many  persons.  In  1896  he  moved  to  Au- 
rora, where  he  has  since  lived  a  retired 
life,  enjoying  the  fruits  of  the  years  gone 
by,  honored  and  respected  by  all.  In  the 
sixty-four  years  of  his  residence  in  Kane 
county,  he  has  made  many  friends  through- 
out its  length  and  breadth,  and  has  been 
no  inconsiderable  factor  in  its  development. 


JOHN  TYERS,  of  Aurora,  Illinois,  has 
been  a  resident  of  the  city  since  1854, 
during  which  time  he  has  been  actively  en- 
gaged either  in  contracting  and  building,  or 
as  one  of  the  trusted  employees  of  the  Chi- 
cago, Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  Com- 
pany. He  was  born  in  Peakirk,  Northamp- 
tonshire, England,  December  4,  1831,  and 
is  the  son  of  Matthew  and  Mary  (Lewin) 
Tyers,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the 
same  shire,  the  father  being  engaged  for 
many  years  in  the  mercantile  business  at 
Peakirk.  The  maternal  grandfather,  James 
Lewin,  also  a  native  of  Northamptonshire, 
was  a  man  of  superior  education,  and  a 
professional  teacher,  and  for  thirty  years 
was  employed  in  one  school. 

John  Tyers   is   one  of  a   family  of   four 
sons  and  one  daughter,  all  of   whom   grew 


to  mature  years,  save  one  son.  Edward 
was  a  well-educated  man,  a  teacher  in  Eng- 
land, where  his  death  occurred.  James 
grew  to  manhood  in  England,  came  to  the 
United  States  and  settled  at  Oswego,  Illi- 
nois, and  there  married.  He  was  a  miller 
by  trade,  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  en- 
gaged in  the  milling  business  at  Oswego, 
later  removed  west  to  Sioux  Rapids,  Iowa, 
where  he  purchased  a  mill  and  there  car- 
ried on  business  for  a  few  years,  then 
returned  to  Oswego,  Illinois,  but  is  now 
traveling  with  his  wife  in  the  south.  Alice, 
widow  of  Mark  Vickers,  now  resides  in  the 
city  of  London.  John  is  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  William,  a  miller  by  trade,  is  now 
living  retired  at  West  Brighton,  near 
Rochester,  New  York.  In  his  native  coun- 
try, John  Tyers  grew  to  manhood  and  re- 
ceived good  common-school  advantages. 
In  early  life  he  learned  the  carpenter's  and 
joiner's  trade,  serving  an  apprenticeship  of 
three  years.  In  company  with  his  brother 
William  he  emigrated  to  America  in  1852, 
and  joined  his  older  brother  at  Vienna,  now 
called  Phelps,  New  York,  and  went  to  work 
at  his  trade.  He  there  remained. two  years, 
about  half  of  which  time  he  was  a  partner 
in  a  sash  and  blind  factory.  In  1854  he 
came  to  Aurora,  where  he  worked  for  a 
time  at  his  trade  as  a  journeyman,  and  then 
commenced  contracting  and  building.  La- 
ter he  went  into  the  shops  of  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  Company, 
and  was  employed  in  the  construction  of 
buildings  and  depots.  After  the  Chicago 
fire,  he  was  sent  to  that  city  by  the  rom- 
pany,  and  there  worked  for  a  time.  Previ- 
ous to  his  entering  the  employ  of  the  com- 
pany, he  assisted  in  the  erection  of  a  school- 
house  at  Piano,  and  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church  at  Sandwich. 


500 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mr.  Tyers  was  united  in  marriage  at 
Aurora,  December  25,  1858,  with  Miss 
Sophia  Corlett,  a  native  of  New  York,  born 
near  Utica,  and  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Cor- 
lett. There  are  two  children  by  this  union, 
the  oldest,  Mary  E. ,  now  being  the  wife  of 
Lester  Barker,  a  prominent  business  man 
of  Sandwich.  The  youngest,  William  J., 
is  married  and  is  the  present  city  attorney 
of  Aurora.  Since  leaving  the  railroad  com- 
pany, Mr.  Tyers  has  worked  at  his  trade, 
and  in  contracting  and  building.  Many  of 
the  public  and  private  buildings  of  Au- 
rora show  the  architectural  skill  and  handi- 
work of  our  subject.  Since  locating  in  Au- 
rora, as  a  permanent  investment,  Mr.  Tyers 
has  taken  stock  in  the  Burlington  road. 
Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  his  first  pres- 
idential ballot  being  cast  for  Abrahan  Lin- 
coln and  his  last  for  \Villiam  McKinley. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  of 
which  body  his  wife  is  also  a  member,  and 
both  are  active  in  church  and  benevolent 
work.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  Master  Mason. 
Mrs.  Tyers  is  a  member  of  the  Woman's 
Relief  Corps  of  Aurora.  In  the  forty-four 
years  of  his  residence  here,  Mr.  Tyers  has 
witnessed  many  changes,  and  in  the  great 
transformation  that  has  taken  place  he  has 
been  an  active  factor.  No  man  in  Aurora 
stands  higher  in  the  estimation  of  the- 
people. 


HON.  TIMOTHY  N.  HOLDEN,  mayor 
of  Aurora,  and  a  representative  of  one 
of  its  pioneer  families,  was  born  in  North 
Charlestown,  New  Hampshire,  March  21, 
1839,  and  is  the  son  of  Richard  and  Sophia 
(Allen)  Holden.  Richard  Holden  was  the 
son  of  Timothy  Holden,  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  of  English  ancestry,  who  was 


by  occupation  a  farmer,  and  served  in  the 
Revolutionary  war. 

Richard  Holden  was  born  in  Charles- 
town,  New  Hampshire,  in  1809,  and,  after 
arriving  at  mature  years,  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  in  that  city.  He  came 
west  in  1853  with  his  family  and  located 
in  Rockton,  Winnebago  county,  Illinois, 
and  there  remained  until  the  spring  of  1858, 
when  he  came  to  Aurora,  where  he  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  dying  in  his 
eighty-fifth  year.  He  was  originally  an 
Old-line  Whig,  and,  later,  a  Republican. 
Sophia,  his  wife,  was  the  daughter  of  Na- 
than and  Deborah  (Farwell)  Allen,  all  of 
whom  were  natives  of  New  Hampshire. 
She  died  in  Chicago  in  her  eighty-fourth 
year.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren— James  L.,  living  in  Chicago;  John 
G.,  who  died  in  1895;  Timothy  N.,  our 
subject;  and  Mary  E.,  living  in  Aurora. 

Mr.  Holden  began  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  Charlestown,  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  was  fourteen  years  of  age  when 
the  family  left  for  the  west.  He  finished 
his  education  in  the  schools  of  Rockton. 
When  nineteen  years  of  age  he  went  to 
Chicago  and  entered  the  employ  of  Fuller 
&  Fuller,  who  are  in  the  drug  trade,  with 
whom  he  remained  eleven  years.  He  then 
engaged  in  business  for  himself,  in  the 
wholesale  glassware  trade,  on  South  Water 
street,  Chicago,  and  was  in  that  business  at 
the  time  of  the  great  fire  in  1871,  when  he 
was  burned  out  with  the  rest.  Losing 
everything,  he  came  to  Aurora,  and  soon 
after  found  employment  with  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  Company, 
and  was  with  them  seven  years.  He  then 
went  "into  the  hardware  business,  as  the 
junior  member  of  the  firm  of  Kendall  & 
Holden,  and  that  partnership  continued  for 


T.    N.   HOLDEN. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


503 


fifteen  years,  when  he  sold  out  to  his  part- 
ner. In  1895  he  took  up  the  real-estate, 
insurance  and  loan  business,  his  offices  be- 
ing in  the  Coulter  building. 

Mr.  Holden  was  united  in  marriage, 
September  17,  1868,  to  Marian  Howell, 
daughter  of  Dr.  O.  D.  and  Cornelia  (Moore) 
Howell.  She  was  born  in  Moresville,  Dela- 
ware county,  New  York,  where  her  mother 
was  also  born,  while  her  father  was  a  na- 
tive of  the  same  county.  They  settled  in 
Aurora  in  1855,  where  he  continued  his 
practice.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  de- 
ceased. They  had  six  children,  two  of 
whom  are  now  living — Marian,  and  Annie 
the  latter  being  the  wife  of  Judge  F.  M. 
Annis,  of  Aurora.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Holden,  two  sons  have  been  born — Frank 
H.,  and  Ben  E.,  who  are  now  in  Paris, 
where  they  have  been  for  three  years,  en- 
gaged in  study.  They  completed  their  pre- 
liminary education  at  Aurora,  then  gradu- 
ated at  the  Chicago  Manual  Training  School, 
then  attended  the  Institute  of  Technology 
in  Boston,  three  years,  and  are  now  at  the 
Beauxarts,  in  Paris,  and  will  finish  the 
course  in  the  fall  of  1898.  In  that  school 
are  many  young  Americans,  and  all  of  promi- 
nent American  families.  This  will  be  a 
splendid  schooling  for  these  young  men,  and 
when  they  return  they  will  be  richly  and 
well  endowed  for  life's  journey. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holden  are  members  of 
the  People's  church,  in  Aurora,  and  in  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Republican,  casting  his  first 
presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  He 
has  held  various  positions  of  honor  and 
trust,  and  for  eighteen  years  was  a  member 
of  the  board  of  education.  For  fifteen 
years,  he  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  su- 
pervisors of  Kane  county,  and  -was  chair- 
man of  the  board  for  eight  consecutive 

24 


years.  In  the  spring  of  1897,  he  was 
elected  mayor  of  Aurora,  and  has  made  a 
popular  and  efficient  officer,  ever  looking  to- 
wards the  best  interests  of  Aurora.  He  has 
always  taken  an  active  part  in  the  politics 
of  the  county,  and  has  been  a  prominent 
factor  in  its  growth  and  development.  So- 
cially he  is  a  charter  member  of  the  City 
Club,  and  has  been  its  president.  He  is  a 
man  of  pleasing  address,  of  social  charac- 
teristics and  highly  esteemed. 


AH.  LOWRIE  is  one  of  the  most  influ- 
ential citizens  of  Elgin,  a  conspicuous 
figure  in  the  business  and  public  life  of  the 
city,  exerting,  a  strong  influence  in  support 
of  all  progressive  measures  for  the  public 
good.  A  man  of  spleh'did  intellectual  en- 
dowment, broad  minded  and  viewing  with 
comprehensive  glance  the  needs  of  the  com- 
munity, he  advocates  all  that  tends  to  the 
general  welfare,  and  is  accounted  one  of  the 
valued  residents  of  Elgin. 

Born  in  Berwickshire,  Scotland,  October 
29,  11836,  our  subject  is  a  son  of  David  and 
Margaret  (Selby)  Lowrie,  also  natives  of 
Scotland,  The  grandfather,  David  Lowrie, 
was  an  only  child.  For  some  years  he  was 
connected  with  the  military  service  of  his 
country,  and  after  the  battle  of  Copenhagen, 
in  which  he  participated,  he  was  retired  on 
half  pay.  He  taught  sword  exercises  after 
leaving  the  army  and  was  a  respected  mem- 
ber of  the  community  in  which  he  made  his 
home.  The  maternal  grandfather  of  our 
subject  was  a  farmer  and  died  in  Scotland 
in  middle  life.  In  1842,  David  Lowrie,  Jr., 
emigrated  to  America  with  his  family,  locat- 
ing in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he  died  in 
March,  1843,  at  the  age  of  sixty-one  years. 
His  wife  passed  away  in  1863  when  more 


504 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


than  sixty  years  of  age.  Both  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  church,  and  he  was  a 
Free  Soiler  and  strong  anti-slavery  man. 
Their  family  numbered  ten  children,  seven 
sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  seven 
are  now  living. 

Mr.  Lowrie,  whose  name  begins  this  re- 
view, was  a  child  of  six  years  when  he  came 
with  his  parents  to  America.  He  went  all 
through  the  Cleveland  schools  and  after  his 
graduation  in  the  high  school  of  that  city 
became  a  student  in  Adrian  College,  Michi- 
gan. Later  he  matriculated  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor,  but  returned 
in  the  senior  year  to  the  Adrian  college, 
and  was  graduated  on  the  completion  of  the 
classical  course.  He  received  the  degree 
of  Ph.  D.  in  the  University  of  Florida,  and 
afterward  lectured  in  Florida  and  other 
states  on  literary  and  economic  topics, 
being  one  of  the  popular  orators  of  the 
south.  On  his  graduation  in  the  Michigan 
college  with  the  degrees  of  A.  B.  and  A.  M. , 
he  was  offered  and  accepted  a  tutorship  in 
that  institution,  but  after  a  short  time  he 
left  it  to  take  charge  of  a  school  in  Cleve- 
land, where  he  remained  two  years. 

Resigning  from  that  position  Mr.  Lowrie 
accepted  the  superintendency  of  the  schools 
of  Bellefontaine,  Ohio,  and  after  three  years 
spent  in  charge  of  the  educational  interests 
of  that  city  accepted  a  similar  position  in 
Marion,  but  resigned  in  order  to  become 
professor  of  English  literature  and  political 
science  in  Adrian  College.  For  fifteen  years 
he  was  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  that  in- 
stitution and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the 
most  able,  efficient  and  earnest  educators  in 
the  state.  For  three  years  he  was  senior 
proprietor  of  "The  Times  and  Expositor," 
of  Adrian,  then  the  most  influential  paper  in 
southern  Michigan.  In  1882  he  came  to 


Elgin  and  purchased  the  "Advocate,"  a 
weekly  journal,  and  the  following  year,  by 
purchase,  became  proprietor  of  the  "  Daily 
News."  In  1886  he  associated  with  him 
W.  L.  Black  in  the  publication  of  these 
journals,  which  they  have  since  maintained 
in  a  foremost  place  among  the  newspapers 
of  the  state.  The  papers  are  published  in 
the  interest  of  the  Republican  party,  and 
are  excellent  specimens  of  the  highest  art  in 
journalism.  Mr.  Lowrie  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Inland  Daily  Press  Associa- 
tion and  from  the  beginning  has  been  one 
of  its  officers  and  active  members.  He  has 
always  avoided  public  office,  but  under 
President  Harrison  served  as  consul  to 
Freiburg,  Germany,  and  was  an  able  repre- 
sentative of  the  American  interests  there. 

Mr.  Lowrie  was  married  September  1 1 , 
1859,  to  Miss  Mattie  B.,  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Oraline  (Waldo)  Pease.  Mrs.  Pease 
was  a  direct  descendant  of  Peter  Waldo, 
who  came  to  this  country  in  the  Mayflower, 
and  her  grandfather  served  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  under  Ethan  Allen.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lowrie  have  three  living  children. 
Harry  R. ,  the  eldest,  now  on  the  editorial 
staff  of  the  "Chicago  Times-Herald,"  is  a 
graduate  of  Adrian  College,  and  pursued  a 
post-graduate  course  in  the  Yale  University. 
Will  L.  was  graduated  at  Adrian  College, 
and  afterward  attended  the  university  at 
Leipsic,  Germany.  He  is  now  the  real- 
estate  editor  on  the  "Chicago  Tribune." 
Alfred  Richard,  now  a  student  in  Yale  Uni- 
versity, spent  one  year  in  Germany,  study- 
ing the  language,  which  he  speaks  very 
fluently.  In  addition  to  excellent  school 
privileges,  the  sons  have  all  had  the  ad- 
vantages which  only  travel  can  bring.  The 
two  elder  sons  have  twice  visited  Europe, 
and  during  his  year's  stay  abroad  the  youngest 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


505 


son  made  a  cycle  trip  from  Freiburg,  Ger- 
many, to  Geneva,  Switzerland,  and  all  along 
the  banks  of  the  classic  Rhine.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lowrie  hold  membership  in  the  Con- 
gregational church,  and  their  home  is  the 
center  of  a  cultured  society  circle. 


pOBERT  ALFRED  WINDETT.  physi- 
1  V  sician  and  surgeon,  No.  23  South  River 
street,  Aurora,  Illinois,  was  born  in  Kendall 
county,  Illinois,  October  5,  1860,  and  is  the 
son  of  Alfred  and  Electa  A.  (Ford)  Windett, 
the  former  a  native  of  England,  and  the  lat- 
ter of  New  York.  John  Windett,  the  pa- 
ternal grandfather,  also  a  native  of  England, 
was  for  some  years  a  soldier  in  the  English 
army.  He  had  a  family  of  six  children,  of 
whom  Arthur,  an  attorney  in  Chicago,  and 
Walter,  a  farmer  in  Kansas,  are  still  living. 
He  came  to  America  with  his  family  in  1836 
and  located  in  Kendall  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming.  His  death 
occurred  there,  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years, 
the  result  of  an  accident  caused  by  a  horse 
stepping  on  his  foot.  His  wife,  Elizabeth 
Windett,  survived  him  some  years,  dying  in 
1885,  at  the  age  of  eighty- four  years,  her 
death  hastened  by  a  fall  in  which  her  hips 
were  broken. 

Alfred  Windett,  the  father,  was  a  lad  of 
eleven  years  when  he  came  with  his  parents 
to  Kendall  county,  Illinois.  At  that  time 
there  were  many  Indians  in  this  vicinity, 
and  he  became  acquainted  with  Blackhawk 
and  other  noted,  red  men.  His  marriage 
•with  Electa  A.  Ford  took  place  in  Kendall  - 
county,  where  she  came  with  her  parents 
about  1857.  She  was  one  of  a  family  of 
seven  children,  of  whom  four  are  yet  living: 
Frank;  Edgar;  Amy,  widow  of  William  Cox; 
and  Electa  A.,  the  mother  of  our  subject. 


The  deceased  are:  Martin,  an  engineer  on 
the  Union  Pacific  railway,  running  one  of 
the  first  engines  out  of  Fort  Laramie,  was 
shot,  and  carried  an  arrow-head  in  his  body 
for  eighteen  years,  finally  dying  from  the 
effects  of  the  wound;  Washington,  a  physi- 
cian and  surgeon,  and  professor  of  genito- 
urinary diseases  in  the  Kansas  City  Medical 
College,  died  in  1886;  another  died  in  child- 
hood from  diphtheria.  The  mother  of  these 
children  is  yet  living  in  Missouri,  and  has 
passed  her  four-score  years.  Alfred  and 
Electa  A.  Windett  were  the  parents  of  three 
children,  of  whom  our  subject  is  the  oldest. 
The  others  are  John  F. ,.a  farmer  of  Ken- 
dall county,  Illinois,  and  James,  a  farmer 
of  Kane  county.  The  father  died  in  1889, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  He  was  for 
many  years  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  an  officer  in  the  same. 
The  mother  is  yet  living  in  Kendall  county, 
Illinois,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  man- 
hood in  his  native  county  and  received  his 
literary  education  in  the  Sugar  Grove  In- 
dustrial School,  and  in  Jennings  Seminary, 
Aurora.  After  pursuing  the  prescribed 
course  at  Rush  Medical  College,  he  was 
graduated  from  it  in  the  class  of  1887,  and 
at  once  commenced  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession in  Aurora,  where  he  has  since  con- 
tinued to  reside.  In  the  eleven  years  in 
in  which  he  has  been  professionally  engaged, 
he  has  built  up  a  large  and  successful  prac- 
tice, and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading 
physicians  and  surgeons  of  Kane  county. 
He  has  been  connected  with  the  Aurora 
City  Hospital  since  locating  here,  and  is 
now  vice-president  of  the  board  of  trustees. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Aurora  Medical  So- 
ciety, the  Fox  River  Valley  Medical  Society 
and  of  the  State  Medical  Association.  In 


506 


THK    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  first  named  he  holds  the  office  of  presi- 
dent. 

On  the  1 2th  of  February,  1885,  Dr. 
Windett  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Evelyn  S.  West,  daughter  of  Elijah  West, 
of  Chicago.  They  reside  in  a  pleasant 
home  at  No.  96  Oak  avenue,  where  they 
delight  to  entertain  their  many  friends. 
Fraternally  Dr.  Windett  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order,  blue  lodge  and  chapter, 
the  Sons  of  St.  George,  Knights  of  the 
Globe,  and  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
in  which  latter  order  he  is  examining  physi- 
cian for  the  local  camp.  In  all  national  and 
state  elections  he  affiliates  with  the  Repub- 
lican party,  but  in  local  elections  he  votes 
for  men  rather  than  party. 


JOHN  D.  RANDALL,  now  living  a 
retired  life  in  Aurora,  has  been  a  res- 
ident of  Kane  county,  since"  June,  1843. 
He  traces  his  ancestry  back  to  John  Ran- 
dall, who  came  from  England  in  1630,  lo- 
cating in  Connecticut,  where  some-  of  the 
family  have  always  remained.  The  great- 
great  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  also 
named  John  Randall.  His  son,  Col.  Will- 
iam Randall,  was  in  command  of  a  regi- 
ment, during  the  war  of  1812,  and  at  Ston- 
ington,  defended  the  town  and  beat  off  the 
British.  His  son,  Jedediah  Randall,  was 
born  in  Stonington,  New  London  county, 
Connecticut,  and  was  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject. Jedediah  Randall  married  Philura 
Peckham,  of  North  Stonington,  and  a 
daughter  of  'Squire  Thomas  Peckham  of 
that  place.  After  their  marriage  they  re- 
mained for  some  years  in  Connecticut,  and 
in  1843,  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  purchased  a  partially  improved 
farm,  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  in 


Sugar  Grove  township.  After  further  im- 
proving the  place,  some  eight  years  later  he 
sold  and  moved  to  Aurora,  but  died  on  a 
farm  near  that  city  in  1860,  at  the  age  of 
sixty  years. 

Jedediah  and  Philura  Randall  were  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  who  grew  to  man- 
hood and  womanhood — John,  our  subject; 
Russell,  now  in  the  real-estate  business  in 
Georgia;  James,  for  some  years  an  active 
business  man  at  Batavia  and  Aurora,  was 
killed  by  an  accident  in  his  stone  quarry; 
Mary  A.,  married  Peleg  Winslow,  and  they 
located  in  Hinckley,  where  she  died;  Dudley 
was  a  printer  by  trade,  and  died  in  St. 
Louis;  Cyrus  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  for 
the  union,  and  died  in  Andersonville  prison; 
and  Roswell,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eight 
years. 

John  D.  Randall  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Stonington,  New  London  county,  Con- 
necticut, August  9,  1823,  and  his  boyhood 
and  youth  were  spent  in  his  native  state, 
where  he  was  reared  to  farm  life,  and  in  its 
common  schools  procured  a  fair  education. 
He  was  twenty  years  old  when  the  family 
came  to  Kane  county,  and  for  several  years 
remained  with  his  father  assisting  him  in 
farm  work.  In  1851,  he  purchased  two 
tracts  of  government  land,  lying  near 
Waterman,  Illinois,  each  containing  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  located  upon 
one  quarter,  and  commenced  its  improve- 
ment, and  there  resided  for  three  years. 
Renting  that  farm,  he  built  a  residence  and 
moved  to  the  other  tract.  In  1855  he  sold 
out  and  returned  to  Kane  county,  buying 
residence  property  in  Aurora.  In  the  fall  of 
the  same  year  he  sold  his  residence  property 
and  purchased  a  farm  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  lying  near  the  city,  to  which 
he  removed  and  there  engaged  in  farming 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


507 


for  some  years.  He  later  sold  one-half  of 
the  farm  and  yet  retains  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  just  outside  the  city  limits,  and 
which  is  a  well  improved  and  valuable 
farm. 

In  1851  Mr.  Randall  was  married,  in 
Kane  county,  to  Maria  L.  Barnes,  a  native 
of  New  York,  born  in  the  town  of  Alexander, 
Jefferson  county,  where  she  remained  until 
the  age  of  fifteen  years,  when  she  came  with 
her  father,  Ira  Barnes,  to  Kane  county. 
This  was  in  1845,  her  father  being  numbered 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Sugar  Grove 
township.  By  this  union  were  three  chil- 
dren. Frank  grew  to  mature  years.  He 
was  a  natural  mechanic,  and  invented  acorn 
harvester,  which  he  later  sold  to  William 
Deering,  of  Chicago.  He  died  in  1882, 
leaving  a  wife  and  three  children.  Martha 
grew  to  womanhood  and  married  Oscar  E. 
Marlette,  a  farmer  of  Kane  county.  Lew 
Wallace  is  married  and  carries  on  the  home 
farm. 

In  1888  Mr.  Randall  purchased  a  lot  at 
No.  1 8  North  Chestnut  street,  where  he 
built  a  neat  residence,  and  where  he  has 
since  continued  to  reside.  He  has  always 
been  an  active  and  enterprising  man,  and 
in  1884  was  elected  highway  commissioner 
of  Aurora  township,  and  served  three  years, 
during  which  time  the  roads  through  the 
township  were  graveled,  and  the  New  York 
street  and  North  avenue  bridges  were  built, 
important  and  much  needed  improvements. 
While  residing  in  Waterman,  he  was  elected 
and  served  two  years  as  assessor,  and  was 
also  justice  of  the  peace  for  two  years,  re- 
signing the  latter  office  when  he  returned  to 
Kane  county.  He  was  also  township  trus- 
tee a  number  of  years,  and  assisted  in  the 
organization  of  the  school  districts  of  his 
township.  Being  a  firm  believer  in  prohi- 


bition, for  some  years  he  has  been  identified 
with  the  Prohibition  party,  but  formerly 
was  a  Republican.  When  he  came  to  Kane 
county,  there  was  not  a  railroad  anywhere 
in  the  vicinity,  and  the  country  was  but  little 
better  than  a  wilderness.  He  has  lived  to 
see  it  thickly  populated,  having  within  its 
borders  many .  thriving  towns,  while  its 
farms  are  the  most  productive  in  the  country. 


WILLARD  CARYL  TORREY,  who  is 
superintendent  of  two  departments 
in  the  Elgin  Watch  Factory,  is  a  native  of 
Rockland,  Maine,  born  February  25,  1855. 
He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  Grafton  and  Nancy 
(Caryl)  Torrey,  the  former  a  native  of  Han- 
son, Massachusetts,  and  the  latter  of  Stock- 
bridge,  Vermont.  The  father  was  a  son  of 
Joseph  Torrey,  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
who  died  in  middle  life.  He  was  a  minis- 
ter in  the  Baptist  church.  His  children 
were  Joseph  G.,  George  L. ,  Francis  B.  and 
Almira  L.  Of  these,  George  L.  is  living  in 
Kennebunkport,  Maine;  Francis  B.,  in  Bath, 
Maine;  and  Almira  L. ,  the  widow  of  Zo- 
pher  Sturtevant,  in  Lowell,  Massachusetts. 
Joseph  G.  Torrey  was  reared  in  his  na- 
tive state,  and  in  early  manhood  went  to 
learn  the  founder's  trade,  which  he  followed 
through  life.  His  death  occurred  at  Rock- 
land,  Maine,  February  28,  1894.  He  was 
a  life-long  member  of  the  Congregational 
church,  and  for  many  years  served  as  a 
deacon.  In  politics  he  was  a  Republican. 
His,  wife  is  yet  living  in  Rockland,  Maine, 
and  is  a  worthy  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church  at  that  place.  They  were 
the  parents  of  six  children:  Helen  Maria, 
deceased;  George  Everett;  Mary  Frances 
died  in  infancy;  Willard  C. ;  Olive  Bird  died 


508 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  childhood;  and  Arthur  Lawrence.  Of 
these,  George  is  living  in  Rockland,  Maine, 
and  our  subject  and  Arthur  L.  in  Elgin. 

The  ancestry  of  Willard  Caryl  Torrey 
can  be  traced  back  for  many  generations. 
He  is  a  grandson  of  John  Caryl  and  Lucy 
(Clark)  Caryl,  the  great-grandson  of  Will- 
iam and  Sarah  (Barren)  Clark,  and  the 
great-great-grandson  of  Captain  Peter  and 
Hannah  (Eppes)  Clark.  Captain  Peter 
Clark  removed  from  Braintree,  Massachu- 
setts, to  Lyndeboro,  New  Hampshire,  in 
1775.  Soon  after  arriving  there  he  joined 
the  Continental  army,  and  was  commis- 
sioned captain  in  the  Ninth  Regiment,  New 
Hampshire  Militia.  He  was  engaged  in 
the  battle  of  Bennington,  commanding  a 
company  of  sixty  men,  and  in  that  battle 
displayed  great  bravery,  being  the  second  to 
scale  the  British  breastworks.  He  also 
took  part  in  the  defeat  of  General  Bur- 
goyne,  at  Saratoga,  in  1777. 

On  the  Caryl  line  our  subject  is  the 
great-grandson  of  Dr.  John  and  Eunice 
(Willard)  Caryl,  the  Doctor  being  a  surgeon 
in  the  Revolutionary  army.  Being  the 
grandson  of  Joseph  and  Elmira  (Little)  Tor- 
rey, he  is  the  great-grandson  of  George 
Little,  the  great-great-grandson  of  Lemuel 
and  Penelope  (Eames)  Little,  the  great- 
great-great-grandson  of  John  and  Constant 
(Fobes)  Little,  the  great-great-great-great- 
grandson  of  Lieutenant  William  Fobes,  who 
was  a  brother-in-law  of  Captain  Benjamin 
Church  and  second  to  him  in  command  dur- 
ing King  Philip's  war. 

On  the  Little  line  Mr.  Torrey  traces  his 
ancestry  .to  Thomas  Little,  who  came  from 
Devonshire,  England,  in  1630.  He  was  a 
lawyer  by  profession.  He  married  Ann 
Warren  in  1633.  Theirthird  son  was  Eph- 
raim  Little,  who  married  Mary  Sturdevant. 


He  died  in  1717.  His  son,  John  Little, 
married  Constant  Fobes,  above  mentioned, 
through  whom  the  line  continued  as  already 
given.  Captain  George  Little,  the  grand- 
son of  John  Little,  was  made  an  admiral  in 
1799.  He  had  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
war. 

Another  line  through  which  our  subject 
traces  his  ancestry  is  that  of  Richard  War- 
ren, who  came  over  in  the  Mayflower.  He 
was  the  father  of  Ann  Warren,  who  married 
Thomas  Little,  and  Mr.  Torrey  is  therefore 
his  great  -  great  -  great  -  great  -  great  -  great- 
grandson.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the 
genealogical  record  of  our  subject  is  a  good 
one,  of  which  he  may  well  be  proud.  Pa- 
triots every  one  as  far  as  known,  they  are 
well  represented  in  the  history  of  our 
country. 

The  early  life  of  Willard  Caryl  Torrey 
was  spent  in  Rockland,  Maine,  where  he 
attended  the  public  schools.  Later  he  en- 
tered the  polytechnic  institute  at  Worcester, 
Massachusetts,  where  he  was  graduated  in 
1877.  He  then  spent  two  years  at  Bath, 
Maine,  as  superintendent  of  the  Torrey 
Roller  Bushing  works,  owned  by  his  uncle, 
Francis  B.  Torrey.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
he  started  west,  stopping  at  Kalamazoo, 
Michigan,  where  he  remained  six  months. 
He  then  came  to  Elgin  and  entered  the 
machine  shop  of  the  Elgin  Watch  factory, 
where  he  was  employed  some  fifteen  months. 
Returning  east,  he  located  at  Fredonia,  New 
York,  and  took  charge  of  the  tool  works  of 
the  watch  factory  there.  He  only  remained 
at  Fredonia,  however,,  six  months,  and  in 
1882  again  came  to  Elgin,  and  entered  the 
watch  factory  there  as  foreman  of  the  stem- 
winding  department.  Later  that  depart- 
ment was  consolidated  with  the  screw  de- 
partment, and  Mr.  Torrey  was  given  charge 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


509 


of  both.  He  now  has  the  supervision  of 
about  two  hundred  hands. 

Mr.  Torrey  was  united  in  marriage  at 
Fredonia,  September  2,  1884,  with  Miss 
Ruth  S.  Wilson,  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Almeda  (Steele)  Wilson,  natives  of  New 
York.  Henry  Wilson  was  a  son  of  Lyman 
Wilson.  His  wife  was  the  daughter  of  Oli- 
ver Wolcott  Steele,  also  a  native  of  New 
York.  She  is  still  living  in  Fredonia,  that 
state,  where  her  husband  died  September 
8,  1876.  They  were  the  parents  of  three 
children:  Addie  E. ,  wife  of  Frank  C.  Wil- 
son, of  Elgin;  Elizabeth  C.,  who  resides  in 
Fredonia,  New  York;  and  Ruth  S.,  our  sub- 
ject's wife.  The  mother,  who  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Sally  Potter,  is  a  member  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church.  The  Steeles  are  related 
to  Governor  Oliver  Wolcott,  of  Massachu- 
setts. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Torrey  two  children 
have  been  born:  Marion  Goulding  and 
George  Arthur. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Torrey  reside  in  a  pleas- 
ant home  on  Watch  street,  which  is  ever 
open  for  the  reception  of  their  many  friends. 
Politically  Mr.  Torrey  is  a  Republican.  Re- 
ligiously Mrs.  Torrey  is  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  church.  Both  are  highly 
respected  by  all  who  know  them. 


F)IERCE  TYRRELL,  M.  D.  —  Among 
1  those  who  devote  their  time  and  ener- 
gies to  the  practice  of  medicine  and  have 
gained  a  leading  place  in  the  ranks  of  the 
profession  is  the  gentleman  whose  name  in- 
troduces this  sketch.  He  is  now  one  of  the 
most  expert  physicians  and  diagnoticians  of 
Elgin,  and  his  office  is  located  at  No.  209 
Chicago  street. 

The  Doctor  was  born   in  Bullyduggan, 


parish  of  Mullinahone,  county  Tipperary, 
Ireland,  in  August,  1832,  a  son  of  William 
and  Bridget  (Frisby)  Tyrrell,  also  natives  of 
the  Emerald  Isle.  Of  their  eight  children, 
six  sons  and  two  daughters,  only  two  are 
now  living — Pierce,  and  David,  who  is  a 
resident  of  Rutland,  Illinois.  The  paternal 
grandparents,  Patrick  and  Johanna  (Tobin) 
Tyrrell,  spent  their  entire  lives  in  Ireland, 
where  the  grandfather  followed  farming,  and 
there  both  died  at  advanced  ages,  the  for- 
mer being  ninety-six  and  the  latter  ninety- 
seven  at  the  time  of  their  deaths.  The 
grandmother  Frisby  was  ninety-three  years 
old  at  the  time  of  her  death.  When  past 
the  age  of  four  score  years  the  grandfather 
was  still  very  vigorous  and  active. 

John  Frisby,  the  Doctor's  maternal 
grandfather,  was  educated  for  the  priest- 
hood, but  was  never  ordained,  and  later 
became  a  farmer.  He  died  when  about 
sixty  years  of  age.  His  people  were  large 
and  a  very  warlike  race.  His  son,  William 
Frisby,  was  six  feet  two  inches  in  height, 
measured  fifty-two  inches  around  the  chest, 
and  although  he  weighed  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  pounds,  he  was  an  athlete  and 
was  very  active,  able  to  jump  over  four 
horses  when  placed  side  by  side  and  into 
the  saddle  without  touchiug  a  stirrup.  He 
possessed  a  most  wonderful  constitution, 
which  was  plainly  demonstrated  at  the.time 
of  his  death.  He  had  fallen  sixty  feet  and 
broken  his  neck,  and  although  he  could  not 
speak  he  lived  nine  days.  One  son  of  the 
Frisby  family,  David,  was  tried  for  treason. 
Both  the  Tyrrell  and  Frisby  families  and 
connection  were  instrumental  in  putting 
down  the  collection  of  tithes  in  the  parish 
of  Mullinahone,  county  Tipperary. 

In  his  native  land  William  Tyrrell,  the 
Doctor's  father,  followed  the  occupation  of 


5io 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


farming.  In  1847  ne  crossed  the  Atlantic 
with  the  intention  of  making  a  permanent 
home  in  America,  and  only  six  hours  after 
his  arrival  at  the  city  of  New  York  went 
before  a  notary  public  and  declared  his  in- 
tention of  becoming  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States,  as  did  his  brother  Pierce.  He  died, 
however,  on  Lake  Erie,  while  en  route  to 
Illinois,  at  the  age  of  forty-nine  years,  and 
was  buried  at  Cleveland,  Ohio.  His  wife 
survived  him  until  1856,  dying  at  the 
age  of  fifty-eight.  Both  were-  members 
of  the  Catholic  church.  The  Doctor's 
family  are  not  members  of  any  Christian 
church.  The  Doctor  is  an  outspoken  ag- 
nostic and  looks  upon  the  whole  thing  as  a 
confidence  game  of  R.  R.  D.  D.  on  their 
deluded  dupes. 

The  Doctor's  primary  education  was  ob- 
tained in  the  schools  of  his  native  land.  He 
was  fifteen  years  of  age  when  he  came  with 
his  parents  to  America,  and  has  since  made 
his  home  in  Kane  county,  Illinois,  since  No- 
vember, 1847.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm, 
and  having  always  been  a  great  reader  of 
medical  works,  he  began  studying  medicine 
soon  after  his  arrival  here,  and  manufact- 
ured fluids,  fluid  extracts,  etc.,  before  he 
entered  a  medical  school.  He  first  read  the 
popular  medical  works,  also  studied  under  the 
direction  of  Drs.  Clark  and  Whitford,  and 
later* entered  the  Eclectic  Medical  Institute, 
of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1866.  He  first  opened  an 
office  in  Gilbert's,  Kane  county,  from  there 
removed  to  Huntley,  Grover  township,  but 
in  1868  located  permanently  in  Elgin,  where 
he  had  previously  practiced  to  a  limited  ex- 
tent. He  has  made  a  special  study  of  renal 
and  chronic  diseases  and  microscopy.  He 
has  always  been  a  believer  in  bacterial  origin 
of  disease  and  for  years  has  been  an  expert 


in  microscopic  research,  and  probably  the 
first  physician  in  Illinois  to  use  or  introduce 
antiseptics  and  germandes,  having  used  them 
since  1860. 

On  September  14,  1868,  Dr.  Tyrrell 
married  Miss  Margaret  Ann  McGrath,  a 
daughter  of  Patrick  and  Bridget  (McGrath) 
McGrath,  and  to  them  have  been  born  four 
children,  namely:  Mary  Olla,  born  July  24, 
1869;  William  D.,  February  20,  1871,  who 
is  now  attending  the  Chicago  Medical  Col- 
lege; John  Stafford,  April  25,  5873;  and 
Pierce  C. ,  November  10,  1876,  all  at  home. 
The  children  have  been  provided  with  good 
educational  privileges,  and  the  family  is  one 
of  prominence. 

In  his  political  affiliations  the  Doctor  is 
a  Republican.  His  skill  and  ability  in  his 
chosen  profession  is  attested  by  the  liberal 
patronage  he  enjoys,  and  which  ranks  him 
as  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of,  the  coun- 
ty, having  patients  in  several  states  of  the 
Union.  In  social  as  well  as  professional 
circles  he  stands  deservedly  high,  and  has 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  who  know 
him. 


EDWARD  P.  ROBERTSON,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  banking  business  at  Maple 
Park,  Illinois,  is  an  old  and  well-known 
citizen  of  Kane  county,  one  who  has  done 
much  to  advance  its  material  interests.  He 
is  a  native  of  Saratoga  county,  New  York, 
born  January  3,  1828,  and  is  the  son  of 
John  D.  and  Dorothy  (Palmer)  Robertson, 
both  natives  of  New  York  state,  and  the 
parents  of  ten  children,  five  of  whom  are 
yet  living — Edward  P. .Benjamin  L.,  James 
Q.,  Orville  A.,  and  Mary  E.  The  parental 
grandfather,  John  A.  Robertson,  was  also  a 
native  of  New  York,  and  a  soldier  in  the 


E.   P.   ROBERTSON. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


513 


war  of  1812.  He  lived  to  be  about  ninety 
years  old.  The  great  grandfather  Robert- 
son was  a  native  of  Scotland,  who  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States,  in  an  early  day, 
locating  in  New  York. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  and 
reared  on  a  farm,  and  in  the  common-schools 
of  the  neighborhood  received  his  education. 
In  his  youth  he  learned  the  shoemaker's 
trade  with  his  father,  commencing  when 
eleven  years  old,  and  following  that  occu- 
pation until  1860.  In  1851  he  left  his 
native  state  for  Ohio,  and  there  remained 
until  1856,  when  he  came  to  Maple  Park, 
Illinois,  and  was  appointed  station  agent 
for  the  Northwestern  railroad,  and  occupied 
that  responsible  position  for  twenty  years. 
Leaving  the  employ  of  the  railroad,  he  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  and  hardware  business, 
in  which  he  was  successfully  engaged  until 
1891,  when  he  sold  out  and  embarked  in 
the  banking  business,  in  which- he  has  since 
been  engaged. 

On  the  25th  of  April,  1846,  Mr.  Robert- 
son was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Julia 
A.  Esmond,  a  native  of  New  York,  by  whom 
he  had  two  sons,  Charles  F.  and  Ira  E. 
They  both  served  their  country  faithfully  in 
the  war  for  the  union,  the  former  giving  up 
his  life  at  Vicksburg,  while  the  latter  sur- 
vived until  after  the  close  of  the  war,  and 
died  at  home.  Our  subject  has  an  adopted 
daughter,  Hattie,  who  married  Robert  S. 
Brown,  a  former  partner  of  his,  and  who 
died  on  the  2Oth  of  August,  1893,  when 
about  fifty  years  of  age.  They  had  three 
children:  Esmond  R.,  Letitia  and  Amy. 

In  politics  Mr.  Robertson  is  an  ardent 
Republican,  and  has  always  manifested 
more  or  less  interest  in  political  affairs.  In 
1857  he  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace, 
and  again  in  1858,  and  in  1864,  serving  in 


all,  seven  years.  In  1879  he  was  elected 
supervisor,  and  served  until  1888,  In  the 
village  he  has  held  all  the  important  offices, 
and  has  ever  shown  an  interest,  in  the  mate- 
rial welfare  of  the  place.  No  improvement 
has  ever  been  suggested  but  has  met  with 
his  unqualified  support,  and  he  is  therefore 
regarded  as  one  of  the  most  enterprising  of 
the  citizens  of  Maple  Park.  Fraternally,  he 
is  a  Master  Mason,  holding  membership  with 
the  lodge  at  Sycamore,  Illinois.  He  also 
belongs  to  the  chapter  and  commandery. 

Mr.  Robertson  is  in  all  respects  a  self- 
made  man.  Through  his  own  exertions  he 
has  attained  an  honorable  position  and 
marked  prestige  among  the  representative- 
men  of  Kane  county,  and  with  signal  con- 
sistency, it  may  be  said  that  he  is  the  ar- 
chitect of  his  own  fortunes,  and  one  whose 
success  amply  justifies  the  application  of  the 
somewhat  hackneyed,  but  most  expressive 
title  "a  self  made  man."  He  has  many  of  the 
elements  of  character  which  have  enabled 
him  to  pass  on  the  highway  of  life,  many  of 
the  companions  of  his  youth,  who,  at  the 
outset  of  their  careers,  were  more  advan- 
tageously equiped  or  endowed. 


HB.  WATERHOUSE,  contractor  and 
builder,  308  Fox  street,  Aurora,  was 
born  in  Greenport,  east  end  of  Long  Island, 
New  York,  November  15,  1859,  a:nd  is  the 
son  of  William  and  Cynthia  (Booth)  Water- 
house,  the  former  a  native  of  Clinton,  Con- 
necticut, and  the  latter  of  Long  Island,  New 
York.  William  Waterhouse  was  an  early 
settler  of  Long  Island,  where  he  died  June 
6,  1880,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years. 
He  was  a  steady-going,  quiet  man,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  church,  of  which  body  his 
wife  was  also  a  member.  Her  death  oc- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


curred  December  i,  1881,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-one  years.  She  was  visiting  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  Willis,  in  Chicago,  at  the 
time  of  her  death,  which  was  very  sudden 
and  unexpected.  Of  their  family  of  eight 
children  seven  are  living:  Amelia,  widow 
of  John  Terry,  residing  in  Long  Island; 
William  H.,  now  residing  in  Florida,  was  a 
soldier  in  the  late  war  under  General  Kil- 
patrick,  was  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg, 
was  later  taken  prisoner,  and  was  ten 
months  in  Andersonville,  from  which  he  was 
discharged  at  the  close  of  the  war;  Cynthia, 
wife  of  William  H.  Willis,  of  Woodlawn, 
Chicago;  John  L. ,  a  boat  builder,  residing 
in  the  east  end  of  Long  Island;  George  B., 
a  resident  of  California;  H.  B.,  our  subject; 
and  Edward,  residing  on  Long  Island. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  at 
the  village  of  Greenpert,  Long  Island,  New 
York,  and  in  its  public  schools  he  received 
his  education.  He  then  began  working  on 
a  farm,  where  he  remained  two  years,  then 
worked  in  a  fish  factory,  and  in  1881  came 
to  Aurora,  Illinois,  and  commenced  work 
with  an  uncle  at  the  mason  trade.  In  the 
past  eighteen  years  they  have  done  some  of 
the  principal  work  in  many  of  the  large 
buildings  in  Aurora  and  vicinity. 

On  the  1 2th  of  September,  1893,  in 
Aurora,  Mr.  Waterhouse  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Ella  Crandall,  daughter  of 
D.  V.  Crandall,  of  Aurora.  By  this  union 
there  is  one  child,  William  Levi.  Both 
parents  are  church  members,  and  in  the 
work  of  the  church  they  have  each  been 
very  active,  Mrs.  Waterhouse  serving  as 
pipe  organist  for  some  years.  In  politics 
Mr.  Waterhouse  is  a  Republican.  As  a 
business  man  he  is  thoroughly  reliable,  and 
is  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  who  know  him. 

Delos  V.  Crandall,   the  father  of  Mrs. 


Waterhouse,  is  a  native  of  Chenango  county, 
New  York,  born  March  21,  1829.  His  par- 
ents, Samuel  and  Ada  (Goodrich)  Crandall, 
were  also  natives  of  the  same  county  and 
state,  the  father  being  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion. In  1854  he  came  west  with  his  fam- 
ily and  settled  in  Wisconsin,  but  later  moved 
to  Jones  county,  Iowa,  and  subsequently  to 
a  county  near  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  where  his 
death  occurred.  He  and  his  wife  were 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
They  were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  of 
whom  seven  are  still  living. 

Delos  V.  Crandall  was  a  teacher  in  the 
public  schools  until  after  the  opening  of 
our  Civil  war,  when,  in  June,  1862,  he  en- 
listed in  Company  A,  Twenty-sixth  Iowa 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  appointed  cor- 
poral. He  was  later  assistant  surgeon  in  a 
hospital.  In  1864  he  was  in  hospital  No. 
i,  at  Chattanooga,  Tennessee.  He  was 
then  in  charge  of  the  gangrene  ward  under 
Dr.  Rice.  In  June,  1865,  at  Washington, 
he  was  honorably  discharged  and  mustered 
out  of  the  service.  While  in  the  hospital 
he  invented  the  twin  spiral  spring,  on  which 
he  secured  a  patent  on  the  close  of  the  war. 
Four  thousand  dollars  worth  of  these  springs 
were  purchased  by  the  city  of  Chicago  for 
the  fire  and  police  departments.  Soon  after 
his  discharge  from  the  service,  he  moved  to 
Chicago,  and  in  the  great  fire,  October  9, 
1871,  was  burned  out,  losing  everything  that 
he  had.  His  health  failing  him,  in  1872,  he 
moved  to  Aurora,  and  since  that  time  has 
been  an  invalid. 

Mr.  Crandall  was  married  February  i, 
1854,  to  Miss  Esther  J.  Kyle,  also  a  teacher 
of  much  experience  for  many  years.  She 
was  born  July  21,  1836.  They  have  three 
living  children,  as  follows:  Delos  V.,  Jr., 
who  at  the  age  of  sixteen  began  teaching 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


515 


violin  music,  which  he  still  continues  as  a 
profession.  He  married  a  Miss  Alice  Ben- 
nett, by  whom  he  has  four  children — Harry, 
Claude,  Margaret  and  Herbert.  They  re- 
side in  Joliet.  Ella,  now  Mrs.  Waterhouse, 
is  also  a  teacher  of  the  violin,  and  is  leader 
of  the  Urso  Quintet,  composed  of  Mrs. 
Waterhouse,  the  first  violinist;  Miss  Hila  M. 
Verbeck,  Miss  Florence  Daily,  Mrs.  Frances 
Condon,  violins;  and  Miss  Lottie  Spring, 
pianist.  She  is  also  a  pipe  organist,  and 
has  played  in  both  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
and  Baptist  churches.  Alice  Amelia  is  a 
graduate  of  the  East  Aurora  High  School 
of  the  class  of  '98.  She  resides  at  home. 
Fraternally,  Mr.  Crandall  is  a  member  of 
the  G.  A.  R.  post  of  Aurora. 


A  LEXANDER  REID,  deceased,  was  a 
/~\  descendant  of  an  old  Scotch  family, 
who  lived  many  generations  in  Wigtonshire, 
the  southwest  county  of  Scotland,  just 
across  from  the  Irish  coast.  William  Reid, 
the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  lived  to  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety-seven  years,  while 
the  great-grandfather  lived  to  be  one  hun- 
dred and  three  years  old.  William  Reid 
married  a  Miss  Gordon,  of  the  famous  clan 
of  that  name.  His  son,  John  Reid,  who 
died  about  1857,  a  very  old  man,  married 
Martha  Armour,  a  daughter  of  William  and 
-Margaret  Armour.  Alexander  Reid  was  the 
son  of  John  and  Martha  (Armour)  Reid.  He 
was  born  in  1823  near  Aken  Claurie,  some 
thirty-five  miles  northwest  of  Glasgow, 
Scotland.  In  1833  he  came  to  America, 
and  settled  in  Kingston,  Canada,  where  he 
resided  for  many  years.  While  residing  in 
Kingston,  he  married  Miss  Catherine  Ab- 
bott, a  native  of  that  city,  and  a  daughter 
of  James  and  Margaret  (Hamilton)  Abbott, 


the  former  a  native  of  London,  England, 
born  November  15,  1803,  and  died  in  Can- 
ada, near  Kingston,  October  31,  1871.  The 
latter  was  born  in  the  North  of  Ireland,  of 
Scotch-Irish  parentage,  and  was  a  daughter 
of  Robert  Hamilton,  a  soldier  of  the  Irish 
rebellion  of  1798.  She  died  at  the  age  of 
ninety  years.  Of  the  children  of  James  and 
Margaret  Abbott,  the  only  ones  residing  in 
the  west  are  Mrs.  Reid  and  Archibald  Ab- 
bott, who  resides  in  Kansas. 

To  Alexander  Reid  and  wife  ten  children 
were  born,  nine  of  whom  are  living  as  fol- 
lows: (i)  Margaret,  who  married  Andrew 
Burroughs,  by  whom  she  had  three  chil- 
dren, Harvey,  Catherine  and  Erwin.  Mr. 
Burroughs  is  now  deceased,  and  his  widow 
is  making  her  home  with  her  brother  Will- 
iam on  the  old  homestead.  (2)  John,  who 
resides  in  Shawnee  county,  Kansas,  married 
Amanda  James,  by  whom  he  has  two  chil- 
dren, Alice  and  Ethel.  (3)  Martha,  who 
married  George  Titus,  by  whom  she  had 
two  children,  Ernest  and  Jennie.  Mr.  Titus 
is  now  deceased  and  his  widow  is  living  in 
Hampshire.  (4)  James,  a  farmer  in  Hamp- 
shire township,  of  whom  further  mention  is 
made  in  this  sketch.  (5)  Alexander,  Jr.,  a 
merchant  in  Hampshire,  married  Lovina 
Lovell,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Sarah 
(Perry)  Lovell.  They  have  one  child,  Ber- 
nice.  (6)  William,  who  lives  on  the  old 
homestead  in  Genoa  township,  De  Kalb 
county.  (7)  Emma,  who  married  Joseph 
Corson,  a  farmer  of  Genoa  township, 
De  Kalb  county,  by  whom  she  has  one 
child,  Vernon  J.  (8)  Alice,  wife  of  Edgar 
Dittmer,  of  Hampshire  township.  She  was 
for  seven  years  a  successful  teacher  in 
Hampshire  township.  (9)  May,  who  is  a 
teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Hampshire 
township,  and  who  resides  with  her  mother. 


5'6 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


In  1868  Mr.  Reid  sold  his  property  in 
Canada  and  came  west,  settling  in  the  north- 
east corner  of  De  Kalb  county,  where  he 
purchased  one  hundied  and  sixty  acres, 
which  was  his  home  until  his  death  in  1890. 
He  was  a  man  of  excellent  moral  qualities, 
of  sterling  honesty  and  worth,  and  was  for 
many  years  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  In  politics  he  was  a  Re- 
publican. In  his  death  the  community  lost 
one  of  its  most  valuable  citizens,  and  the 
family  a  loving  husband  and  affectionate  fa- 
ther. Mrs.  Reid  now  resides  in  the  village 
of  Hampshire,  where  she  is  held  in  the 
highest  esteem.  She  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


JAMES  F.  REID,  who  was  fourth  in 
order  of  birth  in  the  family  of  Alexan- 
der and  Catherine  (Abbott)  Reid,  is  engaged 
in  farming  on  section  7,  Hampshire  town- 
ship. He  was  born  near  Kingston,  Canada, 
April  3,  1858,  and  attended  school  in  his 
native  country  until  coming  west  in  1868. 
He  then  attended  the  district  schools  in  De 
Kalb  county  until  the  age  of  eighteen  years, 
working  during  the  summer  seasons  on  the 
farm.  He  remained  at  home  until  1883, 
when  he  began  life  for  himself,  renting  the 
Lyons  farm  in  Hampshire  for  two  years. 
He  then  worked  in  a  tile  factory  in  Hamp- 
shire for  four  years,  after  which  he  rented 
the  farm  which  he  now  occupies,  for  sev- 
eral years.  On  the  I4th  day  of  May,  1896, 
he  purchased  the  farm,  which  consists  of 
three  hundred  acres  of  well  improved  land, 
with  good  house  and  barns  and  fine  old 
trees,  forming  a  grove  about  the  place.  The 
farm  is  well  drained  with  seven  miles  of 
tiling;  and  is  what  is  known  as  a  stock  farm, 
Mr.  Reid  giving  his  attention  principally  to 


the  raising  of  stock,  raising  sufficient  grain 
for  his  own  use. 

Mr.  Reid  was  married  in  De  Kalb  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  April  27,  1883,  to  Miss  Ella  W. 
Waters,  a  native  of  Lycoming  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  a  daughter  of  James  V. 
Waters,  who  was  born  in  the  same  county, 
and  who  married  Elizabeth  Carson,  who 
died  in  November,  1894,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
six  years.  Mr.  Waters  was  a  miller  by 
trade,  and  came  to  De  Kalb  county,  Illi- 
nois, in  the  spring  of  1869.  Of  his  family 
of  eleven  children,  Ella  W.  is  tenth  in  order 
of  birth. 

To  James  F.  and  Ella  W.  Reid  three 
children  have  been  born — Lizzie,  Winnie 
and  Buelah.  The  first  named  died  at  the 
age  of  nine  years.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Reid 
is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  and  in  politics,  he  is  a  Republican. 
As  a  farmer  he  is  thoroughly  enterprising 
and  up  to  date  in  every  respect,  his  farm 
being  well  supplied  with  all  kinds  of  agri- 
cultural implements,  and  is  kept  in  the  very 
best  order,  making  of  it  a  model  farm. 


PETER  KLEIN,  editor  and  proprietor 
of  the  "Aurora  Volksfreund,"  of  Au- 
rora, Illinois,  was  born  in  Nusbaum,  Rheirv- 
ish  Prussia,  Germany,  September  i,  1849. 
He  is  the  son  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth 
(Kessler)  Klein.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
that  section,  born  November  2,  1811.  He 
served  in  the  Prussian  army  for  a  long  time, 
and  in  1862  came  to  the  United  States,  lo- 
cating in  Chicago,  and  later  removing  to 
Aurora,  where  he  died  July  3,  1878.  In 
politics  he  was  a  Republican.  His  wife  died 
in  the  old  country  August  26,  1860.  They 
were  members  of  the  Evangelical  Protestant 
church,  and  their  only  child  is  the  subject 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


517 


of  this  sketch.  Mrs.  Klein  had  been  previ- 
ously married,  and  by  her  former  husband, 
Fr.  Niebergall,  had  three  sons,  Fred,  John 
and  Henry,  all  of  whom  are  now  living  in 
Chicago. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended 
school  up  to  the  time  of  coming  to  the 
United  States.  On  arriving  here  his  first 
employment  was  in  a  dry-goods  store, where 
he  remained  five  years,  and  he  then  en- 
gaged in  life  insurance  business  for  a  short 
time.  In  1868  he  started  the"  Volksfreund," 
at  Aurora.  It  was  then  a  seven-column 
folio,  published  weekly,  and  was  Republican 
in  politics.  In  June,  1895,  ne  started  the 
"  Daily  Volksfreund,"  a  four-page  paper. 
The  weekly  has  been  increased  in  size  to  an 
eight-page  sheet.  In  connection  with  the 
paper  Mr.  Klein  has  a  large  and  complete 
job  office,  and  does  all  kinds  of  commercial 
and  job  printing.  The  "Volksfreund"  is 
one  of  the  oldest  German  papers  in  the 
State,  and  both  editions  have  a  large  circu- 
lation. l£  is  a  wide-awake  sheet  and  is  en- 
gaged in  building  up  the  best  interests  of 
Aurora  and  in  advocacy  of  the  principles  of 
the  Republican  party. 

Mr.  Klein  was  married  in  February, 
1876,  to  Miss  Harriet  Wilson,  daughter  of 
Ulmer  and  Sarah  (Russ)  Wilson.  She  is  a 
native  of  Belfast,  Maine.  Her  parents 
were  old  settlers  of  Maine,  of  English  and 
German  ancestry.  The  Russes  came  from 
England  in  1634.  Ulmer  Russ,  the  great- 
grandfather of  Mrs.  Kline,  took  an  impor- 
tant part  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Klein  are  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren, Ulmer  and  Clio  Kessler.  Fraternally, 
Mr.  Klein  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  school 
board  for  several  years  and  has  taken  special 
interest  in  educational  affairs.  He  has  also 


been  a  member  of  the  board  of  public 
works,  and  has  served  as  city  treasurer.  For 
some  years  he  has  been  a  director  in  the 
German-American  National  Bank,  and  is 
also  a  director  in  the  building  and  loan  asso- 
ciation of  Aurora.  In  every  position,  pub- 
lic or  private,  which  he  has  been  called 
upon  to  fill  he  has  discharged  its  duties 
faithfully  and  well. 


A  LEXANDER  P.  THOMS  is  a  leading 
I\  representative  of  the  business  interests 
of  Elgin,  and  as  a  dealer  in  sewing  machines 
and  bicycles,  he  now  carries  on  operations 
at  No.  1 66  Chicago  street,  Of  excellent 
business  ability  and  broad  resources,  he  has 
attained  a  prominent  place  among  the  sub- 
stantial citizens,  and  is  a  recognized  leader 
in  public  affairs.  He  has  won  success  by 
well-directed,  energetic  efforts,  and  the 
prosperity  that  has  come  to  him  is  certainly 
well  deserved. 

Mr.  Thorns  is  a  native  of  Scotland,  born 
near  Glasgow,  July  9,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of 
Robert  and  Jane  (Patrick)  Thorns.  The 
name  was  originally  spelled  Thorn.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  George  Thorn,  spent 
his  entire  life  in  Scotland,  where  he  reared 
his  large  family  of  children,  and  died  at  an 
advanced  age.  Rev.  Alexander  Patrick, 
the  maternal  grandfather,  was  a  prominent 
Methodist  minister  of  that  country,  where 
he  conducted  many,  large  revivals.  He  was 
also  the  founder  of  the  Methodist  church  at 
Wallace  Stone.  He  died  in  Scotland  at  the 
age  of  sixty. 

In  1850  the  parents  of  our  subject  left 
their  old  home  in  Scotland  and  came  to  the 
United  States,  first  locating  on  a  farm  of 
eighty  acres  in  Cook  county,  Illinois,  east 
of  Elgin.  After  a  short  residence  there,  the 


5i8 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


father  sold  the  place,  and  bought  another 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  acres 
three  miles  west  of  that  city,  which  he  im- 
proved and  cultivated  until  1884,  when  he 
rented  the  place.  He  then  made  his  home 
in  Elgin  until  called  from  this  life  in  March, 
1895,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years.  His 
wife  had  departed  this  life  one  year  previous, 
aged  seventy-two.  They  were  faithful  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  church,  and  had  the 
respect  and  esteem  of  all  who  knew  them. 
The  father  was  a  very  industrious  man,  and 
strictly  honorable  in  all  his  dealings,  and 
his  fellow- citizens,  appreciating  his  sterling 
worth,  elected  him  to  various  local  offices. 

In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple  were 
twelve  children,  ten  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, and  with  the  exception  of  one,  all  are 
still  living.  Three  of  the  sons  are  promi- 
nent Baptist  ministers.  They  are  as  fol- 
lows: George,  deceased;  Alexander  P.,  of 
this  sketch;  Robert  E. ;  Rev.  James  P. ,  of 
Chicago;  Rev.  John  C. ,  of  Titusville,  Penn- 
sylvania; William  A.;  Rev.  Craigie  S.,  of 
Des  Moines,  Iowa;  George  B.  and  David 
D.,  twins;  Charles  M.,  who,  in  connection 
with  his  brother  George,  is  engaged  in  the 
real  estate  and  loan  business  in  Rochestei , 
New  York;  and  Mary  C.  and  Maria  J.,  both 
of  Elgin. 

Mr.  Thorns,  whose  name  introduces  this 
sketch,  was  seven  years  old  when  he  arrived 
in  Kan*  county,  and  under  the  parental  roof 
he  grew  to  manhood,  acquiring  his  educa- 
tion th  the  district  schools  and  the  Elgin 
Academy,  under  Prof.  Brydges.  Feeling 
that  his  adopted  country  needed  his  services 
during  the  dark  days  of  the  Rebellion,  he 
joined  the  army  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  ea- 
listing  in  September,  1861,  and  becoming 
a  member  of  Company  D,  Eighth  Illinois 
(Farnsworth's)  Cavalry.  He  enlisted  as  a 


private  and  was  on  detached  duty  with  Gen- 
erals Keyes,  Casey  and  Peck.  With  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  he  participated  in  the 
battles  of  Williamsburg,  Fair  Oaks,  the 
seven-days  fight,  the  engagements  at  Pools- 
ville,  South  Mountain,  Antietam,  Martins- 
burg,  Fredericksburg,  Minoxy,  Bevelry  Ford 
and  many  skirmishes  in  Virginia  and  Mary- 
land. After  over  three  years  of  faithful 
service  he  was  mustered  out  at  Chicago. 

After  spending  a  short  time  in  Elgin  Mr. 
Thorns  and  his  brother,  James  P.,  embarked 
in  the  commission  business  in  Chicago,  con- 
ducting the  same  for  three  years.  Our 
subject  then  traveled  for  different  sewing- 
machine  companies,  establishing  agencies 
in  thirty-three  different  states,  and  on  his 
return  to  Elgin  in  1883  he  purchased  his 
brother  William  A.'s  interest  in  the  sewing- 
machine  business  here.  He  now  handles 
machines  for  five  different  companies,  and 
for  the  past  fourteen  years  has  done  an  ex- 
tensive business  as  a  dealer  in  sewing-ma- 
chines, and  is  now  also  dealing  in  bicycles. 

In  September,  1869,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Thorns  and  Miss  Isabella, 
daughter  of  Deacon  D.  L.  Jacobus,  of  Chi- 
cago, and  they  have  become  the  parents  of 
eight  children,  six  sons  and  two  daughters, 
namely:  Lawrence  D.,  who  assists  his  fa- 
ther in  the  store;  William  S. ,  who  is  em- 
ployed by  an  electric  light  company  in  Chi- 
cago; Alexander  P.,  who  is  attending  the 
Chicago  University;  and  John  C. ,  Florence 
Belle,  Ethel  May,  who  are  all  at  home  and 
attending  school;  and  two  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

Socially,  Mr.  Thpins  affiliates  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  Veteran 
post,  G.  A.  R. ;  while  religiously  both  he 
and  his  wife  are  active  and  prominent  mem- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


519 


bers  of  the  First  Baptist  church  of  Elgin,  of 
which  he  has  been  one  of  the  trustees  for 
three  years.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  and 
influential  members  of  the  Republican  party 
in  the  city,  takes  an  active  part  in  campaign 
work,  and  was  elected  captain  of  the  largest 
cavalry  company  ever  raised  in  Elgin. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thorns  have  an  elegant 
home  at  No.  624  South  street,  in  West 
Elgin,  surrounded  by  an  acre  of  ground. 
Being  great  lovers  of  flowers  and  shrubbery 
they  have  spent  considerable  time  in  beaut- 
ifying and  ornamenting  their  place  and  have 
converted  it  into  one  of  the  prettiest  places 
of  the  city.  Here  hospitality  reigns  su- 
preme and  the  many  friends  of  the  family 
are  always  sure  of  a  hearty  welcome. 


DAVID  W.  SHOLES  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ing and  enterprising  citizens  of  Hamp- 
shire. He  is  of  English  descent,  the  first  of 
the  name  coming  to  America  in  colonial 
times.  John  Sholes,  the  grandfather,  from 
one  of  the  New  England  states,  came  west 
in  1846,  and  took  up  land  in  Burlington 
township,  and  here  resided  until  his  death 
at  the  age  of  ninety-four  years.  He  was  a 
pensioner  of  the  war  of  1812.  His  father 
was  a  minister  of  the  gospel  and  died  in  the 
east.  John  Sholes  married  a  Miss  Ham- 
mond, who  died  in  Burlington  township  in 
the  early  '505.  Their  son,  David  Sholes, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Ver- 
mont about  1820.  He  left  his  native  state 
in  the  '305,  and  after  living  a  few  years  in 
Ohio,  came  to  Illinois,  locating  first  in  Ga- 
lena, where  he  lived  one  year,  and  in  1844 
settled  in  Burlington  township,  Kane  coun- 
ty, where  he  secured  a  tract  of  fifteen  hun- 
dred acres  of  good  land.  An  energetic, 
hard  worker,  and  a  good  manager,  he  was 


very  prosperous.  He  married  Mary  J. 
Young,  a  native  of  Chemung  county,  New 
York,  a  daughter  of  Simon  Young,  also  a 
native  of  that  state.  She  died  in  1890  at 
the  age  of  sixty-two  years.  They  were  the 
parents  of  five  children,  as  follows:  Stephen, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years; 
Ernest  C.,  a  brick  manufacturer  of  Hamp- 
shire; Esther,  wife  of  William  Smith,  of 
Elgin;  David  W.,  our  subject;  and  Vernon, 
who  died  in  infancy. 

David  W.  Sholes  was  born  in  Burling- 
ton township,  Kane  county,  Illinois,  April 
24,  1854,  and  after  attending  the  district 
schools  completed  his  education  when  seven- 
teen years  old  at  Jennings  Seminary,  Au- 
rora, Illinois.  In  1871,  in  company  with 
his  brother,  Ernest  C.,  he  bought  a  cheese 
factory  in  Burlington  township,  and  after 
one  year  purchased  his  brother's  interest, 
and  a  year  later  sold  out  and  went  to  Elgin, 
where  he  embarked  in  the  grocery  business 
with  A.  E.  Archibald.  In  six  months  he 
bought  his  partner's  interest  and  continued 
the  business  one  year.  He  then  sold  and 
moved  to  a  farm  of  four  hundred  and  forty 
acres  belonging  to  his  father,  and  com- 
menced farming,  in  which  he  continued  un- 
til 1882,  when  he  moved  to  Hampshire  and 
engaged  in  the  coal  business,  and  also  in 
buying  and  shipping  stock.  He  soon  sold 
the  coal  business,  but  continued  in  stock 
trading  until  1892.  He  was  appointed 
postmaster  of  Hampshire,  July  i,  1893,  and 
served  four  years,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  in  the  commission  business  in  Chicago, 
going  into  the  city  every  morning  and  re- 
turning on  the  afternoon  train. 

Mr.  Sholes  was  married  in  Elgin,  June 
17,  1876,  to  Miss  Nancy  J.  McClellan,  born 
in  Burlington,  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of 
John  M.  and  Nancy  (Wilson)  McClellan, 


52O 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  latter  born  near  Pittsburg,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Wilson, 
whose  wife  was  a  Miss  Fitzpatrick,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  John 
M.  McClellan,  also  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
was  the  son  of  John  McClellan.  To  John 
M.  McClellan  and  wife  five  children  were 
born  as  follows:  Mary  Jane,  wife  of  E.  K. 
Allen;  George,  who  died  in  Greene,  Iowa; 
Margaret,  who  married  William  Stone,  but 
is  now  deceased;  Nancy  J.,  wife  of  our  sub- 
ject; and  Genevra,  who  married  Joseph  C. 
Wall,  of  Watertown,  South  Dakoka. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  two  sons  were 
born.  Thomas  F.  is  a  fine  machinist,  and 
makes  his  home  in  Hampshire.  He  mar- 
ried Anna  Scott,  daughter  of  Walter  and 
Charlotte  (Scott)  Scott,  natives  of  Eng- 
land. David  J.  is  the  cashier  in  the  Kane 
County  Bank. 

Mr.  Sholes  lately  built  a  fine  cottage  in 
the  eastern  part  of  Hampshire  in  the  midst 
of  a  beautiful  natural  grove.  Politically, 
he  is  a  Democrat  and  has  served  in  various 
official  positions,  among  them  being  collec- 
tor, school  director  and  member  of  the 
village  board.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  Knights  of 
the  Globe.  Socially  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Wednesday  Club. 


S  ARSON  L.  JUDD,  of  Sugar  Grove  town- 
ship, has  been  actively  engaged  in  farm- 
ing for  many  years,  and  has  been  a  stock 
dealer  for  about  twenty  years.  He  is  a  na- 
tive of  New  York,  born  in  Warren  county, 
March  4,  1849.  His  father,  Dexter  C.  judd, 
was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  born  in  1825, 
while  his  grandfather,  Sarson  L.  Judd,  was 
also  a  native  of  Connecticut.  The  family 


are  of  English  descent,  and  originally  set- 
tled in  Connecticut.  Early  in  the  present 
century  Sarson  L.  Judd  removed  from  his 
native  state  to  New  York.  He  was  a  black- 
smith and  axe-maker  by  trade,  which  occu- 
pation he  followed  for  many  years.  About 
1834  he  came  to  Kane  county,  and  built  the 
first  blacksmith  shop  in  what  is  now  the  city 
of  Elgin.  He  there  carried  on  business  for 
a  year  or  two,  sold  out  and  returned  to  New 
York,  where  his  last  days  were  spent. 

Dexter  C.  Judd  grew  to  manhood  in  New 
York,  and  learned  the  blacksmith  trade  with 
his  father,  and  carried  on  business  at  Bol- 
ton,  on  Lake  George,  up  to  1850,  when  he 
came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  twenty  acres  in  Sugar 
Grove  township.  He  also  built  a  black- 
smith shop  and  w  rked  at  his  trade  in  con- 
nection with  farming  for  a  number  of  years. 
As  his  means  increased  he  purchased  more 
land,  until  he  had  a  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  seventy-six  acres  adjoining  the  present 
village  of  Sugar  Grove.  While  residing  in 
New  York  he  married  Eliza  C.  Brown,  also 
a  native  of  that  state,  where  she  was  reared 
and  educated.  They  were  the  parents  of 
five  sons,  all  of  whom  grew  to  mature  years 
and  all  living  and  heads  of  families.  Asel 
T.  is  a  farmer  of  Sugar  Grove  township; 
Samuel  B.  resides  in  Aurora;  Sarson  L. ,  of 
this  review;  Charles  D.,  of  Aurora;  and 
Smith  C.,  of  Chicago,  Illinois.  Dexter  C. 
Judd  was  quite  a  prominent  man  in  Sugar 
Grove  township,  and  held  a  number  of  local 
offices  of  honor  and  trust.  Later  in  life  he 
removed  to  Aurora,  where  his  death  oc- 
curred in  June,  1893.  His  wife  passed 
away  two  years  previously,  dying  in  1891, 
and  their  bodies  were  laid  to  rest  in  Sugar 
Grove  township. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  man- 


SARSON   L.  JUDD. 


Of 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


523 


hood  on  the  old  home  farm,  and  was  edu- 
cated in  the  Sugar  Grove  schools.  He  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  after  attaining 
his  majority.  On  the  25th  of  November, 
1870,  in  Sugar  Grove  township,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Gillett, 
a  daughter  of  Lewis  H.  Gillett,  a  pioneer 
of  Kane  county,  and  later  removed  to  Iro- 
quois  county,  where  he  purchased  a  farm 
and  remained  six  years,  then  returned  to 
Kane  county,  bought  the  old  homestead  on 
which  he  has  since  resided,  and  where  he 
has  engaged  in  general  farming  and  also  in 
the  stock  business.  In  1897  he  also  en- 
gaged in  the  farming-implement  and  coal 
business  at  Sugar  Grove,  where  he  has  just 
completed  a  large  and  substantial  residence, 
one  of  the  best  in  the  township.  Mrs.  Judd 
died  in  1894,  leaving  two  sons — Lewis  Dex- 
ter, married  and  now  running  the  old  home 
farm,  and  Clarence,  a  student  in  the  Sugar 
Grove  Normal  Institute.  Mr.  Judd  was 
again  married  April  2,  1895,  n's  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Susie  Kauth,  who 
was  born  and  reared  in  Kane  county,  and  a 
daughter  of  Michael  and  Audesia  Kauth,  of 
Sugar  Grove  township. 

Politically  Mr.  Judd  is  a  life-long  Re- 
publican, the  liberty-loving  principles  of 
which  he  inherited  from  his  father,  who  was 
a  strong  anti-slavery  man.  He  cast  his  first 
presidential  ballot  for  U.  S.  Grant  in  1868, 
and  has  voted  for  every  presidential  nomi- 
nee of  the  party  up  to  William  McKinley, 
for  whom  he  voted  in  1896.  He  has  al- 
ways taken  an  active  interest  in  political 
affairs,  and  has  served  as  a  delegate  in  many 
conventions,  county,  congressional  and  state, 
and  has  given  his  services  to  his  county  as 
supervisor  for  nine  years.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  also  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  As  a  citi- 

25 


zen  he  is  enterprising  and  progressive,  and 
never  fails  to  be  found  in  the  front  of  those 
advocating  any  measure  that  will  advance 
the  interest  of  his  town  or  county.  Well 
known  throughout  the  entire  county,  as  well 
as  in  the  adjoining  counties  of  Kendall  and 
De  Kalb,  he  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem 
by  all. 


JF.  COLSON. — No  foreign  element  has 
become  a  more  important  part  in  .our 
American  citizenship  than  that  furnished  by 
Sweden.  The  emigrants  from  that  land 
have  brought  with  them  to  the  new  world 
the  stability,  enterprise  and  perseverance 
characteristic  of  their  people  and  have  fused 
these  qualities  with  the  progressiveness  and 
idomitable  spirit  of  the  west.  Mr.  Colson, 
now  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  St. 
Charles,  is  a  worthy  representative  of  this 
class. 

J.  F.  Colson  was  born  in  Sweden,  Janu- 
ary 20,  1853,  a  son  of  John  P.  and  Chris- 
tine S.  Colson,  who  during  his  infancy  came 
to  the  United  States,  and,  after  a  short 
time  spentr.in  Chicago,  they  located  in  St. 
Charles  in  the  summer  of  1853.  The  fa- 
ther was  a  shoemaker  by  trade  and  con- 
tinued to  follow  that  trade  until  incapaci- 
tated by  age.  He  died  in  St.  Charles  in 
1892,  but  his  wife  is  still  living  and  now 
finds  a  pleasant  home  with  our  subject. 

The  public  schools  of  St.  Charles  afforded 
J.  F.  Colson  his  early  educational  advan- 
tages, but  to  a  large  degree  he  is  self-edu- 
cated, obtaining  through  his  own  exertions 
a  good,  practical  business  knowledge.  He 
began  his  business  career  as  a  clerk  in  the 
store  of  L.  C.  Ward,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained for  twelve  years,  obtaining  a  thor- 
ough training  in  business  methods,  which 


524 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


has  been  of  great  benefit  to  him  in  later 
years.  In  1885  he  formed  a  business  part- 
nership with  Charles  A.  Anderson,  with 
whom  he  had  clerked  for  five  years,  and  to- 
gether they  engaged  in  merchandising  until 
the  latter's  death  in  i888._  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Charles  H.  Haines  as  silent  part- 
ner, and  business  has  since  been  conducted 
under  the  firm  style  of  Colson  &  Company. 
They  carry  a  large  and  complete  stock  of 
dry  goods,  notions,  boots,  shoes,  clothing, 
hats,  caps,  carpets,  etc.,  and  have  built  up 
a  large  trade,  having  early  gained  a  reputa- 
tion for  good  goods  and  fair  dealing.  When 
Mr.  Colson  started  out  in  life  for  himself  he 
had  no  capital,  but  by  perseverance,  industry 
and  economy  he  has  steadily  worked  his  way 
upward  and  has  become  quite  well-to-do. 
He  is  an  enterprising,  progressive  business 
man  of  sound  judgment  and  excellent  abil- 
ity, and  the  success  that  he  has  achieved  is 
certainly  well  deserved.  He  has  not  only 
secured  a  comfortable  competence,  but  has 
made  for  himself  an  honored  name  in  the 
land  of  his  adoption. 

In  Geneva,  Illinois,  in  January,  1882, 
Mr.  Colson  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Anna  Johnson,  a  native  of  Sweden,  who 
was  born  and  reared  in  Geneva.  They  now 
have  five  children — Winfield,  Leroy,  Ruth, 
Harold  and  Robert — and  the  three  oldest 
are  attending  school  in  St.  Charles.  The 
Republican  party  finds  in  Mr.  Colson  an 
ardent  supporter  of  its  principles,  having 
cast  his  first  vote  for  General  Grant  in  1872. 
Fraternally,  he  is  a  master  Mason,  belong- 
ing to  the  blue  lodge  of  St.  Charles,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  of  which  he  is  past  grand;  has 
filled  all  the  offices  in  the  encampment  up  to 
the  chief  patriarch,  and  he  and  his  wife  be- 


long to  Rebekah  lodge.  Mr.  Colson  has 
spent  almost  his  entire  life  in  St.  Charles, 
and  since  attaining  to  man's  estate  he  has 
been  identified  with  its  business  interests, 
materially  aiding  in  the  advancement  and 
prosperity  of  the  city. 


BAXTER  O.  SKINNER," a  farmer  resid- 
ing on  section  22,  Plato  township,  was 
born  five  miles  from  Westport,  Essex  coun- 
ty, New  York,  November  15,  1834.  His 
early  life  was  spent  in  his  native  state,  and 
his  education  was  received  in  the  public 
schools  at  Brainard's  Forge,  five  miles  from 
Pleasant  Valley.  He  came  west  with  his 
parents  in  May,  1853,  and  assisted  his  father 
in  opening  up  and  developing  a  good  farm. 
His  father,  Oren  Skinner,  was  born  in  Lang- 
don,  New  Hampshire,  in  1804,  and  died  in 
Plato  township,  Kane  county,  January  13, 
1 86 1.  He  was  a  clothier  and  draper  by 
trade,  his  principal  work  being  in  finishing 
broadcloth.  On  the  5th  of  May,  1853,  he 
left  his  New  Hampshire  home  for  the  west, 
going  by  rail  to  Buffalo,  thence  by  lake  to 
Toledo,  then  by  rail  to  Chicago.  Severe 
storms  were  encountered  on  the  lakes,  and 
about  ten  or  twelve  days  were  spent  in  mak- 
ing the  trip  to  Chicago.  He  had  two  broth- 
ers then  living  in  Chicago,  and  with  them 
he  remained  a  short  time  before  coming  to 
the  farm  where  the  family  has  since  resided. 
At  the  time  they  came  there  was  much  gov- 
ernment land  open  to  entry,  and  there  was 
plenty  of  wild  game  in  the  country.  Oren 
Skinner  took  up  one  hundred  and  sixty-five 
acres,  and  later  purchased  forty  acres  more. 
Of  the  original  tract  our  subject  now  owns 
one  hundred  and  twelve  acres,  where  he 
conducts  the  stock  farm,  raising  horses  prin- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


525 


cipally.  He  has  a  good  house  upon  the 
place,  rebuilt  in  1897-8,  with  a  beautiful 
grove  surrounding  the  house  and  barns. 

The  paternal  grandfather,  Baxter  Skin- 
ner, was  born  in  New  Hampshire  or  Ver- 
mont. He  was  descended  from  one  of  two 
brothers,  who  emigrated  from  England,  set- 
tling in  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts.  By 
trade  he  was  a  blacksmith.  Oren  Skinner 
married  Charlotte  Cady,  who  was  born  in 
Rutland,  Vermont,  and  a  daughter  of  Oliver 
Cady,  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812,  born 
September  20,  I78r,  and  died  April  30, 
1841.  He  was  married  October  12,  1805, 
to  Abigail  Brainard,  born  June  10,  1786. 
He  moved  to  the  town  of  Reading,  Vermont, 
in  1803.  As  early  as  1804  he  was  a  choir 
leader  in  the  Congregational  church.  Abi- 
gail Brainard  was  a  daughter  of  Deacon 
Timothy  Brainard,  a  drum  major  of  the  war 
of  1812.  The  Cadys  are  a  musical  family, 
one  of  the  number  being  a  partner  of  George 
F.  Root,  and  they  were  the  largest  dealers 
in  musical  instruments  in  Chicago  before 
the  great  fire  of  1871.  Our  subject  has  a 
fine  old  violin,  which  came  into  his  posses- 
sion forty-five  years  ago,  and  which  is  over 
three  hundred  years  old  and  has  been  in  the 
family  for  many  generations.  Timothy 
Brainard  was  in  the  battle  of  Plattsburg, 
moved  to  Westport,  New  York,  in  1814, 
and  some  years  later  to  Kane  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  died  in  Plato  township  at  the  age 
of  eighty-three  years.  Oren  Skinner  and 
wife  were  parents  of  four  children,  as  fol- 
lows: John,  who  preceded  the  family  to 
Chicago,  in  the  fall  of  1852,  and  died  April 
24,  1888,  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years; 
Martha,  wife  of  A  W.  Hall,  resides  on  a 
farm  near  our  subject,  and  which  is  part  of 
the  old  homestead;  Baxter  Oliver,  our  sub- 
ject; and  Armenia  S. ,  who  married  William 


J.  Fisher,  and  lived   in   Essex  county,  New 
York,  died  in  July,   1881. 

For  forty-five  years  Baxter  O.  Skinner 
has  been  living  upon  his  present  farm,  and 
is  well  known  throughout  Kane  county. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Grange  during  its  existence.  Politically  he 
is  a  Republican,  casting  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  John  C.  Fremont,  and  has  voted 
•for  none  but  Republican  presidential  candi- 
dates ever  since.  He  is  now  serving  as 
deputy  sheriff,  a  position  which  he  has  filled 
for  some  twelve  or  fourteen  years.  His 
interest  in  the  public  schools  has  always 
been  great,  and  for  twenty-one  years  he  has 
served  as  school  director.  He  has  been 
township  trustee  since  1873,  and  has  been 
president  of  the  board  for  many  years. 
During  the  war  he  was  a  member  of  the 
state  militia.  Always  loyal  he  has  made  a 
good  representative  citizen  of  the  township. 


M 


ORRIS  P.  BROWN,  of  Aurora,  Illi- 
nois, was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
most  active  and  enterprising  farmers  of  Kane 
county.  He  dates  his  residence  in  this 
county  from  October,  1845.  A  native  of 
the  Empire  state,  he  was  born  in  the  center 
of  the  town  of  Watertown,  Jefferson  coun- 
ty, July  25,  1827,  and  is  the  son  of  James 
Brown,  who  was  an  early  settler  of  that 
county,  and  whose  father  built  a  tavern  for 
the  entertainment  of  the  traveling  public, 
which  they  carried  on  for  many  years.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  Aaron  Brown,  was  a 
native  of  Massachusetts,  from  which  state 
he  removed  to  Jefferson  county,  New  York. 
The  mother  was  of  English  and  Scotch  an- 
cestry. 

James  Brown  was   married   in   Jefferson 


526 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


county,  New  York,  to  Fannie  Scott,  a  na- 
tive of  Connecticut  and  a  daughter  of  Abel 
Scott,  who  was  also  a  pioneer  of  Jefferson 
county,  New  York,  moving  from  Connecti- 
cut. After  marriage,  James  Brown  and 
wife  commenced  their  domestic  life  on  a 
farm  in  Jefferson  county,  where  they  re- 
mained until  1843,  when  the  father  came 
to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  where  he  remained 
a  short  time,  and  then  removed  to  De  Kalb 
county  with  Morris  P.,  who  came  in  1845. 
The  mother  came  in  1846  and  joined  the 
family  in  De  Kalb  county.  After  twenty 
years  spent  in  De  Kalb  county,  they  re- 
turned to  Kane  county,  and  located  in 
Sugar  Grove  township,  where  she  died  Jan- 
uary 26,  1875.  He  survived  her  about  two 
years,  dying  February  13,  1877.  He  was  a 
man  of  good  education,  studied  for  the 
ministry,  and  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church. 

Morris  P.  Brown  is  the  only  survivor  of 
a  family  of  two  sons  and  three  daughters, 
all  of  whom  grew  to  mature  years,  but  are 
now  deceased.  In  his  native  state  he  spent 
his  boyhood  and  youth,  and  a  few  weeks 
during  the  winter  months  was  enabled  to 
attend  school,  the  remainder  of  his  time 
being  given  to  hard  work  upon  the  farm. 
When  nineteen  years  of  age,  he  came  west 
and  settled  in  De  Kalb  county,  where  he 
entered  eighty  acres  of  land,  and  com- 
menced its  improvement.  He  later  entered 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  giving  him  a 
farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres. 
As  his  means  increased  he  purchased  more 
land,  and  owned  at  one  time  one  thousand 
acres.  In  1865,  he  came  to  Kane  county, 
and  purchased  two  improved  farms,  in 
Sugar  Grove  township,  comprising  three 
hundred  and  forty  acres.  While  commenc- 
ing life  in  this  state  a  poor  boy,  success 


has  crowned  his  efforts,  and  he  is  to-day 
regarded  as  one  of  the  substantial  men  of 
Kane  county.  In  addition  to  the  three 
hundred  and  forty  acres  he  owns  in  Kane 
county,  he  has  also  a  valuable  farm  in  Ne- 
braska, and  residence  property  in  Aurora. 
He  is  likewise  a  stockholder  in  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Aurora. 

On  the  22nd  of  November,  1855,  Mr. 
Brown  was  united  in  marriage  in  De  Kalb 
county  with  Miss  Sarah  E.  Hyde,  born  in 
Grand  Island,  Vermont,  and  a  daughter  of 
James  W.  Hyde,  also  a  native  of  Vermont. 
James  W.  Hyde,  in  that  state,  married  Ruth 
Corbin,  a  Vermont  lady,  whose  father, 
Warren  Corbin,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
of  Grand  Island.  James  W.  Hyde  removed 
to  New  York,  located  first  in  St.  Lawrence 
county,  after  which  he  removed  to  Frank- 
lin county,  and  in  1 846  came  to  Illinois, 
settling  in  Kendall  county,  where  he  opened 
up  a  farm,  and  later  removed  to  De  Kalb 
county,  but  later  went  to  live  with  a  son  in 
Iowa,  where  he  died.  Mrs.  Brown  was 
reared  in  New  York  state,  and  in  Kendall 
county,  Illinois,  and  here  participated  in  the 
hardships  and  privations  of  pioneer  life.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  four  children  were 
born:  Ella  G.  grew  to  womanhood,  married 
P.  B.  Quinn,  settled  in  Kane  county  where 
she  died,  leaving  one  daughter,  Mary  E. , 
now  residing  with  her  grandparents.  May 
H.  died  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  Grace 
M.  S.  is  the  wife  of  Daniel  J.  Gordon,  a 
substantial  farmer,  of  Sugar  Grove  town- 
ship. Fannie  R.  is  the  wife  of  Leonard 
Hall,  also  a  substantial  farmer  of  Sugar 
Grove  township. 

In  1 88 1  Mr.  Brown  built  a  residence  in 
Aurora,  to  which  he  removed  with  his  fam- 
ily in  1882,  and  here  resided  three  years. 
They  then  returned  to  the  farm,  and  seven 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


527 


years  later  came  back  to  Aurora,  where  he 
has  since  lived  a  retired  life.  On  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Republican  party,  Mr. 
Brown  became  an  adherent,  casting  his  vote 
for  John  C.  Fremont,  since  which  time  he 
has  been  a  stanch  advocate  of  its  princi- 
ples. Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  blue  lodge,  council,  chapter 
and  commandery.  As  a  citizen  he  is  held 
in  high  esteem,  and  in  the  growth  and  de- 
velopment of  the  county  he  has  borne  his 
part. 


ANNAS  HATHAWAY,  a  well-known  and 
honored  citizen  of  Elgin,  whose  home 
is  at  No.  645  North  Spring  street,  was  born 
on  the  1 3th  of  October,  1827,  in  Steuben 
county,  New  York,  a  son  of  Joel  and  Anna 
(Babbitt)  Hathaway,  natives  of  Massachu- 
setts. Five  children  were  born  to  them, 
four  sons  and  one  daughter,  but  our  subject 
is  the  only  one  now  living.  During  his 
early  life  the  father  worked  at  the  stone 
mason's  trade,  but  later  turned  his  attention 
to  farming.  Coming  west  in  1850,  he  and 
his  wife  made  their  home  with  their  eldest 
son,  E.  T.  Hathaway,  in  Wayne,  Du  Page 
county,  Illinois,  where  the  father  died  in 
1870,  aged  eighty-six,  and  the  mother,  who 
survived  him  five  years,  died  at  the  age  of 
eighty-one.  Both  were  Universalists  in  re- 
ligious belief  and  were  held  in  high  regard 
by  all  who  knew  them.  During  the  war  of 
1812  the  father  was  captain  of  a  company, 
and  while  living  in  Steuben  county,  New 
York,  he  served  as  supervisor  and  also  as 
county  superintendent  of  the  poor  for  some 
years. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 
was  born  in  Massachusetts,  of  English  par- 
entage, was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and 


was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  tak- 
ing part  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  He 
reared  a  family  of  seven  sons  and  three 
daughters,  and  died  at  the  advanced  age  of 
one  hundred  years.  Edward  Babbitt,  the 
maternal  grandfather,  was  also  a  native  of 
the  old  Bay  state,  and  died  in  middle  life 
leaving  a  family  of  three  sons  and  three 
daughters. 

Mr.  Hathaway,  of  this  review,  obtained 
his  education  in  an  old  log  school-house 
near  his  boyhood  home,  and  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  left  the  parental  roof  and  entered 
upon  his  business  career  as  a  clerk  in  a 
store,  where  he  was  employed  for  four  years. 
On  the  4th  of  May,  1845,  he  first  set  foot  in 
Elgin,  where  he  had  stopped  to  visit  friends 
while  on  his  way  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and 
after  spending  eighteen  months  here  he  pro- 
ceeded to  that  city,  where  he  made  his 
home  for  four  years.  He  then  returned 
to  Elgin,  and  in  partnership  with  W.  C. 
Kimball,  opened  a  store  in  Union,  Mc- 
Henry  county.  On  selling  out  two  «years 
later  he  removed  to  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa, 
where  he  engaged  in  merchandising  one 
year;  later  he  moved  to  Chicago  and  gave 
his  attention  to  bookkeeping.  Subse- 
quently he  went  to  Pike's  Peak  in  1859  and 
on  to  California,  where  he  engaged  in  min- 
ing. He  returned  to  Chicago  in  1860  and  re- 
mained there  till  1861 ;  he  then  went  South 
and  engaged  in  mercantile  business  until 
1866.  Returning  he  engaged  in  the  com- 
mission business  in  Chicago  for  one  year, 
and  then  became  interested  in  railroad- 
ing, having  charge  of  the  freight  department 
of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  road  for  one 
year.  He  was  next  ticket  and  freight 
agent  for  the  Chicago  &  Pacific  railroad, 
and  later  had  charge  of  the  out-going 
freight  for  the  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan 


528 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Southern  railroad  for  six  years.  The  fol- 
lowing year  he  was  connected  with  the 
pool  line  under  George  H.  Daniels,  but  at 
the  end  of  that  time  the  pool  line  was  dis- 
solved and  he  came  to  Elgin,  where  for 
seven  years  he  served  as  freight  and  ticket 
agent  for  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St. 
Paul  railroad.  Going  to  Tacoma,  Wash- 
ington he  became  manager  for  the  Tacoma 
Trading  Company,  furnishing  coal  and 
building  supplies.  He  then  returned  to  El- 
gin in  1890,  and  three  years  later  was  ap- 
pointed chief  clerk  and  secretary  of  the 
state  board  of  trustees  of  the  Illinois  North- 
ern Hospital  for  the  Insane,  a  position  he 
acceptably  filled  for  four  years.  In  the  spring 
and  summer  of  1892,  he  built  his  present 
beautiful  home  in  that  city,  where  he  ex- 
pects to  spend  his  declining  years. 

On  the  22d  of  February,  1853,  Mr. 
Hathaway  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Sylvira  M.  Bartlett,  a  daughter  of  Edmund 
and  Naomi  (Babcock)  Bartlett,  who  located 
in  Kane  county  as  early  as  1834,  making 
their  home  upon  a  farm  near  Wayne  for 
over  half  a  century.  Mr.  Bartlett  died 
upon  that  place,  but  the  death  of  his  wife 
occurred  in  Elgin.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hatha- 
way have  two  children.  Carrie,  the  older, 
is  now  the  wife  of  D.  W.  George,  of  Jack- 
sonville, Illinois,  and  has  three  children— 
Sylvira,  James  and  William.  Herbert  is 
employed  in  the  watch  factory  in  Elgin. 

Mr.  Hathaway  is  a  prominent  Mason, 
having  belonged  to  that  order  since  joining 
Unity  lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  St.  Charles, 
Illinois,  September  20,  1852,  and  he  is  now 
a  member  of  Loyal  L.  Munn  chapter,  R.  A. 
M. ;  Bethel  commandery,  No.  36,  K.  T. ; 
Oriental  Consistory  and  Medinah  Temple, 
both  of  Chicago.  Politically  he  is  identified 
with  the  Democratic  party.  Since  1845  ne 


has  made  his  home  almost  continuously  in 
Chicago  or  Elgin,  and  his  wife  has  been  a 
resident  of  Kane  county  for  sixty-three 
years,  so  that  they  have  witnessed  almost 
the  entire  development  of  this  section  of 
the  state,  and  deserve  to  be  numbered 
among  its  honored  pioneers,  as  well  as  its 
highly  respected  and  valued  citizens. 


WILLIAM  W.  NEWMAN,  of  Aurora, 
Illinois,  is  a  native  of  the  Empire 
state,  which  has  contributed  to  the  great 
state  of  Illinois  many  of  its  best  and  most 
enterprising  citizens.  For  many  years  he 
was  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  Sugar 
Grove,  township,  Kane  county,  but  is  now 
living  a  retired  life.  He  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Butternuts,  Otsego  county,  New 
York,  December  7,  1812.  His  father, 
Abraham  Newman,  was  born  in  Connecti- 
cut, and  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary 
war.  When  a  young  man  he  moved  from 
Connecticut  to  New  York,  and  at  Granville, 
that  -state,  he  married  Lucinda  Crippen,  a 
native  of  New  York.  By  trade  he  was  a 
tailor.  After  residing  for  a  time  in  Gran- 
ville, he  then  went  to  Otsego  county,  and 
later  he  moved  to  Jefferson  county,  New 
York,  where  he  cleared  and  opened  up  a 
farm  in  the  heavy  wilderness,  and  in  the 
town  of  Alexander  spent  the  last  years  of 
his  life,  dying  at  the  age  of  eighty-three 
years. 

William  W.  Newman  is  one  of  a  fam- 
ily of  six  sons  and  six  daughters,  all  of 
whom  grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood, 
married  and  reared  families.  Of  the  num- 
ber, our  subject  and  one  brother  are  all  that 
survive.  One  brother,  J.  D. ,  who  resided 
in  Chicago,  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight 
years.  The  other  brother,  A.  D. ,  also  retired, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


529 


is  living  in  Wooster,  Massachusetts.  In  Jef- 
ferson county,  New  York,  our  subject  grew 
to  manhood,  his  education  being  received 
in  its  common  schools.  In  his  youth  he 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  fol- 
lowed for  some  years,  after  arriving  at  man- 
hood's estate.  Being  always  handy  with 
tools,  he  could  work  at  any  mechanical 
trade. 

On  the  i  Jth  of  January,  1839,  in  Lewis 
county,  New  York,  Mr.  Newman  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Laura  L.  McCoy,  a 
native  of  Vermont,  who  came  to  New  York 
when  a  child,  with  her  father,  William  Mc- 
Coy, who  was  a  pioneer  of  Lewis  county. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newman,  four  sons  have 
been  born — James  D.,  who  grew  to  man- 
hood, engaged  in  railroad  work,  married 
and  resided  in  Chicago,  where  his  death  oc- 
curred; W.  C.  is  a  stock  dealer  and  ship- 
per, married  and  resides  in  Nebraska;  L.  A., 
now  deceased;  and  J.  B.,  who  resides  at 
home,  and  assists  his  father  in  the  business. 

After  marriage  Mr.  Newman  bought  the 
old  homestead  in  Jefferson  county,  New 
York,  where  he  carried  on  a  general  farm- 
ing and  dairy  business,  continuing  there  un- 
til 1853,  when  he  sold  out  and  came  to 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  locating  in  Sugar 
Grove  township,  where  he  purchased  a 
partially-improved  farm  of  two  hundred  and 
twenty-two  acres,  and  at  once  resumed 
farming.  He  brought  the  farm  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation,  made  extensive 
improvements  upon  it,  and  there  resided 
until  1868,  when  he  purchased  residence 
property  in  Aurora,  to  which  he  removed, 
and  where  he  has  since  continued  to  reside. 
Later  he  sold  the  farm  and  invested  in  city 
residence  property,  buying  lots  and  erecting 
dwelling  houses,  principally  on  the  west 
side.  He  now  owns  several  valuable  resi- 


dences in  the  city.  Being  a  carpenter,  he 
took  charge  of  the  erection  of  the  build- 
ings, thus  making  a  great  saving  in 
the  expense.  In  early  life  Mr.  Newman 
was  a  Whig,  which  party  he  supported  un- 
til after  its  defeat  in  1852,  and,  on  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Republican  party,  gave 
adherence  to  its  peculiar  views,  and  has 
since  been  a  stanch  advocate  of  its  princi- 
ples. While  residing  in  the  country,  he 
served  as  assessor,  school  director,  and  in 
other  positions  of  honor  and  trust.  Com- 
mencing life  in  very  limited  circumstances, 
he  has,  by  honest  industry,  strict  integrity, 
and  the  practice  of  economy,  secured  a 
competency,  which  enables  him  to  live  at 
ease  and  enjoy  the  fruits  of  a  life  well 
spent.  While  not  numbered  among  those 
who  profess  to  be  pioneers,  he  is  yet  among 
the  early  settlers  of  the  county,  and  has 
witnessed  the  greater  part  of  the  changes 
made  in  transforming  this  section  into  the 
most  productive  part  of  the  great  state  of 
Illinois.  In  this  work  he  has  done  his  part 
and  is  entitled  to  all  honor  and  credit. 


ORLANDO  DAVIDSON  is  one  of  the 
leading  and  influential  citizens  of  El- 
gin, who  has  taken  an  active  part  in  pro- 
moting its  substantial  improvement  and 
material  development.  For  many  years  he 
was  one  of  the  most  active  and  enterpris- 
ing business  men  of  the  city,  identified  with 
its  industrial,  commercial  and  banking  in- 
terests, but  is  living  retired  at  his  pleasant 
home,  known  as  Stone  Cottage,  No.  157 
South  Chapel  street. 

Mr.  Davidson  was  born  May  3,  1825,  in 
Windham,  New  Hampshire,  a  son  of  James 
Nutt  and  Lucy  (Lancaster)  Davidson,  also 
natives  of  that  state,  the  former  born  in 


530 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Windham  and  the  latter  in  Acworth.  The 
grandfather,  who  also  bore  the  name  of 
James  Davidson,  was  born  in  Tewksbury, 
Massachusetts,  January  12,  1752.  When 
the  Colonies  resolved  to  throw  off  the  yoke 
of  British  oppression,  he  joined  the  Conti- 
nental army  at  Cambridge  and  remained  in 
the  service  until  the  war  ended,  witnessing 
the  surrender  of  General  Burgoyne.  He 
gained  a  comfortable  living  by  his  occupa- 
tion of  farming.  That  he  was  held  in  high 
esteem  by  his  fellow  citizens  was  evidenced 
by  the  number  of  offices  he  was  called  upon 
to  fill  from  time  to  time,  being  one  of  the 
prominent  officials  in  his  town  for  a  period 
of  more  than  thirty  years.  Social,  genial 
and  very  kind  in  disposition,  he  made 
friends  easily,  and  could  as  easily  retain 
them.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  convic- 
tions, was  firm  and  self  reliant,  noted  for 
his  candor  .and  exemplary  Christian  life. 
He  died  in  Windham,  New  Hampshire, 
July  3,  1837.  From  infancy  he  had  resid- 
ed in  that  state.  In  early  manhood  he 
married  Miss  Hannah  Hemphill,  and  to 
them  were  born  nine  children,  namely: 
Nathaniel,  Margaret,  Sarah,  Anna,  Samuel, 
James  Nutt,  Mary,  James  Nutt  and  John 
Hemphill. 

Of  these  James  Nutt  Davidson  (second), 
the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  July  12, 
1797,  and  in  early  life  was  a  butcher,  con- 
ducting a  slaughter  house  in  the  east.  He 
was  also  interested  in  hotel  keeping  for  a 
time.  In  1835  he  removed  to  Sandusky, 
Ohio,  and  ten  years  later  located  in  Chi- 
cago, where  he  was  engaged  in  the  commis- 
sion business  for  some  years.  Several 
years  prior  to  his  death  he  became  an  in- 
mate of  the  home  of  our  subject,  in  Elgin, 
where  he  passed  away  in  August,  1873,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  He  was 


known  as  Deacon  Davidson,  being  for  many 
years  a  deacon  in  the  Congregational  church 
in  the  east  and  in  Chicago.  Before  the 
war  he  took  considerable  interest  in  the 
operations  of  the  underground  railroad,  and 
assisted  many  a  poor  darky  on  his  way  to 
Canada  and  freedom.  His  wife,  who  was 
a  member  of  the  same  church,  and  a  most 
estimable  woman,  died  in  Chicago,  in  1855, 
at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  In  their  family 
were  eleven  children,  ten  of  whom  reached 
years  of  maturity,  but  only  three  are  now 
living:  Orlando;  Cynthia  A.,  wife  of  J.  H. 
Stead,  of  Salida,  Colorado;  and  Jennie, 
widow  of  Gilbert  G.  Edgerton,  of  Fremont, 
Ohio.  Those  deceased  are  Amintor,  Na- 
thaniel, Daniel,  Charles,  James,  Mary  and 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  S.  M.  Moore,  of  Chicago. 
The  first  ten  years  of  his  life  Orlando 
Davidson  lived  upon  a  farm  in  his  native 
state,  and  then  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  to  Sandusky,  Ohio,  making 
the  journey  partly  by  wagon  and  the  re- 
mainder by  way  of  the  lakes.  There  he 
acquired  a  good  education  in  the  common 
schools,  and  after  coming  with  the  family  to 
Chicago,  he  taught  a  country  school  where 
Evanston  now  stands.  He  and  an  older 
brother,  as  well  as  their  father,  took  an 
active  interest  in  the  underground  railroad 
at  that  time.  Fora  time  he  held  a  position 
in  a  bank  in  Chicago,  and  in  1850  came  to 
Elgin  to  settle  up  the  estate  of  James  T. 
Gifford,  "the  father  of  Elgin,"  whose 
sketch  is  given  in  connection  with  that  of 
his  daughter,  Mrs.  Preston,  on  another 
page  of  this  work.  Having  accomplished 
this  task,  Mr.  Davidson  returned  to  Chi- 
cago, and  resumed  his  duties  in  the  bank, 
but  in  1854  removed  his  family  to  Elgin, 
where  he  has  continuously  resided  since, 
making  the  "stone  cottage"  built  by  his 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


father-in-law,  Mr.  Gifford,  his  home.  On 
locating  there  his  yard  covered  an  entire 
block. 

In  Elgin,  Mr.  Davidson  opened  a  private 
bank  in  1854,  which  successfully  passed 
through  the  stringency  of  money  matters  in 
1857,  and  in  1866  was  converted  into  the 
Home  National  Bank,  of  which  he  was  the 
first  president,  serving  as  such  until  1878. 
Since  then  he  has  practically  lived  retired, 
though  he  has  been  interested  in  other  en- 
terprises, being  secretary  of  the  Elgin  Pack- 
ing company,  until  the  time  of  his  sickness 
in  December,  1895.  He  was  instrumental 
in  bringing  the  watch  factory  to  Elgin,  and 
was  a  resident  director  of  the  same  for  sev- 
eral years;  took  an  active  interest  in  locat- 
ing the  Northern  Hospital  for  the  Insane  in 
Elgin,  and  was  its  treasurer  for  six  years, 
during  which  time  the  building  was  erected; 
and  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in 
the  Elgin  Academy,  a  classical  institution  of 
learning,  of  which  he  was  the  leading  sup- 
porter for  over  thirty  years,  acting  as  sec- 
retary of  the  board  of  trustees  during  that 
time.  Mr.  Davidson  was  also  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Elgin  Scientific  society,  of 
which  he  was  president  and  secretary  for 
some  time,  and  was  also  president  of  the 
Elgin  Bible  Society. 

On  the  26th  of  May,  1848,  Mr.  Davidson 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Caroline 
Amelia  Gifford,  a  daughter  of  James  T.  and 
Laura  (Raymond)  Gifford,  prominent  and 
honored  pioneers  of  Elgin.  Six  children 
were  born  of  this  union:  (i)  Lucy  died  in 
infancy.  (2)  Jay  Gifford,  born  January  19, 
1851,  was  an  expert  accountant  of  Chicago, 
who  graduated  from  the  Chicago  University 
in  1872,  and  was  an  officer  and  prominent 
member  of  the  Plymouth  Congregational 
church  of  that  city.  He  died  July  31,  1 885. 


(3)  Laura,  a  graduate  of  the  Elgin  Acad- 
emy, and  also  studied  at  Vassar,  is  the  wife 
of  Judge  Nathaniel  C.  Sears,  of  the  Appel- 
late court,  residing  at  Edgewater,  Chicago. 

(4)  May  C.  is  a  graduate  of  the  Elgin  Acad- 
emy, and  for  ten  years  has  been  one  of  the 
most  successful  and  popular  teachers  in  the 
primary  department  of  the  schools  of  this 
city.      (5)  Jennie  Elizabeth  graduated  from 
both  the  Elgin  Academy  and  Oberlin  Col- 
lege, Ohio,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  Arthur 
L.   Warner,    mechanical  superintendent  of 
the  Illinois  Iron  &  Bolt  Works  of  Carpenters- 
ville.     They  have  two  children:     Orlando 
Davidson    and    Florence    May.      (6)  Stella 
Amelia    was    also    educated    in    the    Elgin 
Academy  and  Oberlin  College,  and  is  now 
the  wife  of    Harry   Ainsworth,   of    Moline, 
Illinois,  a  member  of  the  manufacturing  firm 
of  Williams,  White  &  Co.,  and  secretary  of 
the  same.      He  is  also  a  graduate  of  Oberlin 
College    and    the     Harvard     Law    School. 
Their  children  are  Caroline  Davidson,  Sarah 
Andrews  and  Dorothy  Sears. 

Mrs.  Davidson,  who  was  born  May  26, 
1827,  in  Sherburn,  New  York,  died  October 
24,  1890,  while  visiting  her  daughter  in 
Moline.  At  the  age  of  eight  years  she  came 
with  her  parents  to  Elgin,  and  was  married 
while  the  family  were  residing  in  Wisconsin. 
She  was  a  life-long  and  consistent  member  of 
the  Congregational  church,  and  always  took 
a  leading  part  in  all  church  work.  Her 
death  was  widely  and  deeply  mourned,  for 
she  made  many  friends,  and  had  the  respect 
of  all  who  knew  her. 

Mr.  Davidson  and  his  wife  were  charter 
members  of  the  Plymouth  and  New  England 
Congregational  churches  of  Chicago,  and 
assisted  in  supporting  both.  For  forty 
years  he  has  served  as  deacon  in  the  First 
Congregational  church  of  Elgin,  and  for 


532 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


thirty  years  was  superintendent  of  the  Sun- 
day-school. A  true  and  earnest  Christian 
gentleman,  the  world  is  certainly  better  for 
his  having  lived,  and  both  by  precept  and 
example  he  has  led  many  to  become  nobler 
men  and  women.  On  attaining  his  major- 
ity he  voted  with  the  Whig  party,  but  since 
the  organization  of  the  Republican  party 
he  has  been  one  of  its  stanch  supporters. 
For  a  time  he  served  as  secretary  of  the 
the  Old  Settlers  Association  of  the  Fox 
River  Valley,  and  to  all  enterprises  calcu- 
lated to  advance  the  moral,  intellectual  or 
material  welfare  >of  his  adopted  city  he  has 
given  a  hearty  support. 


ARVIN  T.  HAWLEY,  a  dealer  in  agri- 
cultural implements,  residing  at  No. 
617  South  street,  Elgin,  is  but  a  recent  ac- 
quisition to  the  goodly  array  of  progressive 
business  men  in  that  thriving  city,  but  his 
ability,  enterprise  and  upright  methods  have 
already  established  for  him  an  enviable  rep- 
utation. Although  he  is  still  a  young  man 
comparatively,  his  popularity  is  established 
on  a  firm  basis — that  of  his  own  well-tested 
merit. 

His  father,  the  late  Theodore  Hawley, 
was  born  in  Canajoharie,  Montgomery  coun- 
ty, New  York,  July  4,  1815,  a  son  of  Aschiel 
and  Lavina  (Parde)  Hawley,  the  former  a 
hatter  by  trade  and  quite  prominent  in  re- 
ligious circles,  being  a  deacon  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church.  The  family  was  founded 
in  this  country  during  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury by  English  emigrants.  In  the  county 
of  his  nativity,  Theodore  Hawley  attended 
the  public  schools  until  sixteen  years  of  age 
when  he  began  learning  the  watch  maker's 
trade,  working  at  that  occupation  for  eight 
years.  On  first  coming  to  Illinois  he  lo- 


cated in  Lake  county,  where  he  purchased 
a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  and 
after  living  upon  that  place  for  several  years, 
sold  and  removed  to  Algonquin,  McHenry 
county,  but  only  remained  there  one  year. 
He  next  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  in 
Rome,  Jefferson  county,  Wisconsin,  until 
1862,  when  he  removed  to  Batavia,  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  made  his  home 
for  three  years,  during  which  time  our  sub- 
ject was  born.  In  1865  he  purchased  a 
good  farm  of  one  hundred  acres  in  Burling- 
ton township,  where  he  resided  until  com- 
ing to  Elgin,  in  the  spring  of  1897.  Politic- 
ally, he  was  originally  a  Whig,  but  on  the 
dissolution  of  that  party  became  a  stanch 
Republican,  and  for  four  years  under  Presi- 
dent Johnson's  administration  he  served  as 
postmaster  of  East  Burlington.  He  was  a 
man  of  character  and  sterling  worth,  and 
he  well  merited  the  high  regard  in  which  he 
was  uniformly  held.  After  a  long  and  use- 
ful life  he  passed  away  at  the  home  of  our 
subject  in  Elgin,  February  19,  1898. 

On  the  26th  of  December,  1847,  Theo- 
dore Hawley  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Sarah  Cramp,  who  was  born  in  Sus- 
sex, England,  March  20,  1826,  and  when 
three  years  old  was  brought  to  America  by 
her  parents,  William  and  Sarah  (Morton) 
Cramp,  locating  first  in  Oneida  county,  New 
York.  In  1847  the  Cramp  family  removed 
to  Algonquin,  McHenry  county,  Illinois, 
where  the  marriage  of  the  parents  of  our 
subject  was  celebrated.  Both  lived  to  wit- 
ness the  fiftieth  anniversity  of  that  happy 
event,  and  the  mother  is  still  living,  finding 
a  pleasant  home  with  our  subject.  To  this 
worthy  couple  seven  children  were  born, 
namely:  Marcus  A.,  a  resident  of  Kansas; 
Helen  L. ,  who  died  in  1896;  Annie,  wife  of 
S.  G.  Conners,  of  Plato  township,  Kane 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


533 


county;  Sarah  E  ,  who  died  in  infancy;  Em- 
ily H.,  wife  of  Henry  Buzzell,  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Iowa;  Cora  E. ,  wife  of  August  C. 
Bird,  living  near  Belvidere,  Illinois;  and 
Arvin  T.,  of  this  sketch. 

In  Batavia,  Kane  county,  Arvin  T.  Haw- 
ley  was  born  October  5,  1864,  but  when 
only  six  months  old  his  parents  removed  to 
the  one-hundred-acre  farm  on  section  25, 
Burlington  township.  Upon  that  place  and 
an  adjoining  section  in  Plato  township  he 
made  his  home  until  his  removal  to  Elgin  in 
the  spring  of  1897.  He  acquired  a  good 
practical  education  in  the  public  schools, 
which  he  attended  until  eighteen  years  of 
age,  and  then  assisted  his  father  in  the 
operation  of  the  home  farm,  taking  entire 
charge  the  following  year,  when  his  father 
retired  from  active  labor,  though  he  made 
his  home  with  our  subject  until  his  death. 
Mr.  Hawley  still  owns  the  homestead  of  one 
hundred  acres  and  also  leases  fifty-five 
acres,  which  are  now  operated  by  a  tenant, 
and  upon  the  place  keeps  thirty-five  cows, 
shipping  the  milk  to  Chicago.  His  country 
home  was  destroyed  by  fire  October  23, 
1896,  but  the  following  spring  was  rebuilt. 
Mr.  Hawley  also  owns  his  pleasant  residence 
in  Elgin.  In  the  spring  of  1898  he  embarked 
in  his  present  business  at  the  corner  of 
Standish  and  Jewett  streets,  Elgin,  dealing 
in  Champion  mowers  and  binders  and  a  full 
line  of  farm  implements.  He  is  already 
meeting  with  excellent  success  in  this  un- 
dertaking. 

In  Belvidere,  Illinois,  Mr.  Hawley  was 
married  December  18,  1890,  to  Miss  Elver- 
etta  Morrison,  a  native  of  Sycamore,  De 
Kalb  county.  Her  father,  Joseph  Morrison, 
was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  and  about 
1868  removed  to  De  Kalb  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  followed  the  occupation  of  farm- 


ing. He  wedded  Mary  McCarthy,  daughter 
of  George  McCarthy,  of  that  county.  Mr. 
Morrison  died  in  June,  1888.  To  Mr.  .and 
Mrs.  Hawley  were  born  two  children,  name- 
ly: Edna  Pearl,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two 
years,  and  Erma  Ethelyn,  who  was  born  in 
February,  1898.  Edna  Morrison,  the  sister 
of  Mrs.  Hawley,  makes  her  home  with  our 
subject,  and  attends  the  Elgin  public 
schools. 

The  Republican  party  has  ever  found  in 
Mr.  Hawley  a  stanch  supporter,  and  from 
the  time  he  attained  his  majority  until  his 
removal  to  Elgin,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
school  board  of  his  district.  He  also  served 
as  township  assessor  one  year  and  tax  col- 
lector two  years.  Socially,  he  formerly  be- 
longed to  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees. 
He  is  an  energetic,  wide-awake  and  enter- 
prising citizen,  and  in  both  business  and 
private  life  commands  the  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  con- 
tact. 


HENRY  G.  OHLS,  M.  D.—  In  the  last 
half  century  it  has  been  rare  for  a 
man  to  win  prominence  in  several  lines. 
It  is  the  tendency  of  the  age  to  devote  one's 
entire  energy  to  a  special  line,  continually 
working  upward  and  concentrating  every 
effort  towards  accomplishing  a  desired  end. 
Dr.  Ohls,  although  well  qualified  for  general 
practice,  has  made  a  specialty  of  the  dis- 
eases of  the  nose,  throat  and  chest,  and 
along  these  lines  has  made  an  enviable  rep- 
utation in  the  medical  world.  He  resides 
in  Elgin,  has  an  office  in  the  Elgin  Bank 
block,  and  he  is  also  engaged  in  practice  in 
the  Venetian  building,  Chicago. 

The  Doctor  was  born  in  Chicago,  Octo- 
ber 27,  1860,  a  son  of  John  and  Augusta  G. 


S34 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


(Garnsey)  Ohls,  natives  of  Ohio,  in  whose 
family  were  two  children,  the  other  being 
Effie  L.  For  thirty-five  years  the  father 
was  connected  with  the  American  Express 
Company,  being  assistant  superintendent 
of  the  Illinois  division  the  greater  part  of 
the  time.  He  died  at  Hinsdale,  May  23, 
1894,  aged  fifty-eight  years.  The  Doctor's 
mother  passed  away  in  1880,  at  the  age  of 
forty  years.  Both  were  active  and  promi- 
nent members  of  the  Episcopal  church,  Mr. 
Ohls  serving  Grace  church  in  Hinsdale  both 
as  vestryman  and  warden  for  several  years. 
In  common  with  every  member  of  the  Ohls 
family,  he  was  a  Republican  from  the  for- 
mation of  the  party,  but  not  an  office 
seeker. 

Early  in  the  eighteenth  century  the 
Doctor's  ancestors  removed  from  Germany 
to  Philadelphia,  and  many  members  of  the 
family  reside  in  Pennsylvania  and  eastern 
Ohio  to-day.  During  the  Revolution  the 
family  furnished  its  quota  to  the  patriot 
army,  and  throughout  the  last  war  mem- 
bers of  the  family  served  with  distinction  in 
the  armies  of  the  north.  The  Doctor's 
maternal  grandfather,  Daniel  E.  Garnsey, 
lived  for  many  years  at  Piqua,  Ohio.  At 
an  early  date  he  invested  largely  in  Chicago 
realty,  but,  lacking  the  confidence  of  others 
in  the  city's  prospects,  removed  to  Michigan 
City,  and  sold  his  holdings  in  Chicago, 
which  later  became  very  valuable.  His 
death  occurred  at  Rives  Junction,  Michigan, 
in  his  sixty-fifth  year.  His  wife  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Mary  Phillips,  of  the  well- 
known  New  York  family. 

Reared  in  Hinsdale,  from  the  age  of  six 
years,  Dr.  Ohls  began  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  that  place,  later  attended 
the  Aurora  high  school,  and  in  1883  gradu- 
ated at  the  University  of  Michigan  with  the 


degree  of  Ph.  B.  After  a  business  experi- 
ence of  one  year  in  the  employment  of  the 
American  Express  Company,  he  entered 
Rush  Medical  College,  where  he  served  as 
assistant  in  chemistry  to  Professor  Walter 
S.  Haines,  graduating  at  that  institution 
with  the  class  of  1887.  For  three  years 
thereafter  he  engaged  in  practice  in  Clin- 
ton, Iowa,  but  in  1890  returned  to  Chicago 
and  pursued  special  studies  in  the  Polyclinic. 
He  [continued  to  reside  in  Hinsdale  until 
1896  when  he  removed  to  Elgin  and  has 
since  built  up  a  good  practice  at  this  place. 
For  several  years  he  has  confined  his  prac- 
tice to  the  diseases  of  the  nose,  throat  and 
chest,  and  has  served  as1  professor  of  laryng- 
ology and  rhinology  in  Jenner  Medical  Col- 
lege in  Chicago.  He  has  also  been  medi- 
cal director  of  the  Expressman's  Mutual 
Benefit  Association  for  a  number  of  years. 
For  two  years  past  he  has  been  associat- 
ed with  Professor  E.  Fletcher  Ingals  as  edi- 
tor of  the  department  of  laryngology  and 
rhinology  in  the  American  Year  Book  of 
medicine  and  surgery,  in  which  are  record- 
ed all  the  important  discoveries  of  the  year 
in  medicine  and  the  best  results  in  surgery, 
taken  from  medical  journals,  monographs 
and  text  books. 

On  the  aoth  of  June,  1894,  Dr.  Ohls 
married  Miss  Anna  Elizabeth  Oden,  of 
Benton  Harbor,  Michigan.  August  i,  1895, 
a  daughter,  Katharine  Augusta,  was  born  to 
them.  The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church,  and  his  wife  is  a  Method- 
ist in  religious  belief.  They  have  made 
many  warm  friends  since  coming  to  Elgin 
and  occupy  a  prominent  position  in  social 
circles. 

Dr.  Ohls  is  a  member  of  Michigan  Alpha 
Chapter  of  the  Phi  Kappa  Psi  fraternity, 
the  Royal  Arcanum  and  the  Knights  of  the 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


535 


Globe,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Fox 
River  Valley  Medical  Association.  His 
offices  are  equipped  with  the  most  modern 
appliances  needed  in  his  practice,  and  he 
keeps  abreast  of  the  latest  discoveries  and 
theories.  His  skill  and  ability  is  attested 
by  the  liberal  patronage  accorded  him. 


WILLIAM  L.  MESSENGER,  a  vet 
eran  of  the  war  for  the  union,  now 
holding  a  position  with  the  board  of  ware- 
house commissioners,  Chicago,  resides  at 
No.  457  South  Lake  street,  Aurora,  Illinois. 
He  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  born  in 
Norfolk  county,  March  4,  1839,  and  is  a 
son  of  Fisher  Messenger,  born  in  1806,  in 
the  same  town,  county  and  state.  Fisher 
Messenger  married  Roanna  White,  a  native 
of  Massachusetts  and  a  daughter  of  Leonard 
White,  a  direct  descendant  of  Perigrine 
White,  one  of  the  pilgrim  fathers,  and  also 
a  descendant  of  Governor  Bradford,  of 
Massachusetts.  He  was  a  weaver  by  trade 
and  followed  that  occupation  until  he  came 
west  in  1857.  He  also  learned  the  manu- 
facture of  baskets,  and  on  his  removal  to 
Aurora,  in  1857,  engaged  in  that  business, 
finding  sale  in  Chicago  for  his  product.  He 
made  Aurora  his  home  until  his  death  in 
1879.  He  was  married  three  times,  his 
first,  wife  who  was  the  mother  of  our  sub- 
ject, dying  in  Massachusetts  in  1843.  His 
third  wife  survives  him;  and  is  yet  residing 
in  Aurora. 

Of  the  five  children  born  to  Fisher  and 
Roanna  Messenger,  Ellen  married  George 
W.  Barker,  of  Bridgeport,  Connecticut,  but 
is  now  deceased;  Sarah,  widow  of  Rev. 
James  W.  Searle,  resides  in  Foxboro, 
Massachusetts;  Mary  married  William 
Johnson,  and  both  are  now  deceased;  Ly- 


dia  married  Albert  Pettee,  but  is  now  de- 
ceased; and  William  L.,  our  subject.  By 
the  third  marriage  of  Fisher  Messenger, 
there  is  one  daughter  living,  Mrs.  Emma  F. 
Carnes,  of  Aurora. 

William  L.  Messenger  was  eighteen 
years  of  age  when  he  came  with  the  family 
to  Aurora.  While  yet  residing  in  his  na- 
tive state,  he  acquired  a  good  common- 
school  education,  and  also  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  basket  manufacturing,  in 
which  he  assisted  his  father,  after  coming 
to  this  place.  On  the  ist  o(  December, 
1860,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Maria 
Wagner,  born  at  Fort  Plains,'  New  York, 
and  a  daughter  of  John  J.  Wagner,  also  a 
native  of  New  York,  and  a  pioneer  of  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  locating  here  in  1838,  on 
land  which  now  is  nearly  all  comprised 
within  the  corporate  limits  of  Aurora.  Here 
he  opened  up  a  large  farm,  reared  his  family 
and  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life,  dying 
about  1867.  To  William  L.  and  Maria 
Messenger  four  children  were  born:  the 
oldest,  Elnora  M.,  is  now  the  wife  of  P.  G. 
Lincoln,  of  Aurora;  William  F.  married 
and  resides  in  Aurora;  Frank  C.  married 
and  also  resides  in  Aurora;  and  Earl,  resid- 
ing at  home. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mes- 
senger commenced  their  domestic  life  in 
Aurora,  and  he  continued  to  assist  his  father 
in  business.  But  the  war  clouds  were  gath- 
ering and  soon  the  proclamation  of  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  was  issued  for  men  to  aid  in 
the  defense  of  the  union.  The  first  call 
was  for  three-months'  men,  and  Mr.  Mes- 
senger was  one  of  the  first  to  respond,  and 
joined  the  Seventh  Regiment,  Illinois  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  the  first  regiment  sent  from 
this  state.  He  was,  however,  assigned  to 
an  artillery  company,  and  was  first  in  active 


536 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


duty  at  Cairo.  After  the  expiration  of  his 
term  of  service  he  returned  home,  and  in 
July,  1862,  again  enlisted,  and  was  assigned 
to  the  First  Arkansas  Calvary,  and  was 
commissioned  adjutant,  serving  in  that  posi- 
tion until,  in  1863,  when  the  organization 
was  changed,  and  he  was  commissioned 
second  lieutenant  of  Company  D  of  the 
same  regiment,  and  served  as  such  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  was  mus- 
tered out  at  Fayettville,  Arkansas.  He 
participated  in  many  engagements  in  and 
around  Fayetteville,  and  also  at  Prairie 
Grove,  Arkansas.  For  about  a  year  he  was 
on  detach  duty,  serving  as  provost  marshal 
of  Fayetteville. 

After  his  discharge  Lieutenant  Messen- 
ger returned  home,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
clothing  trade  for  a  short  time,  and  later 
was  in  the  fruit  business.  He  then  moved 
to  Salem,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  for  a 
few  years,  going  from  thence  to  East  St. 
Louis,  where  he  engaged  in  railroading.  In 
1877  he  returned  to  Aurora,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  engaged  in  various  lines 
of  business,  including  real  estate  and  insur- 
ance. He  now  holds  a  position  in  the  office 
of  the  grain  and  warehouse  commissioners 
at  Chicago,  a  position  which  he  is  well  qual- 
ified to  fill. 

Lieutenant  Messenger  has  been  a  stanch 
Republican  during  his  entire  life,  his  father 
before  him  being  an  Abolitionist  of  the 
rankest  kind,  and  was  connected  with  the 
underground  railroad,  assisting  many  a  poor 
colored  person  to  his  liberty.  For  two 
terms  our  subject  served  as  alderman  from 
his  ward,  a  part  of  which  time  he  was 
chairman  of  the  fire  and  water  committee, 
of  the  public  buildings  and  grounds  com- 
mittee, and  of  the  judiciary  committee.  He 
cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  Abraham 


Lincoln,  and  has  since  supported  every 
presidential  nominee  of  the  Republican 
party.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Masons,  and  also  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 
As  a  citizen,  he  stands  high  in  the  estima- 
tion of  his  fellow  men,  and  is  ever  pro- 
gressive and  enterprising,  doing  all  in  his 
power  to  advance  the  material  interests  of 
his  adopted  city,  of  which  he  has  been  an 
almost  continuous  resident  for  forty-one 
years. 

HON.  EDWARD  C.  LOVELL,  ex-coun- 
ty judge  and  a  well-known  attorney  of 
Elgin,  occupies  a  suite  of  rooms  in  the  Spur- 
ling  block.  He  was  born"  in  Chicago,  Illi- 
nois, July  1 8,  1842,  a  son  of  Vincent  S.  and 
Lucy  (Smith)  Lovell,  the  former  a  native  of 
Yorkshire,  England,  and  the  latter  of  Whites- 
town,  Oneida  county,  New  York. 

Vincent  Lovell,  the  paternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  also  a  native  of  York- 
shire, England,  and  came  with  his  family 
to  the  United  States  after  the  war  of  1812, 
because  of  his  admiration  of  American  in- 
stitutions. Unlike  many  others,  he  was 
the  possessor  of  considerable  means.  By 
occupation  he  was  a  farmer,  both  in  his  na- 
tive land  and  in  this  country.  In  his  family 
were  twelve  children.  His  death  occurred 
in  Whitestown,  New  York,  when  he  was 
about  seventy  years  of  age.  Several  of  the 
children  came  west,  among  whom  were  the 
late  John  Lovell  and  William  Lovell,  of 
Elgin.  The  maternal  grandfather  of  our 
subject  was  Daniel  Smith,  a  native  of  Co- 
lumbia county,  New  York,  of  Welsh  ances- 
try. He  was  also  a  farmer.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  Oneida  county,  New  York,  when 
he,  too,  was  about  seventy  years  of  age. 

Vincent  S.  Lovell,  our  subject's  father, 
was  about  fourteen  years  old  when  he  came 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


537 


with  his  parents  to  the  United  States.  His 
youth  and  early  manhood  were  spent  upon 
a  farm  in  Oneida  county,  New  York,  and 
he  there  married  Miss  Lucy  Smith.  By 
this  union  two  children  were  born:  Edward 
C. ,  our  subject;  and  Vincent  S.,  who  died 
in  December,  1892.  The  latter  was  a  grad- 
uate of  the  University  of  Michigan,  and  was 
a  journalist  for  several  years  after  leaving 
college,  being  for  sometime  on  the  editorial 
staff  of  the  Albany  "Argus,"  and  later  on 
the  Chicago  "Post"  and  "Mail."  After 
his  marriage,  in  1876,  to  Miss  Eliza  A.  Had- 
wen,  of  England,  he  made  his  home  in  El- 
gin, where  he  was  associated  in  business 
with  his  brother  during  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  His  modest  worth  and  sterling  char- 
acter were  universally  recognized,  not  more 
by  his  election  at  different  times  to  the  offices 
of  director  of  the  public  library  and  mayor 
of  the  city,  than  by  the  affectionate  regard 
and  respect  in  which  he  was  held  by  all  with 
whom  he  had  either  social  or  business  rela- 
tions. 

In  1837  the  father  came  with  his  young 
bride  to  Elgin,  where  he  bought  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land,  the  south- 
ern line  of  which  was  some  distance  north 
of  where  Jefferson  avenue  is  now  located. 
This  farm  he  cultivated  until  about  1841, 
when  he  leased  the  same  and  removed  to 
Chicago,  and  there  engaged  in  mercantile 
trade  for  three  years.  He  then  returned  to 
Elgin  and  remained  here  until  his  death  in 
September,  1852,  when  in  his  forty-third 
year.  Reared  a  Methodist,  he  later  em- 
braced the  Swedenborgan  faith,  and  was 
one  of  the  organizers  of  the  new  church  in 
Chicago.  While  his  business  interests  com- 
manded the  greater  part  of  his  time,  he  yet 
served  in  several  local  offices,  and  was  one 
of  the  first  town  clerks  of  Elgin. 


On  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs. 
Lovell  took  charge  of  the  estate  and  hand- 
led it  with  ability  and  was  enabled,  though 
largely  through  her  own  exertions,  to  keep 
the  family  together  and  provide  handsome- 
ly for  her  boys.  A  woman  of  good  educa- 
tion, she  taught  for  some  time  a  private 
school  in  Elgin,  and  gave  her  sons  their  first 
lessons.  Later  they  attended  the  public 
school,  then  the  Elgin  Academy,  and  finally 
entered  the  University  of  Michigan,  at  Ann 
Arbor.  The  mother  accompanied  them  to 
that  place,  rented  a  house  and  remained 
with  them  until  graduation.  Her  death  oc- 
curred in  Elgin  in  June,  1894,  at  the  age  of 
nearly  eighty-eight  years.  Her  memory  is 
cherished  not  alone  by  the  family  but  all 
who  knew  her  in  this  life.  Kind-hearted, 
benevolent  and  affectionate,  her  friends 
were  among  all  classes  of  society.  Among 
her  benefactions  was  a  handsome  gift  to  the 
Elgin  Academy  of  its  manual  training  build- 
ing, and  a  liberal  donation  to  Sherman  hos- 
pital. 

Since  early  childhood  Edward  C.  Lovell 
has  been  a  citizen  of  Elgin.  His  life  has 
been  an  open  book,  read  of  all  men.  Dur- 
ing the  dark  days  of  the  Civil  war  he  enlist- 
ed and  was  commissioned  adjutant  of  the 
One  Hundred  and  Forty-first  Illinois  Vol- 
unteer Infantry  and  a  few  months  after  the 
expiration  of  that  service  was  made  captain 
of  Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
third  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which 
he  served  until  the  autumn  of  1865,  when 
the  regiment  was  mustered  out.  The 
greater  part  of  Captain  Lovell's  time  while 
in  the  regiment  was  spent  on  detached  serv- 
ice, chiefly  as  inspector-general  on  the  staff 
of  Gen.  N.  A.  M.  Dudley,  and  later  on  the 
staff  of  Gen.  John  E.  Smith. 

Before   entering  the  service   Mr.  Lovell 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


taught  school  for  a  time,  and  after  his  re- 
turn he  again  took  up  school  work,  and  in 
all  gave  the  greater  part  of  his  time  to  teach- 
ing for  about  five  years.  Re-entering  the 
University  of  Michigan  in  1865,  he  pursued 
the  prescribed  course  and  in  1868  was  grad- 
uated from  the  literary  department.  Years 
before  this  he  had  determined  to  enter  the 
legal  profession,  and  to  that  end  read  law 
with  General  John  S.  Wilcox,  and  after 
completing  his  college  course  in  1868  en- 
tered the  law  department  of  the  University 
of  Michigan,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1870. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  Elgin  imme- 
diately after  his  graduation,  Mr.  Lovell  at 
once  opened  an  office  and  engaged  in  prac- 
tice. From  the  beginning  he  has  been  suc- 
cessful in  securing  clients  and  retaining 
their  patronage.  His  merits  as  a  lawyer 
Secured  for  him  the  nomination  for  the 
office  of  county  judge  in  1882,  and  he  was 
duly  elected.  Four  years  afterwards  he 
was  renominated  and  again  elected,  filling 
the  position  in  all  eight  years  in  a  most  sat- 
isfactory manner,  Leaving  the  bench  in 
1890,  he  resumed  the  active  practice  of  law, 
in  which  he  is  now  busily  engaged. 

On  the  3Oth  of  June,  1885,  Judge  Lovell 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Carrie  G. 
Watres,  of  Scranton,  Pennsylvania,  daugh- 
ter of  Lewis  S.  and  Harriet  Gertrude  (Hoi- 
lister)  Watres.  Four  children  were  born 
of  this  union — Gertrude  Caroline,  Lucy 
Coultas,  Margaret  Louise  and  Vincent 
Watres.  The  last  named  died  in  infancy, 
February  2,  1896.  Subsequently  the  wife 
and  mother  departed  this  life,  and  was  laid 
to  rest  beside  her  infant  son.  She  was  a 
woman  of  fine  attainments,  and  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  First  Congregational  church  of 
Elgin. 


Politically,  the  Judge  is  a  Republican, 
and  with  that  party  has  acted  since  attain- 
ing his  majority.  In  its  principles  he  firmly 
believes,  and  for  its  success  he  has  given  of 
his  time  and  money.  He  has  served  as 
city  attorney  of  Elgin,  also  its  mayor,  and 
in  1879  was  elected  and  served  a  term  in 
the  legislature  of  the  state.  A  friend  of 
education,  he  is  at  present  serving  as  pres- 
ident of  the  school  board.  As  a  lawyer  his 
merits  are  recognized  at  home  and  abroad, 
and  he  is  now  local  attorney  for  the  Chi- 
cago, Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railway  Com- 
pany. His  interest  in  army  life  has  never 
been  lost,  and  he  is  a  member  of  Veteran 
post,  No.  49,  G.  A.  R. ,  and  the  Illinois 
commandery  of  the  Loyal  Legion  at  Chi- 
cago. As  a  citizen  he  stands  high  in  the 
estimation  of  the  people. 


CAPTAIN  ALEXANDER  C.  LITTLE, 
\->  one  of  the  leading  attorneys  of  Aurora, 
was  born  in  January,  1838,  in  Rome,  Oneida 
county.  New  York,  and  is  the  son  of  John 
and  Nancy  (Rae)  Little,  both  of  whom  are 
natives  of  Dumfriesshire,  Scotland,  and  who 
are  related  to  Thomas  Carlyle  and  Edward 
Irving.  They  were  married  in  Scotland, 
and  came  to  the  United  States  in  the  '303, 
locating  in  Oneida  county,  New  York,  where 
the  father  purchased  a  farm  near  Rome, 
and  carried  on  farming.  In  1851  he  came 
to  Illinois,  locating  in  Kane  county,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  farming.  He  died  at 
Big  Rock,  in  July,  1860.  In  religious  belief 
he  was  a  Presbyterian  and  in  politics  a  Re- 
publican. He  was  the  son  of  John  Little, 
who  was  the  son  of  John  Little,  a  member  of 
an  old  Scotch  family  of  substance.  Nancy 
Rae  was  the  daughter  of  Benjamin  and 
Agnes  Rae,  and  also  a  member  of  the  Pres- 


CAPT.  A.   C.   LITTLE. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


54' 


byterian  church.  She  died  at  her  son's 
home  in  1879.  They  were  the  parents  of 
nine  children,  of  whom  our  subject  was  the 
youngest  son. 

Alexander  C.  Little,  our  subject,  at- 
tended the  common  schools  until  he  was 
eighteen  years  of  age  and  then  began  study- 
ing medicine  with  Dr.  W.  Danforth,  of 
Joliet,  a  friend  of  the  family.  Later  he  en- 
tered the  medical  department  of  the  Iowa 
College,  at  Keokuk,  Iowa,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1858.  For  a  year  before 
he  graduated  he  was  a  partner  of  Dr.  Dan- 
forth. After  he  left  college  he  spent  his 
time  in  the  seminary  in  Aurora  until  1862, 
when,  the  war  being  on,  he  enlisted  in  July 
of  that  year.  He  organized  a  company,  but 
it  was  not  mustered  in  and  was  disbanded. 
With  fifteen  of  his  men  he  went  to  Piano 
and  enlisted  there,  joining  Company  K, 
One  Hundred  and  Twenty-seventh  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry.  His  first  service  was 
at  Camp  Douglas,  and  Dr.  Little  was  ap- 
pointed orderly  sergeant.  The  regiment 
remained  in  camp  until  November  20,  when 
it  was  ordered  to  Memphis,  Tennessee,  and 
assigned  to  General  Sherman's  division,  and 
with  it  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

From  Memphis  he  went  with  the  Chick- 
asaw  Bay  expedition,  and  was  in  the  fight 
in  December.  Later  his  command  went  to 
Arkansas  Post,  and  was  in  that  battle  in 
which  about  five  thousand  prisoners  were 
captured.  From  there  they  went  to  Vicks- 
burg,  and  were  under  Grant  at  Young's 
Point.  He  was  in  that  vicinity  and  in  the 
siege  until  the  surrender.  While  at  Arkan- 
sas Post  the  captain  of  the  company  was 
taken  sick  and  resigned,  and  our  subject  was 
appointed  to  his  place.  After  Vicksburg 
they  were  ordered  to  Chattanooga,  and  were 
all  through  that  campaign.  After  the  relief 

£3 


of  Chattanooga  they  were  sent  up  to  relieve 
Burnside,  at  Knoxville,  from  which  place 
they  returned  to  Larkinsville,  and  went  into 
camp,  while  Sherman  was  organizing  his 
Georgia  campaign.  At  the  battle  of  Kene- 
saw  Mountain  he  was  in  command  of  the 
regiment;  the  colonel  pleading  sickness  and 
the  major  withdrawing,  he  was  put  in  com- 
mand by  General  Giles  A.  Smith,  and  with 
his  command  was  in  the  hottest  of  the  fight. 
After  the  day  was  won  he  received  the  com- 
pliments of  the  general  for  his  gallant  serv- 
ices. From  then  on  he  was  in  the  cam- 
paign until  the  fall  of  Atlanta.  In  the  en- 
gagement of  August  3,  1864,  at  Atlanta,  he 
was  wounded  while  in  command  of  the  left 
wing  of  the  regiment.  Colonel  Curtis  lay 
back  with  his  regiment  and  would  not  come 
out,  so  Captain  Little,  in  whose  valor  and 
capacity  to  lead  there  was  no  question,  was 
called  to  take  charge,  and  as  the  regiment 
was  marching  out  for  battle  he  was  wounded. 
The  colonel  of  this  regiment  was  finally  re- 
instated through  political  pressure  and  joined 
his  regiment  at  Goldsboro,  North  Carolina. 
After  he  was  wounded  Captain  Little 
went  north,  and  later  returned  to  Chatta- 
nooga, where  he  was  ordered  to  organize, 
among  the  detachments  of  the  Fifteenth 
Army  Corps,  a  command  and  go  to  the  re- 
lief of  General  Ammen  at  Knoxville.  His 
command  consisted  of  six  hundred  men. 
He  then  returned  to  Louden  and  took  com- 
mand there,  guarding  the  bridge.  From 
there  he  went  to  Cleveland,  Tennessee,  and 
was  assigned  to  the  staff  of  General  Baugh- 
ton,  where  he  remained  until  he  rejoined  his 
regiment  at  Goldsboro.  He  was  aide-de- 
camp on  General  Baughton's  staff.  On 
their  way  they  had  a  fight  with  General 
Bragg,  at  Kingston,  North  Carolina.  After 
he  arrived  at  Goldsboro  the  provisional  divi- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


sion  was  disbanded,  and  he  was  put  into 
the  Second  Missouri  Engineer  Corps,  Army 
of  the  Tennessee.  In  this  position  he 
served  until  he  arrived  in  Washington,  when, 
on  the  5th  of  June,  1865,  he  was  mustered 
out. 

After  his  discharge  Captain  Little  re- 
turned to  Aurora,  and  feeling  rusty  in  liter- 
ary matters,  after  his  long  service  in  the 
army,  he  entered  Antioch  College  to  review 
his  studies.  He  entered  the  senior  class, 
and  remained  there  for  about  one  year, 
when  he  returned  to  Aurora  and  began  the 
study  of  law  with  the  Hon.  Charles  Wheat  - 
on.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1867, 
and  began  at  once  his  practice  by  opening 
an  office  at  Aurora,  where  he  has  since  con- 
tinued. He  soon  came  to  the  front,  and 
is  one  of  the  successful  attorneys  of  the 
Kane  county  bar.  His  first  partner  was 
Hon.  B.  F.  Parks,  who  remained  with  him 
in  1873-4.  His  next  partner  was  L.  Isham 
White,  who  was  with  him  about  one  year, 
and  was  succeeded  by  G.  W.  Avery,  that 
partnership  continuing  five  years.  Then 
came  Ira  S.  Smith,  who  is  his  present  part- 
ner. Captain  Little  is  a  close  student  of 
law,  and  is  regarded  as  an  able  counselor 
and  pleader. 

Captain  Little  was  married  January  18, 
1877,  to. Miss  Bonnie  B.  Snow,  daughter  of 
Prof.  Snow,  who  was  a  Massachusetts  man 
by  birth.  They  have  an  adopted  son,  Leon- 
ard Rae.  Mrs.  Little  is  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church,  in  which  she  takes  an 
active  part.  In  politics  Captain  Little  is  a 
Republican,  and  in  1869  served  as  alder- 
man of  the  Eleventh  ward.  In  1874  he  was 
elected  mayor  of  the  city,  serving  one  term, 
and  during  his  incumbency  he  organized  the 
public  library,  which-has  become  one  of  the 
beneficial  institutions  of  the  city.  Previous 


to  his  election  as  mayor  he  served  as  city 
attorney,  and  has  served  one  term  subse- 
quently. Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of 
Aurora  post,  No.  20,  G.  A.  R.  As  a  citi- 
zen he  is  progressive,  and  is  ever  ready  to 
do  his  part  for  the  best  interests  of  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  lives. 


THOMAS  W.  LEAKE,  senior  member  of 
the  well-known  firm  of  Leake  &  Gulig, 
of  St.  Charles,  is  one  of  the  most  active  and 
enterprising  business  men  of  that  place.  He 
is  a  native  of  Illinois,  born  in  DuPage 
county,  September  25,  1851,  and  is  a  son 
of  Rawson  H.  Leake,  and  grandson  of 
William  Leake,  who  spent  his  entire  life  in 
New  York.  The  father  was  born  October 
27,  1820,  in  Dutchess  county,  New  York, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood  and  married 
Mary  Ann  Gorham,  a  sister  of  J.  R.  Gor- 
ham,  of  St.  Charles,  whose  sketch  appears 
elsewhere-  in  this  volume.  In  1850  they 
emigrated  to  Illinois  and  located  in  DuPage 
county,  where  Mr.  Leake  first  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  later  two 
hundred  and  fifty-five  acres,  operating  the 
same  until  1875.  He  soon  transformed  the 
wild  land  into  highly  cultivated  fields,  and 
the  fine  farm  which  he  developed  is  still  in 
the  possession  of  the  Leake  family.  Re- 
moving to  St.  Charles  in  1875,  ne  bought 
residence  property  here  and  lived  retired 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  May  30, 
1893.  His  estimable  wife  still  survives  him 
and  is  a  resident  of  St.  Charles.  In  their 
family  are  only  two  children — Thomas  W. ; 
and  Emogene,  wife  of  F.  P.  Haviland,  a 
resident  of  St.  Charles  and  a  business  man 
of  Chicago. 

On  the   home   farm  in    DuPage  county 
Thomas  W.  Leake  passed  his  boyhood  and 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


543 


youth,  and  his  education,  which  was  begun 
in  the  public  schools  of  the  neighborhood, 
was  supplemented  by  a  course  in  Wheaton 
College.  After  his  father  left  the  farm  he 
took  charge  of  the  place,  and  was  success- 
fully engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits — gen- 
eral farming,  stock  raising  and  dairying — 
for  fourteen  years.  At  the  end  of  that  peri- 
od he  rented  the  farm  and  moved  to  St. 
Charles,  where  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  his  brother-in-law,  F.  P.  Haviland, 
buying  out  an  established  hardware  busi- 
ness. Together  they  conducted  the  busi- 
ness for  three  years,  and  then  Mr.  Leake 
purchased  the  other's  interest,  being  alone 
for  the  same  length  of  time.  The  present 
partnership  was  then  formed,  and  the  firm 
disposed  of  the  hardware  business  in  1898, 
and  now  conducts  a  general  machine  shop. 
They  have  established  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion for  good  goods  and  fair  dealing,  and 
this  fact  has  insured  their  success. 

On  the  isth  of  December,  1875,  in  Du- 
Page  county,  Mr.  Leake  married  Miss  Al- 
mira  L.  Gorham,  who  was  born,  reared  and 
educated  in  that  county,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  J.  R.  Gorham,  now  living  retired  in  St. 
Charles.  Two  children  grace  this  union: 
Bertie  and  Myrtle,  who  are  both  attending 
the  east  side  school,  of  St.  Charles. 

Reared  a  Democrat,  Mr.  Leake  sup- 
ported the  men  and  measures  of  that  party 
until  the  fall  of  1896,  when  he  voted  for 
McKinley.  He  has  never  aspired  to  office. 
Socially,  he  affiliates  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Knights  of 
the  Globe;  and,  religiously,  he  and  his  wife 
are  consistent  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  of  St.  Charles,  with 
which  he  is  officially  connected.  They 
have  a  pleasant  home  in  St.  Charles,  where 
they  delight  to  entertain  their  many  friends. 


FRANK  H.  BERNER  is  a  young  and 
enterprising  farmer,  residing  on  section 
26,  Hampshire  township.  His  grandfather, 
Ludwig  Berner,  was  a  native  of  Germany, 
a  farmer  by  occupation,  a  Lutheran  in  re- 
ligion, and  there  lived  and  died  January  12, 
1853,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  He 
served  in  the  German  army  against  the 
great  Napoleon.  His  wife,  was  Mary  Da- 
bor,  also  a  native  of  Germany,  who  there 
died  in  1888,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two 
years. 

John    Frederich    Christian   Berner,   the 
son  of  Ludwig  and  Mary  Berner,  was  born 
in  the  village  of  Dorov,    near    the   city  of 
Mueringen,  Prussia,    January  8,  1837.      He 
attended  the  public  schools  until  the  age  of 
fourteen,  when   he  engaged   in  farm   work 
until    he    came    to    America.      Previous  to 
leaving  his  native    country    he   was  united 
in  marriage  April  26,  1863,  in  the  church  of 
Nuering,  to  Minnie  Groth,  born  in  the  vil- 
lage  of  Wonetak,  and    daughter    of    Peter 
and   Rachel  (Mueller)  Groth.     The  young 
couple  started  the   next  day  for    America, 
sailing    from    Hamburg,    May    i,    1863,    in 
the  good  ship,    Sonna,   Captain   Bull,   and 
landed  at  Quebec,    Canada,   June   20,    fol- 
lowing.     From  Quebec,  they  came  directly 
to  Illinois,    locating  at  Huntley,    McHenry 
county,  where  he  secured  work  on  the  rail- 
road, continuing  that  occupation  two  and  a 
half  years.      He  then  rented  a  farm  in  Mc- 
Henry   county,    near     Huntley,    which    he 
operated    one    year,    then    rented    another 
farm  for  the  same   length    of    time,    after 
which  he  moved  across  the  line  into  Hamp-  ' 
shire    township,     Kane    county,    and    pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  26, 
which  he  at  once  began  to  improve.      Later 
he  bought    forty  acres   on    section  34,  and 
one    hundred    and  forty   acres    on    section 


544 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


35.  He  rebuilt  the  house,  erected  a  barn 
and  spent  five  hundred  dollars  for  a  good 
well.  He  has  now  two  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  divided  into  two  farms,  both  of 
which  are  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, and  which  he  rents  to  his  two  sons. 
In  1892  he  built  a  neat  brick  house  in  the 
village  of  Hampshire,  planted  shade  trees 
and .  vines,  and  has  a  most  comfortable, 
homelike  place.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  church,  of  which  his  wife  is  also 
a  member,  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican. 
While  residing  in  the  old  country,  he 
served  three  years  in  the  German  cavalry. 
To  John  F.  C.  Berner  and  wife  seven 
children  were  born,  as  follows:  Mary,  wife 
of  William  Kruse,  a  prosperous  young 
farmer  of  Elgin  township;  Fred,  who  mar- 
ried Emma  Thies,  a  daughter  of  Fred 
Thies,  a  prominent  farmer  of  Plato  town- 
ship; Frank,  our  subject;  Emma,  who 
married  John  Getzelman,  a  farmer  in  Hamp- 
shire; George,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eight 
months;  Helen,  living  at  Burlington,  Illi- 
nois; and  Christian,  employed  on  the  farm 
with  his  brother,  Frank.  Frank  H.  Berner 
was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides, 
June  14,  1869.  He  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Hampshire  township,  until  about 
sixteen  years  of  age,  during  which  time  he 
assisted  in  the  cultivation  of  the  farm.  He 
continued  to  reside  with  his  father  until  the 
latter  retired  in  1892.  On  the  22nd  of 
March,  1892,  in  Hampshire  township,  he 
married  Anna  M.  Getzelrnan,  a  daughter  of 
Michael  J.  Getzelman,  a  sketch  of  whom 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  By  this 
union  there  is  one  child,  Edna  May,  born 
January  25,  1893. 

On  his  marriage,  Mr.  Berner  took  charge 
of  the  home  farm,  which  he  rents  from  his 
father,  and  which  comprises  one  hundred 


and  twenty  acres  of  splendid  farming  land. 
He  engages  in  general  and  dairy  farming, 
and  milks  thirty  cows,  the  product  of 
which  he  ships  to  Chicago.  Religiously,  he 
and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and,  politically,  he  is  a 
Republican.  An  energetic,  progressive  and 
industrious  young  farmer,  he  is  highly  re- 
garded in  the  community  of  which  he  has 
been  a  life-long  resident. 


OEUBEN  TUCK,  a  retired  coal  mer- 
IV  chant  of  Elgin,  is  of  foreign  birth, 
but  Kane  county  has  no  more  patriotic  or 
loyal  citizen.  For  many  years  he  was  prom- 
inently identified  with  her  business  interests, 
first  as  a  farmer,  and  later  as  a  coal  dealer, 
and  having  met  with  excellent  success  in  his 
undertakings,  he  is  now  enabled  to  lay  aside 
all  business  cares,  spending  his  declining 
years  in  ease  and  retirement. 

Mr.  Tuck  was  born  in  England  Decem- 
ber 13,  1818,  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Eliza- 
beth (Molton)  Tuck,  who  spent  their  entire 
lives  in  that  country,  the  father,  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  dying  when  our  subject  was 
only  two  years  old.  The  mother  survived 
him  many  years,  passing  away  in  1848. 
Bo!h  were  devout  members  of  the  Method- 
ist church,  and  their  home  was  the  stopping 
place  of  the  itinerant  preachers.  The  fa- 
ther erected  the  church  where  they  at- 
tended service,  and  his  wife  took  an 
active  and  prominent  part  in  all  church 
work,  regularly  attended  services,  and  was 
a  grand,  good  woman.  Our  subject  is  the 
only  survivor  in  their  family  of  ten  children, 
and,  outside  of  his  own  family,  he  has  only 
one  nephew  and  one  niece  now  living.  The 
latter  had  three  children,  Nellie,  Mollie,  and 
a  son,  who  formerly  lived  in  London,  but 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


545 


now  live  in  South  Africa.  The  mother, 
Mrs.  Harriet  Crispe,  visited  her  children  in 
that  country  with  the  hope  of  benefiting 
her  health,  and  there  died  in  the  arms  of 
one  of  her  daughters.  Her  husband,  Thomas 
Crispe,  is  a  jeweler  of  London.  In  1837 
our  subject  and  his  sister  Mary  came  to 
America,  but  subsequently  she  returned  with 
her  husband  to  England,  where  she  died  in 
1877. 

The  only  opportunity  Reuben  Tuck  had 
of  attending  school  was  when  between  the 
ages  of  five  and  seven  years,  after  which  he 
worked  on  a  farm  in  his  native  land.  He 
is,  however,  a  well-informed  man  of  good 
business  qualifications.  At  the  age  of  four- 
teen he  began  learning  the  tailor's  trade, 
which  he  successfully  followed  in  England 
until  nineteen,  when  he  bade  good-bye  to 
home  and  friends  and  sailed  for  the  New 
World,  which  he  reached  after  a  long  and 
stormy  voyage  of  forty-one  days.  He  located 
in  Luzerne  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
engaged  in  tailoring  and  later  at  farming. 
In  1841  he  returned  to  England  on  a  visit, 
making  the  voyage  both  ways  on  the  same 
vessel,  being  thirty-one  days  in  going  and 
twenty-five  days  in  returning. 

In  1845  Mr.  Tuck  emigrated  to  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  by  wagon,  and  the  journey 
of  eight  hundred  miles  occupied  thirty-one 
and  a  half  days,  while  the  expenses  were 
about  a  dollar  a  day  for  himself,  wife  and 
three  children.  He  landed  in  Kane  county 
October  23,  1845,  with  seventy-five  dollars 
in  silver,  and  in  Plato  township  pre-empted 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  government 
land,  which  he  later  purchased,  and  to 
which  he  subsequently  added  until  he  had 
three  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  valuable 
prairie  land,  and  forty  acres  of  timber. 
This  he  sold  on  coming  to  Elgin,  in  1865, 


and  the  following  year  embarked  in  business 
as  a  coal  dealer,  conducting  the  first  coal 
office  in  that  city.  He  was  thus  engaged 
until  1883,  when  he  retired  from  active 
business  life  and  is  now  enjoying  the  fruits 
of  his  former  toil. 

In  December,  1838,  Mr.  Tuck  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Ellen  Fletcher, who 
was  born  in  England,  November  25,  1816, 
a  daughter  of  William  Fletcher,  a  weaver, 
in  England,  who  emigrated  from  that  coun- 
try to  the  United  States  and  took  up  his 
residence  in  Pennsylvania,  and  followed 
farming.  The  children  born  of  this  union 
were  as  follows:  Elizabeth,  born  in  1839, 
died  January  31,  1875;  William  H.,  born 
March  20,  1841,  enlisted  as  a  private,  dur- 
ing the  Civil  war,  in  Company  K,  Fifty- 
second  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  the 
fall  of  1 86 1,  and  was  wounded  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Shiloh.  He  never  recovered,  dying 
in  the  hospital  at  St.  Louis  April  26,  1862. 
George  Elmer,  born  January  5,  1844,  mar- 
ried Mina  Perry  and  engaged  in  business 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  May  2, 
1883.  He  left  two  children,  Bertha  N.  arid 
Myrtie  B.  Sarah  Emma,  born  September 

3,  1847,    is  the  wife   of  J.    G.    Tuttle,   of 
Elgin,  and  has  one  child  living,  Amy;  Jo- 
anna, born  January  12,  1851,  died  October 

4,  1854;    Charles  Reuben,  born   December 
29,  1854,   died  September   11,  1855;  Char- 
lotte,  born  April  4,  1857,  died  October  2, 
1857.     The  mother  of  these  children,  who 
was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  died  March   10,  1881.      Mr. 
Tuck  was  married  September   18,  1883,  to 
Miss  Ann   Gimbert,  an  English  lady,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  of  Elgin,  and  died  April  23,  1886. 
On  the   4th  of  November,  1886,  Mr.  Tuck 
married,   for  his  third  wife,  Mrs.  Lucinda 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


B.  (Savory)  Rose,  widow  of  P.  T.  Rose,  of 
Lake  county,  Illinois,  by  whom  she  had 
three  children,  namely:  Mary,  now  the 
wife  of  E.  J.  Locke,  of  Hampshire,  Kane 
county,  and  the  mother  of  two  children, 
Leslie  and  Inez;  Grant  E.,  of  Chicago, who 
married  Bessie  Mann,  and  has  one  son,  Le 
Roy  Mann;  and  Carrie  C.,  a  milliner,  who 
lives  with  her  mother  and  our  subject  in 
Elgin. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tuck  are  both  earnest  and 
faithful  members  of  the  First  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  of  Elgin,  and  take  a 
prominent  part  in  its  work.  Socially,  he 
at  one  time  affiliated  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  while  politically  he 
was  originally  a  Whig,  and  is  now  identi- 
fied with  the  Republican  party.  He  is  one 
of  Elgin's  honored  and  valued  citizens,  his 
upright  and  honorable  career  having  won 
for  him  the  confidence  and  high  regard  of 
all  with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact  either 
in  business  or  social  life. 


JACOB  E.  SALFISBERG,  junior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Spiker  &  Salfisberg, 
manufacturers  of  artificial  stone,  sidewalks 
and  paving,  is  a  representative  of  the  young- 
er business  men  of  Aurora.  He  was  born  in 
Naperville,  Illinois,  January  18,  1872,  and 
is  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Anna  (Salfisberg) 
Salfisberg,  both  of  whom  are  natives  of 
Switzerland,  born  near  Berne,  the  capitol. 
About  1849,  when  a  young  man,  his  father 
came  to  this  country,  in  company  with 
what  was  later  his  wife's  parents.  He  was 
a  miller  by  trade,  and  on  coming  to  this 
country  worked  for  Mr.  Parker,  in  his  mill 
at  Oswego,  Illinois.  After  being  thus  em- 
ployed for  some  years,  he  came  to  Aurora, 
and  burned  lime  for  his  brother,  Christian. 


In  1867,  he  moved  to  Naperville,  where 
he  remained  until  1889,  when  he  sold  his  in- 
terest there,  and  returned  to  Aurora,  where 
he  has  since  lived  a  retired  life.  To  Jacob 
and  Anna  Salfisberg,  ten  children  were  born, 
of  whom  eight  are  living.  In  order  of  birth 
they  were  as  follows:  Fred,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  two  years;  Emma,  wife  of  John 
Nicholas,  by  whom  she  had  two  children, 
John  and  Frank,  died  in  1889,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-seven  years;  Amanda,  wife  of  W.  C. 
Daniels,  by  whom  she  has  one  child,  Viola 
May  now  resides  at  South  Evanston,  Illi- 
nois; Charles  A.  married  Clara  B.  Hair, 
and  has  three  children — LeRoy  L. ,  Gracie 
E.  and  Nellie  M. ,  and  they  reside  on  a 
farm  in  Kendall  county,  Illinois;  Edith  E., 
wife  of  Thomas  Harding,  by  whom  she  has 
one  living  child,  Donald  J.,  now  resides  in 
Aurora;  Annie  E.,  wife  of  Richard  Hair,  by 
whom  she  has  two  children,  Ralph  R.  and 
Flossie  F.;  Jacob  E. ,  our  subject;  Edwin 
A.,  a  fireman  on  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy railroad,  residing  at  home;  Frank  O. 
and  Maude  May,  at  home. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated 
at  Naperville,  and  there  took  a  business 
course  in  the  college,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated in  the  class  of  '88.  After  leaving 
school  he  worked  for  a  short  time  in  his  fa- 
thef's  quarry,  and  later  was  employed  in  the 
general  office  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad  Company.  After  passing 
an  examination,  he  was  employed  as  a  mail 
carrier  in  Aurora  for  several  years.  He  was 
then  in  the  shoe  business  for  a  short  time 
and  later  in  the  dress  goods  department  of 
the  wholesale  house  of  J.  V.  Farwell,  Chi- 
cago. In  March,  1896,  he  purchased  an  in- 
terest in  his  present  business,  in  which  he 
has  build  up  a  good  and  substantial  trade. 
His  work  is  of  the  very  best,,  and  he 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


547 


tries  to  give  satisfaction  in  every  respect. 
Much  of  the  artificial  stone  work  of 
Aurora  and  neighboring  towns  is  made 
by  the  firm  of  Spiker  &  Salfisberg,  whose 
reputation  is  of  the  very  best.  The  fact 
that  the  work  has  been  done  by  this  firm  is 
a  guarantee  of  its  good 'quality.  As  a  busi- 
ness man,  he  is  recognized  as  among  the 
most  progressive  in  the  city.  Fraternally, 
he  is  a  member  of  Ben  Hur  lodge,  No. 
870,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Aurora,  and  is  a  trustee 
of  the  lodge  and  has  held  other  offices.  He 
is  an  attendant  of  the  Congregational 
church. 


HENRY  BRIGHAM  ADAMS,  a  repre- 
sentative of  one  of  the  old  families  of 
Aurora,  and  the  leading  coal  dealer  in  the 
city,  was  born  at  Fort  Ann,  Washington 
county,  New  York,  March  21,  1857,  and  is 
the  son  of  Charles  Henry  and  Harriet 
(Coleman)  Adams,  the  former  being  a  na- 
tive of  Washington  county,  New  York,  born 
June  17,  1816.  Charles  Henry  Adams  was 
the  son  of  Wright  Adams  and  Catherine 
(Rainey)  Adams,  who  were  the  parents  of' 
Wright,  Guerdon,  Anna  and  Margaret. 
Wright  Adams  and  wife  died  in  Washington 
county.  Henry  B.  Adams  is  the  tenth  de- 
scendant through  the  Coleman  branch  from 
Elder  William  Brewster,  who  came  over  in 
the  Mayflower. 

Charles  Henry  Adams,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  was  at  one  time  a  farmer  in  his 
native  state,  and  also  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising and  various  other  pursuits.  For  a 
time  he  was  captain  of  a  packet  line,  was 
station  agent  at  Fort  Ann,  and  at  another 
time  served  as  deputy  sheriff  of  Washington 
county.  While  residing  in  Troy,  New  York, 
to  which  he  removed,  he  served  as  consta- 


ble. He  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church,  and  was  a  consistent  believer.  In 
the  summer  of  1867,  he  came  to  Aurora, 
and  purchased  a  home  at  the  corner  of  New 
York  street  and  Lincoln  avenue,  which  is 
still  in  the  family.  After  locating  in  Aurora, 
he  was  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business, 
and  was  justice  of  the  peace  for  about  twelve 
years.  In  early  life  he  was  a  Whig,  and 
later  a  Republican.  He  was  one  of  the 
leaders  of  the  Park  Place  Baptist  church, 
and  took  a  great  interest  in  church  matters. 
He  superintended  the  construction  of  that 
edifice.  A  man  of  firm  disposition,  social 
nature,  and  benevolent,  his  death,  which 
occurred  March  18,  1897,  was  mourned  not 
alone  by  his  family,  but  by  the  community 
as  well.  His  wife  was  also  a  native  of  Fort 
Ann,  New  York.  Her  father,  Noah  Cole- 
man,  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  he 
and  his  wife,  Mary  Ann,  spent  their  last 
days  at  Fort  Ann.  They  had  four  children, 
Edward,  Horace,  Ruth  and  Harriet,  all  liv- 
ing except  Ruth.  Edward  is  living  at  Fort 
Ann,  and  Horace  on  the  old  family  home- 
stead, where  Ruth  died  unmarried.  Mrs. 
Harriet  Adams  is  living  in  Aurora,  on  the 
place  first  purchased  by  her  husband  on 
their  removal  to  that  city.  She  was  born 
February  19,  1826.  Religiously  she  is  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  church.  Her 
children  are  as  follows:  Eudora,  now  the 
wife  of  Dr.  H.  G.  Gabel,  of  Aurora;  Roma 
L. ,  now  the  wife  of  J.  O.  Mason,  of  Aurora; 
and  Henry  B.,  of  this  sketch.  Fraternally 
Charles  H.  Adams  was  an  Odd  Fellow,  and 
was  a  member  of  that  organization  for  over 
fifty  years.  The  Rebecca  degree  was  con- 
ferred upon  him  by  Vice-President  Colfax, 
in  Ohio,  and  he  was  one  of  the  first  who 
took  this  degree. 

Our  subject  was   ten  years  of  age  when 


548 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Aurora.  In 
the  public  schools  of  that  city,  he  received 
his  education,  and  at  sixteen  began  the 
study  of  bookkeeping  and  telegraphy  and 
as  soon  as  he  was  proficient  in  these 
branches,  he  engaged  with  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  Company, 
at  Hinsdale,  where  he  remained  about  one 
year,  was  then  sent  to  Galesburg,  in  the 
supply  department,  and  there  remained 
about  three  years,  when  he  was  transferred 
to  the  Iowa  division,  at  Albia  and  Osceola. 
He  quit  the  railroad  business  on  account  of 
his  health,  and  went  west  for  a  time,  but  on 
his  return  he  engaged  with  the  Iowa  Cen- 
tral Railroad  Company,  with  which  he  was 
connected  about  one  year  at  Dillon,  Iowa, 
as  station  agent.  He  went  then  to  the 
Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  Company,  for  a 
while  at  Brighton  Park,  when  he  returned 
to  Aurora,  and  went  into  the  supply  depart- 
ment of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
Railroad  Company,  but  only  remained  with 
the  company  about  one  year.  He  then  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  brooms  for 
about  two  years,  when  he  sold  out  and  later 
went  into  the  office  of  the  Chicago,  Wil- 
mington &  Vermillion  Coal  Company,  as 
bookkeeper.  The  old  agent  of  that  com- 
pany, Mr.  Wood,  died  about  one  year  later, 
and  Mr.  Adams  succeeded  him  as  agent. 
This  was  in  1889,  and  he  has  since  contin- 
ued as  such  agent.  The  company  carry  a 
full  line  of  hard  coal  and  wood,  together 
with  the  soft  coal,  which  is  the  product  of 
their  own  mines.  They  sell  at  wholesale  to 
dealers  and  manufacturers.  By  his  atten- 
tion to  the  business  Mr.  Adams  has  increased 
the  sales  of  the  company  from  year  to  year, 
and  has  a  large  and  increasing  trade.  The 
office  of  the  company  is  at  146  Spring  street, 
near  the  viaduct. 


On  the  23d  of  November,  1880,  at  Mt. 
Pleasant,  Iowa,  Mr.  Adams  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Minnie  B.  Walker, 
daughter  of  Harry  D.  and  Belle  (Redman) 
Walker.  She  is  a  native  of  Mt.  Pleasant, 
and  was  married  in  the  house  where  she 
was  born.  She  was  one  of  four  children, 
the  others  being  Charles  D.,  Hattie  and 
William;  the  latter  died  when  about  nine- 
teen years  of  age.  Charles  married  and  en- 
gaged in  the  hardware  business  at  Mt. 
Pleasant,  Iowa.  Hattie  married  H.  J. 
Laubenfels,  and  is  also  living  in  Mt.  Pleas- 
ant, where  the  parents  are  also  living.  The 
father  has  been  the  grand  keeper  of  records 
and  seal  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  of  Iowa 
for  twenty-four  years  and  still  holds  this  im- 
portant position.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams 
have  one  child,  Roma  Hattie,  born  August 
26,  1 88 1.  The  family  are  all  members  of 
the  Park  Place  Baptist  church,  of  which  Mr. 
Adams  is  treasurer. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Adams  is  an  Odd  Fel- 
low, being  a  member  of  Waubansie  lodge, 
No.  45,  and  of  Aurora  lodge,  No.  390, 
Knights  of  Pythias.  Socially,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Aurora  City  Club,  and  in  politics 
is  a  Republican.  Mr.  Adams  has  a  com- 
fortable home  at  No.  459  New  York  street, 
corner  of  State  street,  where  he  prefers  to 
spend  hours,  not  devoted  to  business  in  the 
enjoyment  of  life.  By  strict  attention  to 
business,  and  by  the  conscientious  discharge 
of  all  duties  imposed  upon  him,  he  has  been 
successful  in  life,  and  has  won  the  respect 
and  esteem  of  all. 


FRANK  B.   TAZEWELL  is  one  of   the 
young  and  enterprising  farmers  of  Plato 
township,  residing  on  section  25.      He  is  a 
native    of  Kane    county,   born    in    Rutland 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


549 


township,  January  23,  1865,  and  there 
grew  to  manhood,  receiving  his  education 
at  the  country  schools  and  Elgin  Academy, 
supplemented  by  a  business  course  at  Drew's 
Business  College  in  Elgin.  He  remained  at 
home  assisting  his  father  in  the  cultivation 
of  the  farm  until  twenty-seven  years  of  age, 
when  he  married,  and  later  bought  his  pres- 
ent farm,  the  northeast  corner  of  section  25, 
Plato  township.  It  is  a  well  improved 
place,  with  all  the  modern  conveniences 
for  dairy  farming,  including  windmill  and 
large  barn  sufficient  to  shelter  about  forty 
head  of  cattle.  All  the  milk  produced  in 
the  place  he  ships  to  Chicago. 

James  B.  Tazewell,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  who  is  engaged  in  farming  on  sec- 
tion 26,  Rutland  township,  was  born  in 
London,  England,  January  12,  1838,  and 
came  to  America  in  1844,  with  his  parents, 
James  and  Rachel  (Brewer)  Tazewell.  He 
was  the  eldest  of  three  children.  In  Rut- 
land township,  he  married  Mary  Jane  Moore, 
born  in  Chicago,  January  28,  1838,  and  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Margaret  (Cochran) 
Moore.  By  this  union  there  were  six  chil- 
dren as  follows:  James  M.,  farming  on 
section  26,  Plato  township;  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  William  R.  Fuller,  a  retired  farmer  of 
Elgin;  Margaret,  wife  of  Henry  P.  Kenyon, 
of  Elgin  township;  Frank  B.,  our  subject; 
David,  engaged  in  farming  with  his  father; 
and  William  H.,  farming  on  section  7, 
Elgin  township. 

After  remaining  at  home,  as  already 
stated,  Mr.  Tazewell  was  united  in  marriage 
in  Hampshire  township,  April  10,  1895,  to 
Miss  Lou  E.  Doty,  born  in  that  township, 
and  a  daughter  of  Edward  Doty,  born  in 
Chautauqua  county,  New  York,  March  8, 
1838,  and  who  came  west  about  1853,  and 
later  purchased  a  farm  on  section  23,  Hamp- 


shire township.  He  was  the  son  of  Elijah 
Doty,  who  attained  the  age  of  seventy 
years,  and  who  married  Polly  Hodges,  a 
native  of  New  York,  whose  mother  was 
Mary  French  of  the  same  state.  Edward 
Doty  married  Betsey  Pingree,  born  at  Pin- 
gree  Grove,  and  daughter  of  Francis  Pin- 
gree, who  married  Lydia  Patchen.  Her 
father  settled  first  in  Illinois,  afterwards 
went  to  Iowa,  where  he  died  at  an  advanced 
age.  The  Pingree  family  are  descended 
from  Moses  Pingree,  a  native  of  England, 
who  married  Abigail  Clement,  and  died  at 
Ipswich,  Massachusetts,  in  1641.  His  son, 
Moses  Pingree,  Jr.,  married  Sarah  Con- 
verse, and  their  son,  Aaron,  married  Ann 
Pickard,  and  their  son,  John,  married  Faith 
Jewett,  and  to  them  Andrew  was  born, 
and  to  him  and  Abiah  Straw,  his  wife, 
Francis  Pingree  was  born.  He  was  the 
father  of  Mrs.  Doty.  Mrs.  Tazewell  is  the 
eldest  of  three  children  born  to  Edward 
Doty.  To  our  subject  andwife  one  child 
has  been  born,  Lynn  Edward,  born  August 
27,  1896. 


SIDNEY  U.  SPENCER,  now  living  a  re- 
tired life  in  the  city  of  Aurora,  but  who 
for  many  years  was  engaged  in  farming  and 
dairying,  is  numbered  among  the  old  settlers 
of  1844.  He  was  born  in  Wyoming  coun- 
ty, New  York,  January  5,  1825.  His  father, 
Chauncey  Spencer,  was  born  and  reared  in 
Vermont,  and  when  a  young  man  settled 
near  Genesse  Falls,  Wyoming  county,  New 
York,  and  there  married  Milly  Smith.  Both 
the  Spencer  and  Smith  families  were  early 
settlers  of  Wyoming  county,  the  first  of  the 
name  to  settle  there  being  the  paternal 
grandfather,  Stephen  Spencer,  and  the  ma- 
ternal grandfather,  Whiting  Smith,  both  of 


550 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


whom  made  their  home  in  the  wilderness, 
where  they  engaged  in  farming  for  many 
years.  Chauncey  Spencer  improved  several 
places  in  that  county , but  in  1 844  moved  with 
his  family  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  locating 
in  Sugar  Grove  township,  where  he  engaged 
in  farming  for  a  few  years,  then  moved  to 
Plainfield,  Will  county,  but  later  returned 
to  Kane  county,  where  his  death  occurred 
some  years  ago. 

Sidney  U.  Spencer  was  second  in  order 
of  birth,  and  the  only  survivor  of  a  family 
of  eight  children.  George  married  and  set- 
tled in  Kane  county,  later  moved  to  Iowa, 
where  his  death  occurred;  Cornelia  married 
Jonathan  Mason,  settled  in  Kane  county, 
and  both  are  now  deceased;  Dwight  died 
unmarried;  Henrietta  married  Philo  Seavey, 
located  in  Kane  county,  and  both  are  now 
deceased;  Edwin  also  died  unmarried;  James 
married  and  settled  in  Kane  county,  but  is 
now  deceased;  Eunice  married  Charles 
Roberts,  settled  in  Du  Page  county,  but 
both  are  now  deceased. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  in  his  native 
state  received  a  fair  common-school  educa- 
tion, and,  a  young  man  of  eighteen,  came 
with  his  parents  to  Kane  county  and  assisted 
his  father  in  opening  up  a  new  farm.  After 
arriving  at  his  majority  he  worked  by  the 
month  for  some  years,  principally  on  farms. 
On  the  third  of  June,  1854,  he  married 
Anna  M.  Willis,  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  a 
daughter  of  John  Willis,  also  a  native  of 
that  state.  She  came  to  Kane  county  with 
her  uncle,  John  Thompson,  when  a  mere 
child  and  here  she  was  reared  and  educated. 
By  this  union  were  four  children,  the  oldest, 
Roscoe  M.,  married  and  is  a  farmer  of  Kane 
county,  but  also  owns  a  farm  in  Nebraska; 
Ralph,  who  is  married,  resides  in  Albany, 
Wisconsin,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  mer- 


cantile trade;  Luella,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  eleven  years,  and  Mabel,  wife  of  Wilford 
Wyatt,  a  farmer  of  Clay  county,  Iowa. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spencer 
commenced  their  domestic  life  on  a  farm  of 
eighty  acres  near  Plainfield,  which  he  had 
purchased.  After  remaining  there  some 
twelve  months  he  sold  that  place  and  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  ten  acres 
in  Sugar  Grove  township.  He  later  built  a 
large  and  substantial  residence,  barn  and 
other  outbuildings,  and  otherwise  improved 
the  place.  He  remained  on  that  farm  a 
number  of  years,  then  rented  it  to  his  son, 
and  built  a  nice  residence  at  Sugar  Grove 
Station,  to  which  the  family  removed.  While 
yet  residing  on  the  farm  his  wife  died,  in 
1877,  and  he  was  again  married,  in  Sugar 
Grove,  August  28,  1878,  to  Miss  Julia  Wilde, 
who  was  born  in  Sidney,  Delaware  county, 
New  York,  and  who  came  to  McHenry 
county,  Illinois,  when  but  three  years  of 
age  with  her  parents,  Robert  and  Eleanor 
M.  (Vandervoort)  Wilde.  Her  father  was 
English  by  birth,  and  came  to  America  when 
but  eight  years  of  age,  and  remained  in  New 
York,  where  he  was  married,  until  his  re- 
moval to  McHenry  county,  Illinois,  in  1855. 
Mrs.  Spencer  is  a  woman  of  more  than  or- 
dinary ability,  and  since  her  marriage  has 
taken  a  course  in  metaphysics,  under  the 
direction  of  Dr.  Charles,  Mrs.  Grover,  Dr. 
Edward  Arns  and  Mrs.  Baker  Eddy.  After 
a  thorough  and  complete  course  Mrs.  Spen- 
cer opened  an  office  in  Aurora,  and  for  five 
years  was  engaged  in  the  active  practice  of 
her  profession  of  scientific  healing.  She 
was  then  compelled  to  give  up  her  office, 
and  now  practices  in  a  quiet  way. 

Politically  Mr.  Spencer  is  a  Republican, 
and  has  always  taken  an  interest  in  political 
affairs,  but  not  as  an  office-seeker.  Having 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


551 


an  interest  in  the  cause  of  education,  for 
some  nine  years  he  was  a  member  of  the 
school  board  at  Sugar  Grove,  and  of  the 
Normal  Industrial  School  at  that  place. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  in  Aurora,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
active  official  members  of  that  church  at 
Sugar  Grove.  His  residence  of  fifty-four 
years  in  Kane  county  has  brought  him  in 
contact  with  his  fellow  citizens  in  all  parts 
of  the  county,  and  wherever  known  he  is 
greatly  esteemed. 


ORA  L.  PELTON,  M.  D.,  has  been  a 
resident  of  Kane  county  for  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  in  that  time  has 
built  up  a  practice  and  reputation  second  to 
no  other  physician.  He  was  born  in  Sher- 
man, New  York,  July  29,  1851,  and  is  a  son 
of  Charles  and  Martha  (Sparkes)  Pelton, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  New  York, 
and  the  parents  of  eight  children:  Charles 
J.,  who  resides  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Chautauqua  county,  New  York;  Amarette, 
wife  of  Alvin  Seymour,  of  Chautauqua  coun- 
ty; Ora  L. ,  of  this  sketch;  Lucy,  who  makes 
her  home  with  the  Doctor;  Josephine,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  ten  years;  William  and 
Frank,  who  live  in  New  York;  and  George, 
who  lives  in  Chicago. 

Charles  Pelton,  the  father,  was  a  farmer 
in  Chautauqua  county,  where  he  died  in 
1890  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  for 
many  years  served  as  a  deacon.  His  wife 
still  survives  him  and  is  living  with  her  son, 
Charles  J.  She  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  church,  and  a  conscientious,  Chris- 
tian woman. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
Rural  Pelton,  was  a  native  of  Oneida  coun- 


ty, New  York,  and  was  a  blacksmith  by 
trade,  which  he  generally  followed  in  con- 
nection with  farming.  He  cleared  the  farm 
on  which  our  subject's  mother  yet  resides. 
In  his  family  were  fourteen  children,  nearly 
all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity.  The  Peltpn's 
were  originally  from  England.  The  ma- 
ternal grandfather,  Rev.  Mr.  Sparkes,  was 
a  Baptist  minister,  and  was  about  sixty-five 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He 
also  had  a  large  family  of  children,  of  whom 
three  sons — Nathan,  Thomas  and  Elisha— 
were  in  the  Civil  war,  the  first  two  dying 
while  in  the  service,  the  other  after  reach- 
ing home. 

Ora  L.  Pelton  was  reared  on  the  home 
farm  in  Chautauqua  county,  New  York,  and 
in  the  schools  of  the  neighborhood  his  liter- 
ary education  was  obtained.  Later  he  en- 
tered the  medical  department  of  the  Michi- 
gan University  at  Ann  Arbor,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  the  spring  of  1872.  In 
June  of  that  year  he  came  to  Kane  county 
and  located  at  Elburn,  where  he  com- 
menced the  practice  of  his  profession.  From 
the  beginning  he  met  with  good  success,  and, 
while  such  was  the  case,  he  was  not  content 
to  rest  with  the  knowledge  acquired.  Ac- 
cordingly, he  entered  Bellevue  Hospital  Med- 
ical College,  New  York,  from  which  he  took 
the  addendum  degree  in  1874.  One  year 
later,  in  quest  of  still  higher  knowledge  in 
his  profession,  he  visited  Europe,  took  a 
year's  course  in  the  University  of  Edinburg, 
Scotland,  and  then  visited  a  number  of 
noted  hospitals,  including  those  of  London 
and  Paris. 

On  the  1 7th  of  July,  1882,  the  Doctor 
removed  from  Elburn  to  Elgin,  that  he 
might  have  a  wider  field  for  usefulness.  His 
success  has  been  equal  to  his  most  sanguine 
anticipations  and  his  practice  has  at  all 


552 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


times  been  a  large  and  fairly  profitable  one. 
As  one  of  the  staff  of  surgeons  in  Sherman 
hospital  he  has  performed  some  very  diffi- 
cult surgical  operations  with  most  gratifying 
success.  One  of  his  specialties  is  abdom- 
inal surgery,  and  some  of  his  operations  in 
that  line  of  practice  have  won  for  him  dis- 
tinction. He  is  often  called  in  consultation 
in  important  cases  of  surgery  and  medicine 
with  other  physicians,  with  whom  his  skill 
and  judgment  are  held  in  high  degree. 

On  the  /th  of  May,  1879,  Dr.  Pelton 
married  Miss  Anna  L.  Frary,  daughter  of 
Noble  D.  and  Mary  (Kendall)  Frary,  and  by 
this  union  there  are  three  children,  Ora  L. , 
Mary  Frary  and  Lura  Adella,  all  of  whom 
are  at  home.  Noble  Danforth  Frary  vvas  a 
native  of  Massachusetts,  born  in  1823,  and 
was  the  son  of  Zenas  and  Keziah  (Pomroy) 
Frary,  natives  of  South  Hampton,  Mass. 
In  his  native  state  he  grew  to  manhood  and 
there  married  Mary  Kendall,  who  was  born 
in  Connecticut  in  1824.  Early  in  the  '505 
they  came  west,  locating  in  Elburn,  Illinois, 
where  Mr.  Frary  worked  at  his  trade  of 
wheelwright.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church,  and  politically  was  a  Re- 
publican, a  thorough  believer  in  the  princi- 
ples of  that  party.  His  death  occurred  in 
Elburn,  October  n,  1878,  his  wife  preced- 
ing him  to  their  heavenly  home  some  seven 
years,  dying  October  i,  1871.  She  was 
also  a  member  of  the  Christian  church. 
They  were  the  parents  of  four  children: 
Adella  D.,  now  the  wife  of  J.  A.  Freeman, 
of  Portland,  Oregon;  Ossian  D.,  of  Chicago; 
Herbert  K.,  who  died  in  childhood;  and 
Anna  Louise,  wife  of  our  subject. 

Noble  D.  Frary  was  one  of  the  "brave 
boys  in  blue"  who,  at  their  country's  call, 
offered  their  services  in  behalf  of  the  Un- 
ion. He  was  a  member  of  Company  I, 


Illinois  Volunteer  Cavalry,  and  faithfully 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Return- 
ing to  his  home  at  the  expiration  of  his 
term  of  service,  he  settled  down  to  his  life 
work  as  though  the  storms  of  battle  had 
never  been  heard.  The  Frarys  were  among 
the  early  settlers  of  Elburn,  where  he 
served  for  many  years  as  justice  of  the 
peace. 

Dr.  Pelton  was  thrown  on  his  own  re- 
sources early  in  life  and  has  worked  his  way 
upward  in  his  profession,  aided  only  by  his 
perseverance,  energy  and  indomitable  will 
power.  He  is  not  content  with  knowledge 
obtained  in  the  past,  but  every  year  makes 
a  tour,  visiting  the  leading  hospitals  of  the 
country  with  a  view  of  appropriating  what- 
ever is  new  in  the  science  of  medicine  and 
surgery.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Chicago 
Medical  Society. 

Fraternally  Dr.  Pelton  is  a  member  of 
Monitor  lodge,  No.  117,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
of  Bethel  commandery,  No.  36,  K.  T.  At 
present  he  is  surgeon  for  the  Elgin,  Car- 
penterville  &  Aurora  railway,  and  is  also  a 
member  of  the  staff  "of  Sherman  hospital. 
Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  although 
his  extensive  practice  will  not  permit  him 
to  give  much  attention  to.  political  affairs, 
he  takes  a  great  interest  in  the  success  of 
the  party,  contributing  of  his  means  to  that 
end.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Cen- 
tury Club,  of  Elgin. 

As  a  citizen  the  Doctor  takes  an  interest 
in  everything  calculated  to  build  up  his 
adopted  city  and  county.  As  a  physician 
there  are  none  in  Kane  county  having  a 
better  reputation  and  his  success  in  the 
treatment  of  disease  has  been  remarkable. 
Financially  he  has  prospered  and  to-day  he 
is  numbered  among  the  well-to-do  citizens 
of  Elgin,  and  is  a  stockholder  and  director 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


553 


in  the  Home  National  Bank,  a  stockholder 
in  the  Home  Savings  Bank,  and  in  the  El- 
gin, Aurora  &  Carpentersville  Electric 
railway,  and  has  landed  interests  consisting 
of  a  fine  farm  in  Kansas. 

The  home  of  Dr.  P.elton  is  at  Nov.  214 
South  State  street,  and  is  one  of  the  finest 
and  most  attractive  houses  in  Elgin,  erected 
after  plans  made  by  himself  and  wife,  and 
there,  when  he  can  get  away  from  the  ar- 
duous labors  of  his  profession,  he  spends 
the  time  with  his  family,  and  they  delight 
to  entertain  their  many  friends. 


JAMES  LITTLE.  — In  the  history  of  a 
country  much  is  said  of  the  warrior 
that  goes  forth  to  battle  for  his  country,  and 
it  may  be  gives  his  life  for  its  defense.  The 
lawyer,  too,  is  mentioned  and  praise  is  given 
him  for  the  composition  of  its  laws  and 
their  interpretation.  The  minister  of  the 
Gospel  is  praised  for  the  efforts  put  forth 
in  behalf  of  public  and  private  morals,  and 
for  the  salvation  of  the  human  race.  Due 
credit  is  given  the  physician  for  his  skill  in 
alleviating  the  physical  ills  of  man.  But 
little,  however,  is  said  of  the  artisan  that 
plans  the  building  and  erects  the  homes  of 
the  people.  Here  is  where  the  historian  is 
at  fault  and  more  credit  should  be  given  to 
the  one  who  constructs  our  homes,  giving 
man  a  place  in  which  the  greater  part  of  his 
life  has  to  be  spent. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  one  of  the 
leading  contractors  and  builders  of  Aurora. 
He  was  born  in  Somerset  county,  New  Jer- 
sey, April  19,  1855,  and  is  the  son  of  Abra- 
ham D.  and  Maria  V.  N.  (Quick)  Little, 
both  natives  of  Somerset  county,  where  the 
father  was  engaged  in  farming  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  May  17,  1893.  The 


wife  and  mother  survived  him  two  years, 
dying  August  20,  1896.  Four  generations 
of  the  Little  family  were  born  and  reared 
on  the  old  homestead  farm  in  New  Jersey. 
The  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  Rob- 
ert Little,  lived  to  the  remarkable  age  of 
one  hundred  and  one  years,  and  partici- 
pated in  the  Revolutionary  war.  His  eldest 
son,  John  Little,  married  Johanna  Dumont, 
by  whom  he  had  two  children:  Abraham 
D.  and  Samuel.  Abraham  D.  Little,  who 
was  the  father  of  our  subject,  had  seven 
children — Garrett,  of  Corning,  Iowa;  Jo- 
hanna Isabel  died  September  17,  1859; 
Sarah  Jane,  a  resident  of  Jersey  City,  N. 
J.;  Mary  Elizabeth,  of  Corning,  Iowa;  John 
Newton,  operating  the  old  homestead  at 
North  Branch,  New  Jersey;  James,  and  Anna 
Caroline,  who  died  December  17,  1893. 

Gaining  an  education  in  the  public 
schools  and  afterwards  learning  the  trade  of 
a  carpenter  in  his  native  state,  under  An- 
drew Huff,  of  Plainfield,  New  Jersey, 
James  Little  came  to  Fairview,  Fulton 
county,  Illinois,  in  1875,  where  he  entered 
into  partnership  with  William  Stines,  and 
carried  on  contracting  and  building,  under 
the  name  of  Little  and  Stines,  which  was 
continued  seven  years,  and  the  partnership 
was  then  dissolved.  In  1882,  Mr.  Little 
came  to  Aurora,  where  he  has  since  carried 
on  his  business  in  a  very  successful  manner, 
having  at  times  as  many  as  twenty  men  in 
his  employ.  A  number  of  the  finest  resi- 
dences in  this  city  were  erected  by  him, 
among  them  the  residences  of  Hon.  John 
Murphy,  Nick  Abens,  and  Henry  Riser. 

Mr.  Little  was  married  December  27, 
1877,  to  Rebecca  Van  Nostrand,  of  Fair 
View,  Illinois,  daughter  of  Wycoff  and 
Phebe  (Eldert)  Van  Nostrand,  formerly  of 
Somerset  county,  New  Jersey.  By  this 


554 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


union  two  children  have  been  born,  Rita 
and  Pearl,  the  last  named  dying  in  Novem- 
ber, 1897,  aged  eight  years.  Fraternally, 
Mr.  Little  is  a  Mason,  and  has  passed  all 
the  degrees  up  to  and  including  the  thirty- 
second  degree.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Republican,  and  though  taking  an 
active  interest  in  political  affairs,  has  not 
been  an  office  seeker.  He  has  held  the 
office  of  chairman  of  the  board  of  trustees 
in  the  Park  Place  Baptist  church  for  the 
past  ten  years,  of  which  church  himself  and 
wife  are  members. 


HMcCHESNEY,  a  resident  of  Geneva, 
was  for  years  one  of  the  active,  enter- 
prising business  men  of  Chicago.  He  was 
born  in  Troy,  New  York,  June  23,  1825,  and 
is  the  son  of  Joseph  S.  McChesney,  born  in 
the  same  state.  His  father,  Samuel  McChes- 
ney, was  a  native  of  the  north  of  Ireland, 
who  came  to  the  United  States  a  young  man, 
and  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  Mohawk 
Valley.  He  there  married  Jane  Morrison, 
and  opened  up  a  farm  in  Rensselaer  county, 
where  he  reared  his  family. 

Joseph  S.  McChesney,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  grew  to  manhood  in  Rensselaer 
county,  and  there  married  Hannah  Morri- 
son, a  daughter  of  Rufus  Morrison.  They 
were  the  parents  of  four  sons  and  one 
daughter,  as  follows:  David  H.  settled  in 
Janesville,  Wisconsin,  where  he  engaged  in 
milling,  and  there  died  about  1891;  James, 
a  resident  of  Troy,  New  York;  Hiram,  of 
this  review;  Mrs.  Katherine  Carrier,  a  widow 
residing  in  Chicago;  and  Israel,  who  moved 
to  Colorado  in  1889.  Joseph  McChesney 
resided  on  the  old  homestead  until  his 
death,  after  which  his  widow  made  it  her 


home  until  she,  too,  was  called  to  a  better 
world. 

Hiram  McChesney  grew  to  manhood  in 
his  native  county,  and  after  receiving  his 
primary  education  in  the  public  schools, 
attended  the  Polytechnic  at  Troy,  New 
York,  from  which  he  was  graduated.  He 
then  went  to  work  on  the  Erie  railroad  as 
civil  engineer,  and  assisted  in  its  construc- 
tion for  more  than  one  year.  He  then  went 
to  Chicago,  where  he  engaged  in  teaching 
for  six  years,  and  was  .then  in  the  wood, 
coal  and  lumber  business  for  several  years. 
In  1862  he  engaged  in  the  cattle  business, 
buying  and  selling  cattle  to  the  Government 
for  the  use  of  the  army  during  the  war.  In 
that  business  he  was  quite  successful.  After 
the  close  of  the  war  he  engaged  in  the  fur- 
niture business  until  1871,  when  he  experi- 
enced heavy  loss  in  the  great  fire,  having 
his  store,  house  and  barn  burned.  He  re- 
built his  residence,  and  later  engaged  as  a 
detective  in  the  Union  Stock  Yards  at  a 
time  when  there  was  more  or  less  stealing 
of  cattle  and  hogs.  He  was  connected  with 
that  position  until  1895,  a  period  of  more 
than  twenty  years. 

Mr.  McChesney  has  been  twice  married. 
By  the  first  union  was  one  child,  Frances, 
a  well-educated  lady,  now  a  successful 
teacher  in  the  Englewood  schools.  His 
second  union  was  with  Miss  Isabella  Mackey, 
a  native  of  Michigan,  by  whom  he  has  one 
son,  John  Sherman,  a  student  in  the  Geneva 
schools. 

In  the  spring  of  1883,  Mr.  McChesney 
purchased  sixty-four  acres  of  land,  lying 
within  the  corporate  limits  of  Geneva,  re- 
modeled the  house,  built  two  large  barns, 
and  otherwise  improved  the  place,  making 
it  one  of  the  neatest  and  most  attractive  in 
Geneva  township.  In  early  life,  Mr.  Me- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


555 


Chesney  was  a  Whig,  but  since  1856  has 
been  an  avowed  Republican.  In  1885,  he 
was  appointed  by  Governor  Oglesby,  as  a 
member  of  the  board  of  live  stock  commis- 
sioners, and  was  twice  re-appointed,  serv- 
ing eight  years,  when  he  was  removed  by 
Governor  Altgeld.  In  1885  he  was  elected 
president  of  the  town  board  of  Geneva,  and 
served  one  term.  Office  holding  has  never 
been  to  his  liking,  preferring  to  give  his 
time  and  attention  to  his  business  interests. 
For  a  full  half  century,  he  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Illinois,  the  greater  part  of  which 
time  his  home  has  been  in  Chicago.  On 
locating  in  that  city,  its  inhabitants  num- 
bered but  a  few  thousands,  and  he  has 
witnessed  its  growth,  until  it  has  become 
the  second  city  in  population  and  wealth  in 
the  United  States,  and  in  its  development 
he  has  borne  his  part.  Personally  he  is  a 
man  of  good  business  capacity,  of  upright 
character,  and  is  well-known  in  Chicago, 
and  throughout  Kane  and  adjoining  coun- 
ties. 


JOHN  FORREST  BELL,  M.  D.,  is  a 
popular  and  successful  physician  of  El- 
gin, whose  office  is  located  at  the  corner  of 
Raymond  and  National  streets.  He  was 
born  on  the  26th  of  February,  1863,  near 
Claysville,  Washington  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  J.  and  Eliza- 
beth J.  (Dunn)  Bell,  also  natives  of  the 
Keystone  state.  Of  their  five  children,  the 
Doctor  is  the  only  one  now  living.  The 
father  engaged  in  teaching  for  a  number  of 
years,  but  now  follows  farming  near  Clays- 
ville. Being  one  of  the  prominent  and  in- 
fluential citizens  of  his  community,  he  was 
called  upon  to  serve  as  county  commis- 
sioner for  several  years,  and  during  the 


Civil  war  was  a  recruiting  officer,  but  was 
never  in  active  service.  Both  he  and  his 
estimable  wife  are  members  of  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian  church.  Samuel  Bell, 
the  Doctor's  paternal  grandfather,  was  born 
in  Ireland,  and  on  coming  to  America  lo- 
cated in  Pennsylvania,  where  he  followed 
farming  and  reared  his  family  of  seven  chil- 
dren. He  died  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty- 
five.  The  maternal  grandfather,  Joseph 
Dunn,  always  lived  in  Pennsylvania,  where 
he  died  in  middle  life,  leaving  a  large  fam- 
ily. By  occupation  he,  too,  was  an  agri- 
culturist. 

On  the  home  farm  near  Claysville  Dr. 
Bell  passed  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth,  while  his  elementary  education  was 
obtained  in  the  district  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. Later  he  attended  the  State 
Normal  at  California,  Pennsylvania,  gradu- 
ating at  that  institution  in  1884.  For  eight 
years  he  successfully  engaged  in  teaching, 
either  in  the  graded  schools  or  in  the  State 
Normal,  and  for  two  terms  conducted  a 
normal  school  of  his  own,  preparing  teach- 
ers for  their  profession.  While  thus  em- 
ployed the  Doctor  began  the  study  of  medi- 
cine, and  in  1890  graduated  at  the  Jefferson 
Medical  College,  Philadelphia.  In  May  of 
that  year  he  opened  an  office  in  Elgin, 
where  he  has  since  successfully  engaged  in 
practice. 

Dr.  Bell  was  married  May  20,  1891,  the 
lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Ethel,  daugh- 
ter of  Edward  F.  and  Abigail  (Johnson) 
Gooding,  and  to  them  were  born  two  chil- 
dren: Vincent  G. ,  now  deceased,  and  Doris 
Elizabeth.  The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  church,  and  socially  is  a 
member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  society  and  the 
Knights  of  Pythias.  Politically  he  is  an 
ardent  Republican,  and  he  served  as  city 


556 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


physician  from  1891  to  1895,  and  is  at  pres- 
ent a  member  of  the  school  board,  his  term 
extending  from  1897  until  1900.  He  is  an 
honored  member  of  Fox  River  Valley  and 
the  American  Medical  Associations,  and  is 
quite  prominent  among  his  professional 
brethren. 


FRANCIS  L.  YOUNG  is  one  of  the  most 
active  and  enterprising  business  men  of 
Kane  county,  of  which  he  has  been  a  resi- 
dent for  fifty-five  years.  He  is  a  native  of 
Vermont,  born  at  Strafford,  Orange  county, 
December  i,  1828.  The  Youngs  are  of 
Scotch  ancestry,  three  brothers  emigrating 
from  that  country  to  the  United  States  in 
the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
one  of  whom  located  in  Rhode  Island,  from 
whom  descended  the  family  of  which  our 
subject  is  a  member.  The  paternal  grand- 
father, Rev.  Jacob  Young,  was  a  native  of 
Rhode  Island,  born  in  1758.  He  was  a 
Universalist  minister,  the  first  of  that  de- 
nomination to  locate  in  the  town  of  Straf- 
ford. On  locating  there  he  was  given  a 
minister's  grant  of  land  in  the  town.  He 
was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  ability  as 
a  minister  and  theologian.  His  son,  Nathan 
Young,  was  born  at  New  Grantham,  New 
Hampshire,  in  1792.  He  there  grew  to 
manhood,  and  married  Hannah  Smith,  a 
native  of  Vermont,  and  a  daughter  of  Fred- 
erick Smith,  a  large  landholder,  and  of  an 
old  family  of  the  Green  Mountain  state. 
Nathan  Young  followed  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness for  many  years,  and  was  a  very  prom- 
inent man  in  Orange  county,  Vermont, 
serving  his  county  as  a  member  of  the  state 
legislature.  During  the  war  of  1812,  he 
entered  the  service,  and  was  orderly  sergeant 
of  his  company.  Later  he  was  commis- 


sioned brigadier  general  of  the  state  militia 
of  Vermont,  and  served  a  number  of  years. 

Nathan  Young  left  his  native  state  in 
1844  and  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
joining  his  son,  Peleg  Young,  who  located 
here  some  years  previously.  The  family 
first  located  in  Blackberry  township,  on  a 
claim  which  Peleg  had  purchased  some 
time  previously.  He  at  once  commenced 
the  improvement  of  the  claim,  and  there  re- 
sided some  seven  years.  In  1846,  how- 
ever, in  company  with  our  subject,  he  took 
up  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
in  Kaneville  township,  and  in  1849  built  a 
residence  and  removed  to  the  place  where 
he  spent  a  number  of  years.  Later  he  re- 
moved to  Batavia,  where  he  lived  a  retired 
life,  his  wife  there  dying  in  1866.  After  her 
death  he  returned  to  the  farm,  and  there 
resided  with  our  subject  until  called  from 
this  world,  in  1868.  Both  were  laid  to  rest 
in  the  Batavia  cemetery. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  sixteen 
years  old  when  he  came  to  Kane  county, 
and  here  he  has  since  continued  to  reside. 
In  March,  1857,  he  returned  tohis  old  home 
in  Strafford,  Vermont,  and  there  married 
Miss  Betty  Patterson,  also  a  native  of  Straf- 
ford, Vermont,  and  a  daughter  of  James  and 
Polly  Patterson,  and  a  cousin  of  United 
States  Senator  Morrill.  After  marriage  he 
returned  with  his  young  bride  to  Kane  coun- 
ty, and  they  began  their  domestic  life  on 
the  farm  in  Kaneville  township,  where  Mr. 
Young  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  for 
fourteen  years,  and  then  moved  to  the  vil- 
lage of  Kaneville,  where  Mrs.  Young  died, 
in  November,  1871.  She  was  the  mother 
of  three  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  in- 
fancy. Jenny  Mary  grew  to  womanhood, 
and  married  Charles  L.  Gary,  of  Geneva, 
Illinois;  she  is  now  deceased.  Frank  P.  is 


F.   L.  YOUNG. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


559 


married  and  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Kane- 
ville  township.  After  the  death  of  his  first 
wife,  Mr.  Young  married  her  sister,  Mrs. 
Ann  Annis,  nee  Patterson,  the  widow  of  Eli 
Annis,  by  whom  she  has  one  daughter,  Lou, 
wife  of  Charles  D.  Ames,  of  Kaneville.town- 
ship. 

Politically,  Mr.  Young  was  a  Whig  in 
early  life,  casting  his  first  presidential  ballot 
for  Zachary  Taylor.  Being  a  believer  in 
the  freedom  of  all  men,  and  that  no  man 
had  a  right  to  hold  his  fellow  men  in  bond- 
age, he  naturally  affiliated  with  the  Repub- 
lican party  on  its  organization,  and  has 
since  continued  to  be  an  advocate  of  its 
principles.  He  has  taken  quite  an  active 
part  in  local  politics,  and  has  held  various 
positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He  was  first 
elected  overseer  of  highways,  and,  later, 
township  assessor,  clerk  of  the  township, 
and  justice  of  the  peace.  In  1879  he  was 
elected  county  treasurer,  and  was  re-elected 
at  the  close  of  his  first  term,  and  by  change 
in  the  constitution  he  held  over,  serving 
seven  consecutive  years,  the  longest  term 
of  any  man  in  Kane  county.  On  retiring 
from  that  office  he  was  again  elected  town- 
ship clerk,  and  has  served  in  that  office  for 
twenty-seven  years.  He  also  served  two 
years  as  supervisor  of  Kaneville  township, 
and  was  chairman  of  the  county  board,  of 
Kane  county. 

Mr.  Young  has  always  been  interested 
in  all  enterprises  calculated  to  subserve  the 
interest  of  his  adopted  county  and  state. 
He  was  one  of  the  originators  of  the  County 
Line  Creamery,  which  operates  two  cream- 
eries, and  was  elected  manager  of  the  same, 
serving  as  such  up  to  the  present  time.  The 
creamery  was  incorporated  November,  1890. 
He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Old  Second  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Aurora,  and  has  served  as 

27 


one  of  its  directors  for  some  fifteen  years. 
Fraternally,  he  is  a  Mason,  and  was  for- 
merly quite  active  in  the  lodge  at  Kaneville, 
continuing  his  active  membership  in  it  until 
it  ceased  to  exist,  after  its  lodgeroom  was 
destroyed  by  fire.  For  more  than  half  a 
century  his  face  has  been  a  familiar  one  to 
the  citizens  of  Kane  county.  He  is  well 
known  throughout  its  length  and  breadth, 
and  his  friends  are  many  in  every  part  of 
the  county. 


OAMUEL  H.  LEE,  one  of  the  leading 
O  and  substantial  citizens  of  St.  Charles, 
was  born  February  2,  1843,  near  Belfast, 
county  Tyrone,  Ireland,  a  son  of  William 
and  Anna  (Moore)  Lee,  who  spent  their  en- 
tire lives  in  that  county,  where  the  father 
was  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  as  a 
life  work.  He  died  at  about  the  age  of 
eighty,  and  the  mother,  after  surviving  him 
three  years,  also  passed  away  and  now 
sleeps  by  his  side  in  a  cemetery  of  their 
native  land.  Our  subject  was  the  young- 
est of  their  eleven  children,  seven  sons  and 
four  daughters,  the  others  being  as  follows: 
William,  who  came  to  the  new  world  and 
died  in  a  hospital  during  his  service  in  the 
Mexican  war;  Maggie,  now  the  widow  of 
John  Warford,  and  a  resident  of  Sycamore, 
Illinois;  Mrs.  Nancy  Ann  Allen,  a  widow  re- 
siding in  St.  Charles;  Henry,  who  owns  and 
occupies  the  old  homestead  in  county  Ty- 
rone, Ireland;  Silas  A.,  a  retired  farmer  of 
Sycamore,  Illinois;  David  and  Isaac,  both 
residents  of  New  Zealand;  Jennie,  who  died 
when  a  young  lady;  Vestina,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  twelve  years;  and  a  son,  who 
died  in  childhood. 

During  his  boyhood  Samuel  H.  Lee  at- 
tended the  common    schools  of  his  native 


560 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


land,  but  is  mostly  self-educated.  In  1859 
he  bade  adieu  to  home  and  friends  and 
sailed  for  America.  On  reaching  the  shores 
of  this  country,  he  came  at  once  to  St. 
Charles,  where  he  had  a  brother  and  two 
sisters  living.  He  began  life  here  as  a  farm 
hand,  receiving  ten  dollars  per  month,  and 
was  thus  employed  for  two  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  he  obtained  a  position  in 
a  paper  mill  at  St.  Charles,  remaining  there 
for  sixteen  years,  when  the  plant  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  Going  to  Chicago,  he  then 
learned  the  blacksmith's  trade,  and  after 
serving  a  three-years'  apprenticeship,  he 
worked  in  the  shops  of  the  Chicago  & 
Northwestern  railroad  for  five  years. 
On  his  return  to  St.  Charles  he  rented  a 
farm  which  he  operated  for  five  years,  and 
then  bought  eighteen  acres  near  St.  Charles, 
to  which  he  added  from  time  to  time  as  his 
circumstances  would  permit  until  he  owned 
two  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land.  Until 
he  had  accumulated  the  entire  amount  he 
rented  his  property,  while  he  operated  other 
land,  but  in  1880  he  removed  to  his  own 
farm,  which  adjoins  St.  Charles  on .  the 
north. 

For  a  few  years  he  continued  to  actively 
engage  in  farming,  while  his  son  carried  on 
the  farm,  for  six  years.  It  is  one  of  the 
best  improved  places  in  Kane  county,  the 
land  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and 
in  1896  he  erected  thereon  a  fine  residence 
and  excellent  barn,  both  of  which  cost  over 
two  thousand  dollars. 

On  the  25th  of  July,  i86i,inSt.  Charles, 
Mr.  Lee  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Jane  Kirk,  who  was  born  in  Scotland,  and 
when  a  young  lady  came  to  the  United 
States.  They  began  their  domestic  life  in 
the  house  which  is  now  their  home.  To 
them  were  born  two  children.  W.  J.  is 


married  and  now  owns  and  occupies  a  large 
farm  in  Alabama,  where  he  removed  in  the 
spring  of  1897.  He  has  two  sons,  Harris 
S.  and  Charles  Lee.  The  only  daughter, 
Annie,  is  now  the  wife  of  C.  S.  Pollard,  of 
Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  who  is  an  engineer 
on  the  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  railroad. 
They  have  one  daughter,  Dora  Lee. 

Mr.  Lee  cast  his  first  presidental  ballot 
for  General  U.  S,  Grant  in  1868,  and  has 
continued  an  earnest  supporter  of  the  men 
and  measures  of  the  Republican  party  up  to 
the  present  time,  casting  his  last  vote  for  Will- 
iam McKinley,  who  was  born  on  the  same 
day  and  year  as  our  subject.  In  religious 
belief  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lee  are  Congregation- 
alists,  and  for  several  years  he  has  served 
as  trustee  of  the  church.  As  a  lad  of  six- 
teen years  he  came  to  America,  and  with 
no  capital  started  out  in  a  strange  land  to. 
overcome  the  difficulties  and  obstacles  in 
the  path  to  prosperity.  His  youthful  dreams 
of  success  have  been  realized,  and  in  their 
happy  fulfillment  he  sees  the  fitting  reward 
of  his  earnest  toil.  Success  has  crowned  his 
efforts  and  he  enjoys  a  comfortable  com- 
petence. 


LEWIS  B.  JUDSON,  SR.— Among  those 
who  are  justly  entitled  to  the  name  of 
pioneer  is  the  one  whose  name  heads  this 
sketch,  and  who  was  a  pioneer  in  two  states, 
Michigan  and  Illinois.  He  was  born  in 
Westfield,  Hampden  county,  Massachusetts, 
November  13,  1806,  and  is  the  son  of  Lu- 
cius B.  and  Sallie  B.  (Loomis)  Judson,  both 
of  whom  are  natives  of  the  same  state. 
The  Judson  family  trace  their  ancestry  back 
to  one  of  four  brothers  who  settled  in  Con- 
necticut, long  prior  to  the  Revolutionary 
war.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  sub- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


561 


ject,  John  J.  Judson,  was  born  in  Hunting- 
ton,  Connecticut,  and  after  serving  as  a  sol- 
dier in  the  Revolutionary  war,  moved  to 
Southwick,  Massachusetts,  where  Lucius  B. 
Judson  was  born.  Like  his  father  before 
him,  he  was  a  patriot  and  served  in  the  war 
of  1812.  By  occupation  he  was.a  farmer 
during  his  early  life,  but  later  was  for  many 
years  a  manufacturer  of  gunpowder.  Pre- 
vious to  the  war  of  1812  he  removed  to 
Stratford,  New  York,  where  he  was  residing 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  from  wh'ich 
place  he  enlisted.  After  the  war  he  re- 
turned to  Massachusetts  and  died  in  the 
town  of  Westfield  about  1827.  For  his 
services  in  that  war  his  widow  secured  a 
pension  from  the  general  government.  She 
survived  her  husband  many  years,  dying  at 
the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  Of  their 
family  of  twelve  children  all  grew  to  mature 
years,  though  but  three  are  now  living. 
Those  yet  living  are  Lewis  B.,  our  subject; 
De  Lafayette,  who  resides  in  Dakota,  and 
Dr.  Don  Carlos,  of  Omro,  Wisconsin.  The 
deceased  are:  George  W. ,  Isaac  B.,  Noah 
Clark,  Lucius  C.,  David  Wells,  and  Sallie 
S.  The  latter  married,  reared  a  family  of 
four  children,  moved  to, Omro,  Wisconsin, 
and  there  died. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  man- 
hood in  his  native  state,  where  he  received 
a  fair  common-school  education.  When 
but  eleven  years  of  age  he  hired  out  to 
work  on  a  farm,  and  was  employed  by  dif- 
ferent farmers  until  seventeen  years  of  age, 
in  the  meantime  attending  school  during 
the  winter  months.  When  seventeen  years 
old  he  was  engaged  as  a  traveling  salesman 
for  a  manufacturing  company,  and  was  on 
the  road  for  six  years.  He  then  came  west, 
locating  at  White  Pigeon  Prairie,  Michigan, 
where  he  took  up  a  tract  of  three  hundred 


and  twenty  acres,  which  he  at  once  began 
to  improve,  building  on  the  place  a  fair 
frame  house  and  making  other  improve- 
ments. 

On  the  26th  of  December,  1830,  Mr. 
Judson  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Catherine  P.  Mudgett,  a  native  of  New 
York,  born  July  8,  1811.  By  this  union 
there  were  six  children,  three  of  whom  are 
yet  living,  as  follows:  Mary  J.,  now  the 
wife  of  William  H.  Hills,  residing  in  Fres- 
no, California;  Albert  E.,  married  and  re- 
siding in  Wellsford,  Kansas,  and  William  H. 
H. ,  residing  in  Bessemer,  Alabama,  where 
he  is  engaged  in  editorial  work  and  in  the 
real-estate  business.  For  some  years  he 
was  business  manager  for  the  "Times 
Democrat"  in  New  Orleans,  and  was  chief 
of  the  printing  department  during  the  cot- 
ton exhibition  held  in  that  city. 

Mr.  Judson  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
White  Pigeon  village,  Michigan,  and  was 
one  of  the  surveyors  who  made  a  plat  of 
the  town.  While  residing  there  the  Black- 
hawk  war  commenced  in  Illinois,  and  Mr. 
Judson  was  commissioned  paymaster  by 
Governor  Cass,  of  the  regiment  commanded 
by  Colonel  Stewart.  They  were  ordered  to 
the  western  part  of  the  state,  and  for  about 
twenty  days  were  stationed  in  Chicago. 
While  there  he  was  sent  out  on  a  scouti-ng 
expedition  in  company  with  some  twelve  or 
fourteen  others,  and  came  west  as  far  as 
the  present  village  of  Oswego,  Kendall 
county.  Mr.  Judson  was  so  pleased  with 
the  beautiful  country  that  he  determined,  if 
possible,  to  make  this  his  home.  On  the  ar- 
rival of  General  Scott  at  Chicago  with  the 
regular  troops  Colonel  Stewart's  regiment 
was  disbanded,  and  Mr.  Judson  returned  to 
his  home  at  White  Pigeon.  Two  years  later 
he  sold  out  and  moved  with  his  family  to 


562 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Kendall  county,  Illinois,  where  he  made 
claim  to  about  six  hundred  acres  of  land, 
part  of  which  is  included  in  the  present  vil- 
lage of  Oswego.  He  built  the  first  house  in 
the  village  and  laid  off  a  portion  of  his  farm 
in  town  lots. 

In  1840  Mrs.  Catherine  P.  Judson  de- 
parted this  life,  and  on  the  I3th  of  March, 
1843,  Mr.  Judson  married  Miss  Diana  E. 
Stafford,  a  native  of  Willoughby,  Ohio,  who 
came  to  Oswego,  Illinois,  with  her  par- 
ents, James  B.  and  Roxanna  (Mentor)  Staf- 
ford, who  were  also  pioneers  of  Kendall 
county.  Of  the  eight  children  born  of  this 
union  seven  yet  survive:  James  A.,  a  sol- 
dier of  the  late  war,  residing  in  Aurora,  Illi- 
nois; Julia  M.,  wife  of  M.  V.  Bennett,  a 
civil  engineer;  Ella  C. ,  wife  of  Martin  L. 
Ashley,  of  Norwich,  Kansas;  Charles  L. ,  a 
farmer  of  Kane  county;  Lewis  B. ,  a  lawyer 
of  Aurora;  George  F. ,  a  commercial  trav- 
eler residing  in  Aurora;  Harry  C. ,  who  was 
killed  and  robbed  in  Kansas,  when  but 
eighteen  years  of  age ;  and  Fred  C. ,  a  ma- 
chinist in  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
railroad  shops.  Mr.  Judson  has  now  some 
twenty-three  grandchildren  and  ten  great- 
grandchildren. 

In  1873  Mr.  Judson  sold  his  farm  and 
moved  to  Aurora,  where  he  has  since  con- 
tinued to  reside.  Since  coming  to  the  place 
he  has  been  actively  engaged  in  various  en- 
terprises and  has  erected  some  of  the  finest 
blocks  and  residences  in  the  city,  among 
which  are  the  Sinsenbaugh  building,  the 
Judson  block,  his  own  fine  residence  on  Ga- 
lena street,  one  store  building  on  Galena 
and  five  residences,  the  Scott  &  Pease 
building,  and  a  large  business  block  on  the 
corner  of  Downer  Place  and  River  streets. 
It  is  probable  that  no  man  in  Aurora  has 
done  more  towards  building  up  and  im- 


proving the  city  than  has  Mr.  Judson.  He 
is  a  stockholder  and  assisted  in  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Silver  Plate  Factory,  the  cot- 
ton factory  and  other  like  institutions  in  the 
city.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  First 
National  Bank,  the  Aurora  National  Bank 
and  the  Merchants'  National  Bonk. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Judson  was  an  old-line 
Whig,  the  principles  of  which  party  he 
strongly  advocated,  and  the  leaders  of  which 
he  greatly  honored.  On  the  organization 
of  the  Republican  party,  he  became  identi- 
fied with  it,  and  has  since  .been  one  of  its 
stanchest  advocates.  While  residing  in 
Kendall  county  he  served  as  coroner,  asses- 
sor, school  director,  justice  of  the  peace  and 
for  some  years  was  chairman  of  the  board  of 
supervisors  of  the  county.  Since  coming 
to  Aurora  he  has  declined  all  official  honors, 
giving  his  time  exclusively  to  his  extensive 
business  interests.  He  was  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  the  Odd  Fellows  Lodge  at  Oswego, 
in  which  he  filled  all  the  chairs,  including 
that  of  noble  grand. 

For  sixty-four  long  years  Mr.  Judson 
has  been  a  resident  of  Illinois,  and  is  one  of 
the  few  living  pioneers  who  have  witnessed 
its  change  from  a  vast  wilderness  to  the  most 
productive  state  in  the  Union,  and  third  in 
wealth  and  population.  In  the  great  changes 
that  have  been  made  he  has  taken  no  in- 
considerable part,  and  is  justly  entitled  to  all 
the  honors  that  can  be  conferred  upon  one 
who  has  endured  the  trials  of  pioneer  life. 


MICHAEL  BURNS,  a  practical  farmer 
residing  on  section  26,  Hampshire 
township,  is  the  only  son  of  John  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Lawler)  Burns,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Ireland,  born  in  county  Carlow. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  John  Burns,  Sr. , 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


563 


was  born  in  county  Wicklow,  Ireland,  and 
was  a  shoemaker  by  trade.  During  the 
Irish  rebellion  in  1798,  he  took  cold  while 
in  the  service  and  contracted  rheumatism, 
from  which  he  never  recovered  and  died  at 
about  the  age  of  sixty  years.  He  married 
Mary  Murphy,  who  was  born  at  Castle 
Moore,  and  a  daughter  of  Michael  Murphy, 
all  of  whom  are  natives  of  Ireland. 

John  C.  Burns  was  born  in  the  village 
of  Tullough,  county  Carlow,  Ireland,  in 
1813,  and  there  learned  the  shoemaker's 
trade  with  his  father.  He  married  Eliza- 
beth Lawler,  and  in  1852  moved  to  Shef- 
field, England,  where  he  remained  seven 
years,  working  at  his  trade.  In  1859  he 
emigrated  to  America,  sailing  from  Liver- 
pool in  the  ship  "  Clipper,"  and  landing  in 
Boston.  Finding  no  work  in  the  shoe  fac- 
tories near  Boston  he  came  to  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  and  settled  on  the  farm  of  his 
brother-in-law,  John  Lawler,  on  section 
23.  He  soon  bought  forty  acres  back  from 
the  highway,  and  began  farming  for  himself. 
He  built  a  small  house  on  the  tract  and 
later  bought  the  rest  of  the  Lawler  farm, 
consisting  of  one  hundred  acres.  Subse- 
quently he  bought  sixty  acres,  which  gave 
him  an  outlet  to  the  road,  and  to  the  new 
purchase  he  removed  with  his  family.  The 
location  of  the  farm  is  an  attractive  one, 
and  on  it  is  a  comfortable  house,  with  barns 
and  other  outbuildings,  together  with  a 
good  orchard.  The  farm  is  now  leased  by 
our  subject,  who  is  engaged  principally  in 
dyiry  farming,  milking  fifty  head  of  cows,  the 
product  of  which  he  ships  to  Chicago. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  began  his  ed- 
ucation in  the  schools  of  Sheffield,  Eng- 
land, and  completed  his  school  life  in  the 
public  schools  of  Hampshire  township. 
Since  coming  to  the  United  States  he  has 


made  his  home  only  on  the  present  farm. 
He  farmed  with  his  father  for  many  years 
and  later  took  full  charge  and  has  now  for 
some  years  engaged  exclusively  in  its  culti- 
vation. He  is  an  industrious,  hardworking 
man,  and  he  has  placed  the  farm  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation. 

Mr.  Burns  married  Miss  Ellen  Kelly,  a 
native  of  Kane  county,  born  on  her  father's 
homestead  on  section  fifteen,  Hampshire 
township.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Timothy 
and  Mary  (Ryan)  Kelly,  natives  of  Ireland, 
and  granddaughter  of  Timothy  and  Ellen 
(Eagan)  Ryan.  Timothy  Kelly,  the  pater- 
nal grandfather  was  born  in  Tipperary,  Ire- 
land, March  25,  1818,  and  died  on  the 
home  farm  in  Hampshire  township,  June  6, 
1889.  He  came  to  America  in  1840,  lived 
in  New  York  one  year  and  in  1841  came  to 
Hampshire  township  as  blacksmith  in  the 
employ  of  the  stage  company,  running  a 
line  of  coaches  from  Chicago  to  Galena. 
He  was  the  first  .blacksmith  in  the  township 
and  became  a  prosperous  man,  accumulat- 
ing a  fine  property.  To  our  subject  and 
wife  seven  children  have  been  born — John, 
Mary,  Eliza,  Thomas,  Ellen,  Annie  and 
Michael,  Jr.  In  politics  Mr.  Burns  is  a 
Democrat,  with  which  party  he  has  been 
identified  since  attaining  his  majority.  Re- 
ligiously he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Catholic  church. 


JAMES  SKINNER,  who  has  been  a  citi- 
zen of  Aurora,  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
since  the  autumn  of  1871,  and  who  resides 
at  No.  342  Spring  street,  comes  of  an  old 
and  honored  family,  who  settled  in  the 
American  Colonies  in  the  early  part  of  the 
seventeenth  century.  He  was  born  in  Win- 
chester, New  Hampshire,  November  19, 


564 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1824,  and  is  a  son  of  Alanson  and  Mary 
(Woodward)  Skinner,  both  natives  of  New 
Hampshire.  His  father  followed  the  trade 
of  a  blacksmith,  and  in  connection  there-, 
with  owned  a  small  foundry,  and  carried  on 
a  remunerative  business  in  Winchester  until 
our  subject  was  five  years  old.  At  this 
time  he  moved  with  his  family  to  Brown- 
ville,  New  York,  and  continued  in  the  same 
line  of  business. 

James  Skinner  assisted  his  father  during 
his  youth  and  gained  a  rudimentary  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  at  Brownville.  In 
his  father's  shop  he  learned  the  trade  of  a 
tinner,  but  at  the  age  of  eighteen  he  was 
sent  to  Mount  Caesar  Seminary,  West  More- 
land  county,  New  Hampshire,  where  he 
completed  his  education.  Returning  home 
he  resumed  work  at  his  trade.  The  family 
of  Alanson  Skinner  consisted  of  four  chil- 
dren— Horace,  Mary,  James  and  William 
T.  In  1861  the  father  retired  from  active 
business  life,  and  the  business  was  carried 
b'n  by  his  three  sons'  in  partnership.  The 
partnership  was  dissolved  in  1867,  by  the 
retirement  of  James.  December  15,  18531 
he  was  married  to  Helen  Munn,  of  Cham- 
pion, New  York,  and  three  children  were 
born  to  them.  James,  the  first  born,  died 
in  early  youth.  William  F.,  the  second  son, 
married  Delia  Houston,  and  at  the  present 
time  is  one  of  Aurora's  efficient  mail  car- 
riers, and  has  two  children,  Hazel  Dell  and 
Ruth.  Jenny  M.  married  John  Hull,  is 
now  a  widow,  and  resides  with  her  parents. 
The  children  of  our  subject  were  all  born  in 
New  York  state.  The  mother  died  Decem- 
ber 26,  1862.  January  22,  1870,  he  was 
married  to  Eliza  Brown,  of  Brownville, 
New  York. 

The  first  of  the  Skinner  family  to  appear 
in  the  New  World  was  one  who  brought  his 


family  from  Essex  county,  England,  to  the 
American  Colonies,  about  1620.  Of  his 
seven  sons,  four  settled  in  the  eastern  and 
three  in  the  southern  colonies.  From  this 
family,  it  is  believed,  sprang  all  or  nearly 
all  of  that  name  now  inhabiting  the 
United  States. 

In  "Burk's  History  of  the  Commons, "  a 
work  still  extant  in  the  state  library  at  Al- 
bany, New  York,  there  is  a  brief  sketch  of 
the  Skinner  family  in  England,  wherein 
the  ancestry  of  our  subject  is  traced  to  Sir 
Robert  Skynner,  as  the  name  was  originally 
spelled,  a  Norman  knight  who  accompanied 
William,  Duke  of  Normandy,  called  the 
Conqueror,  and  assisted  in  the  conquest  of 
the  Saxons  at  the  battle  of  Hastings,  A.  D. 
1066,  and  the  family  of  Skinners  who  first 
landed  in  America  were  undoubtedly  de- 
scendants of  Sir  Robert.  An  interesting 
book  in  manuscript  which  bears  the  coat  of 
arms  of  the  Skinner  family,  is  in  possession 
of  our  subject,  and  gives  a  clear  genealogical 
record  of  the  family  for  many  generations. 
Alanson  Skinner,  the  father,  participated  in 
the  war  of  1812. 

In  1871,  James  Skinner  brought  his 
family  from  New  York  state  to  Illinois,  and 
settled  in  Aurora,  soon  afterwards  becoming 
a  partner  in  the  city  flouring  mills,  with 
James  Robinson  and  Ira  T.  Curtis,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Robinson,  Curtis  &  Co. 
Mr.  Skinner  eventually  bought  out  his  part- 
ners, then  rented  the  mill,  and  finally  sold 
it  to  Jamieson,  Sheets  &  Co.,  since  which 
time  he  has  lived  retired  from  business  cares 
and  enjoys  a  restful  life  in  his  pleasant  home 
at  342  Spring  street,  but  in  the  heat  of  sum- 
mer he  and  his  wife  annually  seek  the  woods 
of  Wisconsin,  and  pass  three  months  on  the 
banks  of  Kelly's  lake,  where  he  owns  a 
cottage  and  boathouse,  and  the  recreation 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


565 


of  bathing,  shooting  and  fishing  are  indulged 
in  to  their  hearts'  content.  Mr.  Skinner 
never  sought  for  office,  but  was  prevailed 
upon  to  accept  the  position  of  alderman  for 
one  term  only. 


WILLIAM  SCOTT.— The  state  of  Illi- 
nois owes  its  high  standing  among 
the  sovereign  commonwealths  that  make  up 
the  United  States  to  the  high  character  and 
dauntless  spirit  of  the  settlers  who  made 
their  homes  within  her  borders  in  the  early 
days.  To  their  inspiration  and  work  is  due 
her  progress  in  agriculture,  manufacturing 
and  the  arts.  They  transformed  the  wilder- 
ness into  fertile  farms,  established  churches 
and  schools  in  the  savage  wilds,  laying  the 
foundation  for  the  grand  institutions  of 
philanthropy  and  learning  which  are  the 
glory  of  the  state  at  the  present  day. 
Among  these  brave  and  far-sighted  pioneers, 
the  Scott  family,  of  Kane  county,  deserves 
prominent  mention. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  Feb- 
ruary i,  1844,  in  Virgil  township,  Kane 
county,  a  son  of  John  Scott,  a  native  of 
Scotland,  who  was  born  in  1809,  and,  in 
1820,  came  to  the  new  world  with  his  fa- 
ther, Hugh  Scott,  settling  in  Utica,  New 
York,  where  John  grew  to  manhood.  There 
he  wedded  Mary  Atkinson,  June  15,  1828. 
She  was  born  in  England,  where  her  father 
died  during  her  early  childhood,  and  when 
only  nine  years  old  she  came  to  the  United 
States.  John  Scott,  an  active  and  enter- 
prising man,  was  in  early  life  a  contractor 
on  the  old  New  York  &  Erie  canal,  and 
later  engaged  in  the  hotel  business.  In  1836 
he  came  to  Illinois,  and  after  a  few  months 
spent  in  Chicago,  located  in  St.  Charles, 


Kane  county.  Subsequently  he  bought  a 
claim  and  opened  up  a  farm  of  four  hun- 
dred acres  in  Virgil  township,  making  it  one 
of  the  most  desirable  places  in  the  locality, 
improved  with  a  good  residence,  substantial 
barns  and  outbuildings.  In  connection  with 
agricultural  pursuits,  he  embarked  in  mer- 
chandising at  Elburn  in  1856,  carrying  on 
that  business  for  three  years.  He  still  con- 
tinued to  engage  in  farming  for  several 
years  and  then  sold  the  place  to  our  sub- 
ject, living  with  him  in  St.  Charles  until 
called  to  his  final  rest  October  17,  1877. 
His  wife  died  September  u,  1882.  As  one 
of  the  leading  citizens  of  his  township,  he 
was  called  upon  to  serve  as  justice  of  the 
peace  for  several  years,  and  was  at  one 
time  a  member  of  the  county  board.  He 
was  also  an  active  and  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and 
assisted  in  organizing  the  church  in  Camp- 
ton  township. 

To  John  and  Mary  (Atkinson)  Scott 
were  born  the  following  children:  Sarah  is 
now  the  widow  of  Charles  Shirtliff,  and  is  a 
resident  of  Neodesha,  Kansas;  John  H.,  a 
business  man  of  Kaneville,  now  resides  in 
Aurora;  Alexander  died  in  infancy;  Eliza- 
beth died  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years;  Rob- 
ert was  a  member  of  Company  I,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Twenty-seventh  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  died  in  1863,  soon  after  his 
return  from  the  war;  William  is  the  next  of 
the  family;  Mary  E.  died  at  the  home  of  our 
subject  in  1893;  A.  J.  is  a  business  man  of 
Denver,  Colorado;  and  George  F.  died  in 
infancy. 

Upon  the  home  farm  William  Scott  was 
reared  in  much  the  usual  manner  of  farmer 
boys  of  that  day,  acquiring  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  Elburn  and  Sycamore. 
After  reaching  man's  estate  he  bought  the 


566 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


old  homestead  and  actively  engaged  in 
farming  for  some  years,  making  many  val- 
uable and  useful  improvements  upon  the 
place.  In  connection  with  general  farming, 
he  was  also  engaged  in  buying,  feeding  and 
shipping  stock,  and  even  after  selling  the 
farm  and  removing  to  St.  Charles,  in  1874, 
he  continued  the  latter  occupation,  making 
a  specialty  of  the  shipping  of  horses.  He 
was  also  interested  in  baling  and  dealing  in 
hay.  In  St.  Charles  he  bought  property 
and  erected  the  fine  large  residence 
he  still  occupies.  He  has  also  bought,  im- 
proved and  sold  other  city  property  and 
stimulated  the  industries  of  the  place  by 
loaning  money. 

On  the  nth  of  November,  1874,  Mr. 
Scott  was  married  in  St.  Charles  to  Miss 
Hattie  E.  Pike,  a  native  of  New  York, who, 
in  1856,  during  her  childhood,  was  brought 
to  Illinois  by  her  father,  Cornelius  Pike. 
He  spent  his  last  days  in  St.  Charles,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  business  for  some  years. 
Here  Mrs.  Scott  was  reared,  and  in  Whea- 
ton  College  she  completed  her  education. 
For  several  years  prior  to  her  marriage  she 
successfully  engaged  in  teaching.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Scott  have  one  daughter,  Jennie 
Maude,  who  graduated  from  the  East  Side 
High  School  of  St.  Charles,  and  was  also 
a  student  for  a  time  in  the  Elgin  High 
School. 

Politically,  Mr.  Scott  has  been  an  ardent 
Republican  since  casting  his  first  presiden- 
tial ballot  for  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant,  in  1868. 
Although  he  has  never  cared  for  official 
honors,  he  most  acceptably  served  as  a 
member  of  the  school  board  for  some  years, 
rendering  effective  service  in  its  interest. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  consistent  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  in  the  community  where  they  have  so 


long  made  their  home  their  circle  of  friends 
is  only  limited  by  their  circle  of  acquaint- 
ances. 


LEWIS  H.  GILLETT,  who  for  thirty 
years  was  prominently  identified  with 
the  agricultural  interests  of  Kane  county, 
but  is  now  deceased,  was  born  in  Sullivan 
county,  New  York,  October  23,  1820,  and 
there  grew  to  manhood,  receiving  a  good 
common-school  education.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Sullivan  county  January  22,  1850, 
to  Rachel  Harmes,  a  daughter  of  Charles 
Harmes,  also  a  native  of  Suljivan  county, 
New  York.  By  trade  Mr.  Harmes  was  a 
blacksmith,  and  was  three  times  married. 
His  second  wife,  Mary  Smith,  was  the 
mother  of  Mrs.  Gillett,  and  died  when  her 
daughter  was  but  three  years  old.  He  later 
married  again,  and,  after  the  death  of  his 
last  wife,  he  came  west,  and  spent  his  re- 
maining years  in  Illinois,  dying  at  the  resi- 
dence of  a  daughter  in  Sycamore,  De  Kalb 
county.  Mrs.  Gillett  grew  to  womanhood 
in  Sullivan  county,  New  York,  and  there 
gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Mr.  Gillett. 

Directly  after  their  marriage  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Gillett  started  for  the  west,  coming 
by  railroad  to  Buffalo,  New  York,  where 
they  took  a  boat  to  Detroit,  and  thence  by 
rail  to  Chicago  and  St.  Charles,  Kane  coun- 
ty, Illinois.  From  St.  Charles  they  came 
by  ox  team  to  Sugar  Grove  township.  Mr. 
Gillett  had  secured  three  land  warrants,  for 
which  he  secured  land  in  that  township. 
He  first  purchased  two  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  which  he  improved,  and  from  time  to 
time  added  to  his  original  possessions  until 
at  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  the  owner 
of  one  thousand  acres,  all  of  which  was 
under  cultivation.  He  was  a  very  active 


L.   H.    GILLETT. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


569 


and  progressive  fanner,  and  prospered  in 
all  that  he  did.  On  the  farm  he  erected 
two  good  substantial  residences,  one  of 
which  was  of  brick,  and  also  erected  good 
barns  and  other  outbuildings.  On  one  of 
his  farms  in  De  Kalb  county  he  erected  a 
barn  at  a  cost  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars. 

Mr.  Gillett  was  liberal  and  public-spirit- 
ed, and  gave  to  all  laudable  enterprises 
which  were  calculated  to  build  up  his  town- 
ship and  county.  He  was  one  of  the  pro- 
moters of  the  Sugar  Grove  Normal  School, 
and  for  the  erection  of  its  building  donated 
the  sum  of  five  hundred  dollars.  He  was 
originally  a  Democrat  in  politics,  but  on  ac- 
count of  the  slavery  question  and  the  posi- 
tion his  party  took  with  regard  to  it,  he  cast 
his  lot  with  the  Republican  party  on  its  or- 
ganization, with  which  he  continued  to  be 
identified  until  his  death.  He  was  elected 
and  served  as  commissioner  of  highways, 
and  some  other  local  positions,  although  he 
never  asked  for  official  position.  It  was 
his  aim  to  be  a  good  farmer,  and  that  he 
succeeded  is  attested  by  all  who  knew  him. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gillett  seven  children 
were  born,  as  follows:  Mary,  who  grew  to 
womanhood,  married  S.  L.  Judd,  of  Sugar 
Grove,  died  in  1895;  Franklin  died  at  the 
age  of  six  months;  Eugene  died  at  the  age 
of  four  months;  Eddie  Grant,  a  very  bright 
and  intelligent  young  man,  met  his  death  by 
accident  when  twenty  years  old;  Arthur  L. 
is  a  prominent  business  man  of  Aurora;  and 
Rachel  May  is  the  wife  of  M.  C.  Schoop,  of 
Sugar  Grove. 

After  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs. 
Gillett  took  charge  of  the  business,  and  as- 
sisted in  the  settlement  of  the  estate.  In 
1884  she  built  a  good,  neat  and  substantial 
residence  in  the  village  of  Sugar  Grove, 
where  she  has  since  resided.  Like  her 


husband,  she  gives  liberally  in  support 
of  various  public  enterprises.  Toward  the 
erection  of  the  Methodist  church  she  gave 
two  hundred  dollars.  While  not  a  member 
of  any  church  organization,  she  attends  the 
different  churches,  and  endeavors  to  have 
her  life  conform  to  the  golden  rule.  She 
is  well  known  as  a  woman  of  good  business 
ability,  and  is  esteemed  and  loved  by  all 
who  know  her. 


/CHARLES  ALLEN,  section  35,  Hamp- 
^^  shire  township,  is  one  of  a  pioneer 
family,  to  whom  is  given  the  credit  of  being 
the  first  settler  of  Hampshire  township. 
Zenath  Allen,  a  native  of  Rutland  county, 
Vermont,  took  up  a  claim  on  section  24,  in 
September,  1836,  and  built  a  log  house  and 
at  once  commenced  the  improvement  of  the 
land.  He  arrived  in  Chicago,  June  5,  of 
that  year,  when  it  was  a  collection  of  huts 
in  a  quagmire.  Seeing  nothing  of  promise 
in  those  marshes,  he  came  further  west  and 
became  a  permanent  resident  of  Hampshire 
township,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  life.  He  was  a  very  prominent  man  in 
the  early  day,  one  of  brains  and  energy, 
and  made  his  influence  felt  in  the  new. set- 
tlement. A  member  of  the  first  board  of 
school  trustees  of  the  township,  he  assisted 
in  organizing  the  school  district.  His  wife 
was  Lucretia  Gibbs,  a  native  of  Canada. 
His  death  occurred  February  5,  1848,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-three.  He  served  in  the 
war  of  1812. 

The  Allen  family  comes  of  fighting  stock, 
being  descended  from  a  common  ancestor 
with  Ethan  Allen  of  Revolutionary  fame, 
the  famous  captor  of  Ticonderoga.  Ethan 
J.  Allen,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Rutjand  county,  Vermont,  in  1812, 


570 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  came  in  the  regular  army  to  Chicago  in 
1835.  During  the  smallpox  epidemic  there 
he  wrote  for  his  parents  to  come  and  secure 
his  discharge.  This  done,  the  family  moved 
to  Kane  county  and  remained.  Ethan  J. 
secured  a  farm  on  section  35,  and  occupied 
the  land  until  his  death  in  1887.  He  was 
also  a  prominent  figure  in  public  affairs  in 
the  early  day,  and  in  1844  served  as  deputy 
sheriff  of  the  county.  Later  he  occupied 
the  office  of  sheriff,  and  from  1860  was  for 
many  years  a  member  of  the  board  of 
supervisors.  He  was  also  a  justice  >of  the 
peace  for  years,  his  first  commission  being 
signed  by  Governor  Madison.  During  the 
early  days  of  the  war  for  the  union,  he 
served  as  adjutant  of  the  Fifty-second  Regi- 
ment, Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  his  com- 
mission being  dated  September  14,  1861. 
He  resigned  November  12,  1862.  For 
several  years  he  was  a  mail  route  agent  on 
the  railroad  between  Chicago  and  Dubuque. 
He  married  Miss  Harriet  Smith,  and  to 
them  were  born  four  children — Henry,  de- 
ceased; David  A.,  father  of  our  subject; 
Marian  married  George  McClelland,  de- 
ceased, and  she  now  lives  in  Elgin;  and 
Hiram,  who  died  quite  young. 

David  A.  Allen  was  born  on  the  family 
homestead,  section  35,  Hampshire  town- 
ship, October  15,  1842,  and  until  the  age 
of  sixteen  attended  the  subscription  schools 
of  the  neighborhood.  He  remained  upon 
the  home  farm  until  the  outbreak  of 
the  war,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  A, 
Seventh  Regiment,  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, under  Captain  Joslyn.  He  enlisted 
April  22,  1861,  his  regiment  being  the  first 
to  enter  the  service  from  Illinois.  From 
Elgin  he  went  to  Springfield,  Illinois,  where 
the  regiment  was  mustered  into  service,  and 
from  thence  to  Alton  and  Cairo,  serving  un- 


til discharged  at  Mound  City,  Illinois,  July 
25,  1 86 1,  at  the  expiration  of  their  term  of 
service.  .  Returning  home  he  re-enlisted  in 
Company  K,  Fifty-second  Regiment,  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  the  date  of  his  enlist- 
ment being  September  6,  1861.  He  served 
until  September,  1862,  when  he  was  dis- 
charged for  disability.  During  this  year's 
service,  with  his  regiment  he  was  stationed 
at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri;  Bird's  Point,  Ken- 
tucky; Smithland,  Kentucky;  and  Fort  Don- 
elson.  After  the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson, 
he  was  with  the  force  that  was  sent  with 
prisoners  to  Chicago.  He  returned  to  his 
regiment  by  way  of  St.  Louis,  and  joined  it 
at  Pittsburg  Landing. 

After  being  at  home  for  about  a  year 
and  fully  recovering  his  strength,  on  De- 
cember 30,  1863,  he  re-enlisted  the  second 
time  in  Company  H,  Fifteenth  Regiment, 
Illinois  Cavalry,  known  as  the  Kane  County 
Cavalry,  with  which  he  served  until  its  re- 
organization, at  Little  Rock,  Arkansas, 
when  the  company  of  our  subject  was 
merged  into  Company  L,  Tenth  Illinois 
Cavalry.  This  was  done  January  26,  1865, 
and  the  regiment  was  engaged  in  service  in 
the  west  and  south  until  its  discharge,  Janu- 
uary  6,  1866,  being  one  of  the  last  regi- 
ments of  the  volunteer  army  to  be  mus- 
tered out  of  the  service. 

On  receiving  his  final  discharge,  David 
A.  Allen  returned  home  and  bought  the  farm 
on  section  35,  consisting  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  since  which  time  he  has  added 
eighty  acres,  forty  of  which  lies  in  section 
27,  and  which  makes  a  tract  of  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  the  verj  finest  land.  At  first 
the  farm  was  used  for  grain,  later,  stock- 
raising,  and  at  present  for  dairy  purposes, 
there  being  upon  the  place  about  fifty  head 
of  milch  cows.  David  A.  Allen  was  mar- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


ried  in  Hampshire  township,  February  2O, 
1867,  to  Miss  Caroline  Coon,  first  in  a  fam- 
ily of  four  children  born  to  Hildah  and 
Maria  (Parker)  Coon,  the  latter  being  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Rachel  (Retchie) 
Parker.  Hildah  Coon  was  by  occupation  a 
farmer,  which  he  followed  during  his  entire 
life.  He  was  born  in  the  state  of  New 
York,  and  came  to  Hampshire  township  in 
1839,  and  died  at  the  age  of  forty-eight 
years.  Mary  Ann  Coon,  their  second  child, 
was  the  second  white  child  born  in  Hamp- 
shire township.  She  married  Henry  J. 
Allen,  now  deceased,  who  was  a  brother  of 
David  A.  Allen,  and  she  became  the  mother 
of  one  daughter,  Martha  A.  The  other 
two  children  of  Hildah  and  Maria  Coon  are 
Calvin  M.,  living  in  Joliet,  and  William  S., 
who  resides  at  New  Lebanon,  De  Kalb 
county,  Illinois.  To  David  A.  Allen  and 
wife  lour  children  were  born,  as  follows: 
Chloe,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years; 
Hattie,  who  married  Leonard  Ewing,  of 
Burlington  township;  Charles,  our  subject; 
and  Elizabeth,  who  married  Frank  Ritz,  of 
McHenry  county,  Illinois.  In  politics  David 
A.  Allen  was  a  Republican,  and  for  four 
years  was  deputy  sheriff  of  Kane  county, 
highway  commissioner  nine  years,  and  a 
school  director  for  many  years.  Fraternally, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic. 

Charles  Allen,  our  subject,  was  born  on 
the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  February  20, 
1872,  and  his  home  has  always  been  under 
the  one  roof.  He  attended  the  district 
school  until  the  age  of  thirteen,  and  then 
worked  for  his  father  on  the  farm  until  1890, 
when  he  went  west  and  spent  some  time  at 
Sioux  City,  Iowa,  in  the  employ  of  a  land 
firm,  although  he  did  a  little  farm  work  a 
part  of  the  time,  and  also  engaged  in  trad- 


ing horses.  Returning  home,  and  on  his 
father's  retirement,  he  took  charge  of  the 
farm  and  has  since  been  operating  the  same. 

Charles  Allen  was  married  February  6, 
1895,  in  the  village  of  Hampshire,  to  Miss 
Libbie  Haines,  born  in  Madison,  Nebraska, 
and  a  daughter  of  J.  L.  Haines,  a  native  of 
Ashtabula-  county,  Ohio,  born  January  29, 
1841,  and  who  came  west  with  his  parents, 
David  and  Emily  (Burns)  Haines,  about 
1844.  J.  L.  Haines  married  Mary  Garner, 
born  near  Albany,  New  York,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Lorenzo  and  Ellen  (Boyce)  Garner, 
the  latter  being  a  daughter  of  Ethan  Boyce. 
Lorenzo  Garner  went  to  California  in  the 
early  days  of  the  gold  fever  there,  and 
was  shortly  afterward  drowned.  Of  the 
nine  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haines, 
Mrs.  Allen  is  fourth  in  order  of  birth.  To 
our  subject  and  wife,  one  daughter  has 
been  born,  Hazel. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Allen  is  a  Republican, 
having  inherited  the  liberty-loving  principles 
of  that  party.  The  only  office  which  he 
has  held  is  that  of  school  director.  Frater- 
nally he  is  a  member  of  Hampshire  camp, 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  is  a 
prosperous  and  energetic  young  farmer,  one 
who  has  doubtless  a  bright  future  before 
him. 


JAMES  PEARL  PRINDLE,  a  leading 
and  influential  citizen  of  Batavia,  is  the 
son  of  Abijah  Legore  and  Caroline  Miriam 
(Pearl)  Prindle,  was  born  March  9,  1841, 
at  the  home  of  his  grandparents,  James  and 
Lydia  (Tobey)  Pearl,  who  settled  not  far 
from  1811,  on  the  Holland  Purchase,  later 
called  Bennington,  in  Western  New  York, 
where  four  days  chopping  was  required  to 
clear  a  space  in  the  heavy  timber,  large 


572 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


enough  to  build  a  log  house,  in  which  the 
family  lived  until  1849,  then  moved  into  a 
frame  house  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
road  where  the  grandmother  died  April  18, 
1855,  and  the  mother,  October  17,  of  the 
same  year,  when  nearly  forty-two  years  of 
age. 

The  following  November,  the  balance 
of  the  family,  consisting  of  James  Pearl, 
grandfather,  born  May  23,  1786,  Abijah  L. 
Prindle,  father,  born  February  25,  1808, 
and  his  children,  Lucy  R.  Prindle,  born 
April  n,  1838;  Jason  Richard  Prindle,  born 
December  20,  1843;  Legore  Prindle,  born 
January  8,  1846;  and  James  P.  Prindle, 
moved  to  Batavia,  Illinois,  where  Jane  C. 
Colton,  nee  Prindle,  born  March  2,  1833, 
and  Mary  M.  Newton,  nee  Prindle,  born 
June  3,  1835,  were  then  living,  and  where 
the  father  resumed  his  position  as  superin- 
tendent of  the  Hoyt  Barrel  Factory.  The 
three  brothers  attended  the  public  schools 
in  Batavia  until  the  family  was  broken 
up  by  the  marriage  of  Mrs.  Colton  to  Rev. 
Elijah  H.  Gammon,  and  Lucy  R. ,  to  Elisha 
Foote,  Jr.,  May  5,  1856,  after  which  the 
boys  were  scattered. 

The  life  of  James  P.  Prindle,  until  mov- 
ing west,  having  been  spent  on  a  farm  with 
his  invalid  grandfather,  with  but  little  time 
in  the  winter  to  attend  the  district  school, 
which  was  usually  open  about  three  months, 
he  felt,  when  thrown  on  his  own  resources, 
that  he  must  have  an  education,  and  with 
this  determination  started  for  Chicago, 
July  4,  1856,  where  he  found  a  situation 
and  worked  until  the  opening  of  school  at 
the  Batavia  Institute,  where  the  winter  and 
following  spring  were  spent,  as  were  his 
accumulated  earnings.  This  round  was 
followed  until  qualified  to  teach,  where,  by 
teaching  winters  and  working  vacations,  it 


was  an  easy  matter  to  get  quite  a  part  of 
the  year  in  school.  With  the  exception  of 
time  enough  spent  in  Nebraska  to  secure 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  government 
land  near  Nebraska  City,  the  above  men- 
tioned plan  was  followed  until  the  Civil  war 
broke  out,  when  he,  with  his  father,  broth- 
in-law,  D.  C.  Newton,  and  two  brothers, 
sought  service  in  the  army,  and  September 
10,  1 86 1,  enlisted  in  Company  D,  Fifty- 
Second  Regiment,  Illinois  Volunteer  Infan- 
try, camped  in  Geneva,  Illinois. 

As  soon  as  the  regiment  was  organized 
orders  were  received  to  report  at  St.  Louis, 
and  from  there  the  work  of  guarding  the 
Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph  railroad  was  taken  up, 
with  regimental  headquarters  at  St.  Joseph, 
while  Companies  B  and  D  were  stationed  at 
Stewartville,  Missouri.  Early  in  1862  the 
regiment  moved  to  Cairo,  camping  in  Feb- 
ruary at  Fort  Holt,  without  tents  or  cover- 
ing. Colonel  I.  S.  Wilson  having  resigned, 
Colonel  Sweeney,  of  the  regular  army,  after- 
wards brigadier-general,  and  later  a  leader 
in  the  Fenian  movement,  was  appointed 
colonel  in  this  regiment,  which  moved  in  a 
day  or  two  up  the  river  to  Smithland,  Ken- 
tucky, and  from  that  point  the  battle  of 
Fort  Donelson  was  the  next  work,  followed 
by  a  trip  to  Chicago  with  prisoners,  and 
from  there  going  direct  to  Pittsburg  Land- 
ing, where  a  large  number  of  the  regiment 
was  either  killed  or  wounded. 

Just  before  the  battle  of  Fort.  Donelson 
Mr.  Prindle  was  taken  down  with  measles, 
followed  by  mumps  and  fever,  and,  going 
from  the  hospital  in  Paducah,  joined  the 
regiment  Monday,  April  7,  at  Pittsburg 
Landing,  where  he  took  the  position  of  or- 
derly sergeant  of  Company  D,  under  Captain 
Newton,  and  was  sent  back  sick  from  the 
third  breastworks,  in  front  of  Corinth,  reach- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


573 


Batavia,  July  3,  an  invalid,  unable  to  walk 
for  months,  and  for  years  a  victim  of  chronic 
diarrhoea. 

School  work  at  the  Clark  Seminary  at 
Aurora  was  taken  up  as  soon  as  strength 
would  permit,  but  poor  health  prevent  earn- 
ing money  to  continue,  so  a  position  with 
Easter  &  Gammon,  implement  dealers  in 
Chicago,  was  secured  in  the  summer  of 
1863,  which  was  followed,  in  1866,  by  a 
partnership  with  E.  H.  Gammon,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Gammon  &  Prindle,  46,  48 
and  50  West  Lake  street.  Contracts  were 
made  for  handling  Pitt's  thresher,  Dodge's 
self-raking  reapers  and  mowers,  with  a  gen- 
eral line  of  implements,  and  the  manufact- 
uring of  Marsh  harvesters  for  part  of  the 
western  states. 

In  1869  a  change  was  made  by  the  dis- 
continuance of  the  Gammon  &  Prindle  firm, 
and  an  interest  taken  with  A.  E.  Bishop, 
making  the  firm  of  Bishop  &  Prindle,  man- 
ufacturers of  wagons,  which  relation  was 
continued  until  1874,  when  an  interest  was 
purchased  in  the  Newton  Wagon  Company, 
of  Batavia,  where,  as  superintendent  of  the 
works,  twenty  years  were  spent.  Health 
failing,  active  work  was  given  up,  and  rela- 
tions changed  to  that  of  vice-president. 

In  1891  the  position  of  director  in  the 
Piano  Manufacturing  Company,  of  Piano, 
Illinois,  later  of  West  Pullman,  was  accept- 
ed, and  after  the  death  of  E.  H.  Gammon, 
July  3,  1891,  he  was  elected  to  fill  the  posi- 
tion of  vice-president,  and  still  retains  that 
connection  with  the  company,  which  has  for 
years  annually  supplied  this  country  with 
thousands  of  Piano  &  Jones'  harvesters, 
headers,  mowers,  reapers,  hay-rakes,  etc. , 
and  in  late  years  has  opened  a  large  foreign 
trade,  covering  quite  a  portion  of  Europe 
and  South  America.  On  the  24th  of  Sep- 


tember, 1867,  Mr.  Prindle  married  Mary  A. 
Cornell,  in  Evanston.  She  was  born  Au- 
gust 18,  1841,  in  Spring  Creek,  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  children  born  to  them  are: 
Albro  Bishop,  April  22,  1869;  Martha  Caro- 
line, July  3,  1872;  James  Pearl,  June  27, 
1876;  and  Carl,  October  10,  1882,  who  died 
August  10,  the  following  year. 

The  politics  adopted  by  Mr.  Prindle  at 
an  early  age  were  that  of  Abolitionist  Whig, 
probably  because  of  living  where  runaway 
slaves  were  helped  toward  Canada,  but  his 
first  vote  was  Republican;  although  never 
an  aspirant  for  office,  yet  an  earnest  worker 
for  keeping  the  best  men  in  office,  and  in 
the  community  in  which  he  lives  considered 
no  effort  too  great  when  made  in  the  inter- 
est of  temperance,  morality  and  necessary 
improvements.  The  public  schools  have 
always  been  a  subject  of  vital  interest  to 
him.  Born  at  the  stopping  place  and  head- 
quarters of  the  Methodist  circuit  riders,  in 
the  old  log  house,  it  was  not  strange  that, 
in  early  life,  he  should  become  interested 
in  religious  matters.  The  early  records  of 
the  Methodist  church  of  Batavia  show  him 
on  the  active  list.  On  reaching  Chicago, 
he  joined  the  Jefferson  Street  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  became  identified 
with  Sabbath-school  work,  and  on  the  soci- 
ety moving  to  their  new  centenary  church, 
was  a  steward  and  class  leader  in  the  church, 
and  as  time  passed,  teacher,  librarian  and 
assistant  superintendent  in  the  Sunday- 
school  of  twelve  hundred  members,  where, 
under  the  pastorate  of  such  brilliant  preach- 
ers as  Drs.  C.  H.  Fowler,  R.  M.  Hatfield 
and  J.  O.  Peck,  active  church  work  became 
the  rule,  and  on  returning  to  Batavia,  in 
1874,  he  fell  into  line  there,  and  is  still  an 
earnest,  faithful  worker  in  the  beautiful  new 
Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


574 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


WILLIAM  W.  MERRILL.— Wherever 
there  is  pioneer  work  to  be  done, 
men  of  energy  and  ability  are  required,  and 
success  or  failure  depends  upon  the  degree 
of  those  qualities  that  is  possessed.  In 
wresting  the  land  from  its  native  wilderness, 
in  fitting  it  for  the  habitation  of  men;  in 
developing  the  natural  resources  of  the 
community  in  which  they  live,  few  if  any 
have  contributed  more  largely  than  Mr. 
Merrill,  who  is  now  living  retired  in  Elgin, 
and  it  is  mete  and  proper  that  for  the  ardu- 
ous and  important  labor  he  has  performed 
he  should  receive  due  reward. 

Born  in  Oxford  county,  Maine,  March 
1 6,  1815,  he  is  a  son  of  William  and  Char- 
ity (Davis)  Merrill,  who  were  of  English 
descent.  Both  grandfathers  were  soldiers 
of  the  Revolutionary  war,  Mr.  Merrill  en- 
tering the  service  at  the  age  of  eighteen, 
Mr.  Davis  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  and 
both  fought  under  General  Warren  at  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  as  well  as  in  other 
engagements.  The  grandfather  Davis  was 
aid  de  camp  to  that  general.  He  died 
when  our  subject  was  about  sixteen  years 
of  age,  and  the  grandfather  Merrill  when 
he  was  fourteen,  both  passing  away  upon 
their  farms  in  Maine.  Throughout  life  they 
engaged  in  farming,  lumbering  and  shipping. 

William  Merrill,  Sr. ,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  also  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and 
was  one  of  the  men  who  assisted  in  found- 
ing the  town  of  Brownfield,  Oxford  county, 
Maine.  He  died  on  the  old  homestead 
there,  in  1836.  He  was  one  of  the  leading 
members  of  the  Congregational  church  at 
that  place,  was  a  Whig  in  politics,  and  for 
the  long  period  of  twenty  years  served  as 
foreman  of  the  grand  jury.  His  wife,  who 
was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  died  in  the  spring  of 


1860,  at  the  home  of  her  daughter  Harriet 
in  New  York  City.  In  their  family  were 
nine  children,  namely:  Louisa,  who  mar- 
ried John  Small,  and.both  are  now  deceased; 
Irene,  who  married  John  Campbell,  of  New 
Orleans,  Louisiana,  and  both  are  deceased; 
Harriet,  who  married  John  Kelsey,  of  New 
York,  and  both  are  deceased;  William  W. , 
of  this  sketch;  Nicholas,  a  resident  of  Maine; 
Bradbury,  deceased;  Martha,  who  married 
A.  S.  Carr,  and  died  in  Nebraska;  Mary, 
who  died  when  young;  and  Alvin,  who  died 
in  New  York  City. 

The  early  life  of  our  subject  was  spent 
on  the  home  farm  at  Brownfield,  and  in 
private  schools  he  acquired  his  education. 
He  early  became  familiar  with  every  de- 
partment of  farming  and  lumbering,  and  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  started  out  in  life  for 
himself  as  his  father  had  lost  much  of  his 
property.  The  first  season  he  worked  upon 
a  farm,  and  with  the  money  he  earned,  he 
purchased  a  yoke  of  oxen.  The  following 
winter  he  was  employed  at  a  tavern  in 
Oxford,  and  the  next  summer  again  worked 
at  farming,  taking  a  colt  for  pay.  This  he 
put  on  the  home  farm  with  the  oxen  and 
went  to  Portland,  where  he  was  in  the  em- 
ploy of  a  stage  company  during  the  winter. 
For  the  following  two  years  he  was  with  a 
lumber  company  on  the  Penobscot  river, 
and  then,  having  accumulated  some  capi- 
tal, he  engaged  in  lumbering  on  his  own  ac- 
count until  the  panic  of  1835,  which  was 
one  of  the  worst  ever  experienced  in  this 
country. 

Having  lost  everything,  Mr.  Merrill 
started  westward  in  the  spring  of  1837,  with 
the  hope  of  retrieving  his  fortune.  On  the 
ist  of  June  of  that  year  he  arrived  in  Terre 
Haute,  Indiana,  and  from  there  proceeded 
to  Paris,  Edgar  county,  Illinois,  where  he 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


575 


stopped  with  a  Mr.  Archer  for  about  two 
weeks.  Alone  and  on  foot  he  followed  the 
army  trail  to  Springfield,  the  houses  along 
the  way  being  from  fifteen  to  twenty  miles 
apart.  There  he  found  employment  with  a 
stage  company,  but  owing  to  ill  health  he 
soon  had  to  abandon  his  position.  On  his 
recovery  he  went  to  Tazewell  county,  and 
the  following  spring  to  Ottawa,  where  he 
found  employment  with  the  Frink  Stage 
Company,  having  known  John  Frink  in  the 
east.  For  several  months  he  was  connected 
with  that  company,  after  which  he  was 
variously  employed  for  some  time.  Finally 
locating  in  Chicago,  he  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising on  the  South  Side  from  1838  until 
1840,  and  from  there  came  to  Elgin,  where 
he  followed  both  carpentering  and  farming 
for  some  time.  In  1843  he  bought  a  claim 
of  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  acres  of  Mr. 
Kimball,  paying  him  one  dollar  and  a  quar- 
ter per  acre.  This  land  extended  along  the 
south  road  to  the  forks,  from  there  to  Lar- 
kin's  corner,  north  to  McClain's  farm,  and 
from  there  to  the  Hamilton  farm,  now  owned 
by  W.  H.  Wing.  Upon  that  place  Mr. 
Merrill  lived  until  1850,  giving  his  attention 
to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  then  came  to 
Elgin,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  market 
business  until  1864,  and  subsequently  in  the 
grocery  business  until  1878.  Since  that 
time  he  has  lived  retired,  enjoying  a  well- 
earned  rest  at  his  comfortable  home  in  El- 
gin, surrounded  by  the  care  and  attention 
of  an  affectionate  wife  and  daughter. 

In  Chicago,  April  27,  1848,  Mr.  Merrill 
married  Miss  Ellen  Flin,  by  whom  lie  had 
seven  children:  Eugene,  deceased;  Helen, 
at  home;  Amelia,  wife  of  Frank  Schuller, 
of  Elgin;  Irene,  who  died  when  young; 
Martha,  who  died  in  infancy;  Charles  W., 
a  resident  of  Traverse  City,  Michigan;  and 


Hattie,  the  wife  of  William  Wood,  of  Kan- 
sas City,  Missouri.  For  his  second  wife 
Mr.  Merrill  married,  May  16,  1869,  Mrs. 
Jane  Earl,  a  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Jane 
(Hollow)  Longstaff,  of  Ottawa,  Canada. 
She  was  the  widow  of  Edward  Earl,  who 
died  at  McHenry,  Illinois,  January  30,  1868. 
Her  father  was  a  native  of  England,  while 
her  mother  was  born  in  Scotland. 

Politically  Mr.  Merrill  was  first  a  Whig, 
and  later  a  Democrat.  He  was  a  great 
friend  of  Lincoln,  and  corresponded  with 
him  during  the  exciting  campaign  of  1860, 
but  told  the  martyr  president  that  he  would 
not  vote  for  his  death  warrant,  which  he 
believed  he  would  be  doing  if  he  assisted  in 
electing  him  president.  In  the  early  de- 
velopment of  Kane  county  Mr.  Merrill  bore 
an  important  part,  and  he  was  especially 
active  in  the  erection  of  the  first  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  in  Elgin,  assisting  in  get- 
ting out  the  timbers  for  that  edifice.  His 
career  has  ever  been  such  as  to  warrant  the 
trust  and  confidence  of  .the  entire  communi- 
ty, and  his  friends  are  many  throughout 
Kane  and  surrounding  .counties. 


ROBERT  PIERPONT  was  for  many 
years  actively  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business  at  Aurora,  but  is  now  living  a  re- 
tired life.  He  was  born  in  Nottingham- 
shire, England,  November  23,  1822.  His 
parents,  George  and  Mary  (Bemont)  Pier- 
pont,  were  also  natives  of  England,  where 
their  entire  lives  were  spent,  their  deaths 
occurring  many  years  ago.  The  father  was 
a  boatman  on  the  river  and  was  a  hard- 
working but  trusty  man.  The  mother  was 
a  member  of  the  Wesleyan  Methodist 
church,  one  who  took  an  interezt  in  the 
Master's  work.  They  were  the  parents 


576 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  three  children,  our  subject  being  the  only 
one  to  come  to  America.  The  others  are 
William,  who  resides  in  England  at  the 
age  of  seventy-three  years;  and  Ann,  who 
died  many  years  ago. 

Robert  Pierpont  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  country  and  in  early  life  commenced 
work  on  a  farm,  in  which  occupation  he  was 
employed  for  some  years.  He  was  mar- 
ried June  27,  1850,  to  Miss  Mary  Ashling, 
daughter  of  Thomas  and  Sarah  Ashling, 
also  natives  of  England,  the  father  being  a 
large  and  prosperous  farmer.  Both  parents 
died  in  the  '4.05.  They  were  members  of  the 
established  church.  Of  their  twelve  chil- 
dren, three  are  still  living:  Mary,  now  Mrs. 
Pierpont;  Margaret,  widow  of  George  Payne, 
residing  in  Aurora;  and  Sarah,  widow  of 
Charles  Curtin,  residing  in  England.  She 
has  a  family  of  four  living  children,  all  resi- 
dents of  England.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pierpont 
have  two  living  children:  Sarah  is  the  wife 
of  Henry  Mohle,  chief  train  dispatcher  at 
Stevens  Point,  Wisconsin,  on  the  Wiscon- 
sin Central  railroad,  and  the  mother  of 
three  children:  Charles  Earnest,  Mary  and 
Robert  Pierpont.  Their  second  child  was 
Charles  Hay,  a  grocer  in  Aurora,  who  mar- 
ried Mary  A.  Clark,  by  whom  he  has  four 
children,  Mabel,  Robert,  Harry  and  Helen. 

In  1854  Mr.  Pierpont,  with  his  wife  and 
two  children,  left  their  native  land  in  a 
sailing  vessel,  and  although  they  were  five 
weeks  on  the  ocean,  encountered  no  storms, 
and  each  enjoyed  the  trip  fairly  well.  They 
came  almost  directly  to  Aurora,  by  advice 
of  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Pierpont,  who  was  a 
farmer  of  Du  Page  county,  and  who  came 
four  years  earlier.  Our  subject  commenced 
work  in  the  mill  of  Gill,  Gifford  &  Com- 
pany. He  worked  for  that  firm  ten  years, 
and  when  Mr.  Gill  purchased  the  interests 


of  his  partners  he  continued  working  for 
him,  ten  years  altogether,  part  of  the  time 
acting  as. manager,  buying  the  grain,  pay- 
ing the  bills,  and  attending  to  all  other 
duties  pertaining  to  the  work.  Leaving 
the  mill  he  went  into  the  grocery  business  in 
Aurora,  in  company  with  a  Mr.  Damon. 
Later  Warner  Wright  purchased  the  inter- 
ests of  Mr.  Damon,  and  in  turn  sold  to  a 
Mr.  Dickens.  After  continuing  a  while  as 
the  firm  of  Pierpont  &  Dickens,  Mr.  Pier- 
pont purchased  his  partner's  interest  and 
conducted  the  business  alone  for  a  time. 
He  then  admitted  to  the  firm  James  W. 
Battle,  and  under  the  firm  name  of  Pier- 
pont &  Battle  the  business  was  continued. 
Later  Mr.  Johnston  bought  out  the  interest 
of  Mr.  Battle,  and  his  interest  was  in  turn 
purchased  by  our  subject.  Although  he  re- 
tained an  interest  in  the  store,  he  has  turned 
its  entire  management  over  to  his  son,  and 
he  is  practically  living  a  retired  life.  The 
store  is  located  on  the  corner  of  Denton 
and  La  Salle  streets,  and  is  one  of  the  best 
appointed  establishments  in  the  city.  By 
strict  attention  to  business,  fair  and  square 
dealing,  Mr.  Pierpont  made  a  success  of  the 
business,  and  has  secured  a  competency 
which  enables  him  to  lay  aside  all  business 
cares.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  of  which  his  wife  is  also 
a  member.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican 


PECK  BROTHERS,  residing  on  section 
7,  Geneva  township,  own  and  operate 
farms  of  two  thousand  one  hundred  acres, 
lying  in  Geneva  and  Blackberry  townships. 
They  are  members  of  a  pioneer  family, 
which  located  here  in  the  fall  of  1843.  Eli 
Peck,  their  father,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Sandgate,  Bennington  county,  Vermont, 


ELI   PECK. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


579 


June  25,  1816.  Thomas  Peck,  their  grand- 
father, and  George  Peck,  their  great-grand- 
father, were  both  natives  of  Connecticut. 
The  family  are  of  English  descent  and  early 
settlers  of  Connecticut,  two  brothers  com- 
ing from  England  at  a  very  early  day. 
George  Peck,  the  great-grandfather,  moved 
from  Connectici  t  to  Vermont  when  Thomas 
Peck  was  a  child  of  two  years.  He  was  a 
pioneer  of  Bennington  county,  and  there 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

Eli  Peck  grew  to  manhood  in  Benning- 
ton county,  Vermont,  and  there  married 
Jerusha  Sherman,  a  daughter  of  Evi  Sher- 
man, of  that  county.  At  an  early  day  her 
father  came  west  to  Illinois  and  located 
near  Belvidere,  and  later  moved  to  Wiscon- 
sin, where  his  death  occurred.  Soon  after 
his  marriage  Eli  Peck  came  to  Kane  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  settling  there,  as  already  stated, 
in  the  fall  of  1843.  He  started  to  come 
west  with  the  team,  but  losing  one  horse  on 
the  way,  he  sold  the  other  and  came  by 
boat  to  Chicago.  From  there  he  came 
direct  to  Kane  county  and  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  land  for  a  farm  and  also  a  small 
tract  of  timber  land.  Erecting  a  small 
frame  house  upon  the  place,  he  there  re- 
sided until  1869,  when  he  built  the  present 
large  and  commodious  house,  which  is  now 
occupied  by  his  sons.  From  time  to  time 
he  added  to  his  original  purchase  until  he 
was  the  owner  of  thirteen  hundred  acres, 
all  of  which  were  well  improved.  In  1866 
he  commenced  the  sheep  industry,  purchas- 
ing a  small  flock  of  merino  sheep,  and  in- 
creasing the  number  year  by  year  until  his 
flock  numbered  two  thousand  head.  He 
was  a  very  active  and  enterprising  man, 
and,  coming  to  this  county  with  but  little 
means,  by  his  industrious  habits  and  wise 
executive  ability  and  forethought,  he  secured 

26 


a  large  estate  and  was  numbered  among  the 
wealthiest  farmers  of  the  county.  Alter  a 
long  and  useful  life  he  died  on  the  old 
homestead  February  9,  1892.  His  wife 
survives  him,  and  is  in  the  enjoyment  of 
fairly  good  health  at  the  age  of  eighty-one 
years. 

George  E.  Peck  is  the  oldest  of  the  four 
sons,  which,  with  four  daughters,  comprised 
the  family  of  Eli  and  Jerusha  Peck.  He 
was  born  in  Bennington  county,  Vermont, 
January  18,  1842,  and  came  to  Kane  county 
with  his  parents  in  infancy.  The  other  sons 
of  the  family  are  Albert  Sherman,  born  in 
Kane  county,  April  21,  1848;  Frank  B., 
born  December  6,  1849;  Seth  E.,  born  Sep- 
tember 27,  1853.  All  were  born  upon  the 
farm  in  Kane  county  and  here  grew  to  man- 
hood, being  educated  in  the  common 
schools.  The  daughters  are  Sarah  C., 
Julia  E.,  Mary  E.  and  Ettie  L.  The  first 
named  was  born  in  Vermont  but  reared  in 
Kane  county.  She  married  Thomas  Fitz- 
patrick,  who  passed  away  in  Littleton,  Col- 
orado. They  had  one  daughter,  Mary. 
The  second  and  third  daughters,  Julia  and 
Mary,  yet  reside  on  the  old  farm,  while 
Ettie  L.  is  housekeeper  for  her  brother  Al- 
bert at  Fargo,  Kane  county.  He  is  the  in- 
ventor and  patentee  of  the  first  successful 
corn  harvester,  which  he  sold  to  the  Mc- 
Cormick  Harvesting  Company. 

The  Peck  Brothers  have  carried  on  the 
farm  since  1875,  and  have  since  added  sev- 
eral hundred  acres  to  the  tract  left  by  the 
father.  One  tract  of  two  hundred  and  fifty 
acres,  adjoining  the  city  of  Geneva,  is  one 
of  the  best  improved  places  in  the  township. 
The  brothers  have  been  extensively  engaged 
in  the  breeding  of  merino  sheep,  and  have 
built  up  a  large  trade,  shipping  through  the 
states,  and  to  Australia,  South  Africa  and 


580 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mexico.  In  the  spring  of  1898  they  had  on 
hand  a  flock  of  two  thousand,  three  hun- 
dred sheep.  In  all  their  farming  operations 
they  have  been  quite  successful,  and  are 
noted  for  their  enterprise  and  business  sa- 
gacity. They  were  chiefly  instrumental  in 
securing  the  location  here  of  the  Appleton 
Manufacturing  Company,  which  gives  em- 
ployment to  several  hundred  men.  No  en- 
terprise calculated  for  the  public  good,  but 
finds  in  them  friends.  All  are  stanch  Re- 
publicans in  their  political  views.  In  1894, 
George  E.  Peck  was  elected  supervisor  of 
his  township,  and  served  one  term  of  two 
years,  being  chairman  of  the  almshouse  com- 
mittee. He  was  re-elected  in  1896,  and  in 
1898,  and  during  the  past  year  was  chair- 
man of  the  courthouse  committee.  That  he 
is  a  valued  member  of  the  board  is  attested 
by  his  term  of  service  and  by  the  various 
committees  on  which  he  has  served.  In  po- 
litical affairs  he  has  taken  an  active  interest 
and  usually  serves  as  a  delegate  to  the  va- 
rious conventions  of  his  party.  Few  men 
are  better  known  in  Kane  county  than  the 
Peck  brothers,  and  their  reputation  is  not 
confined  to  county  or  even  state  lines. 


M.  CREGO,  now  residing  in 
the  city  of  Aurora,  has  been  a  resident 
of  Kane  county  since  1851,  since  which  time 
he  has  been  one  of  its  truly  representative 
citizens,  one  who  has  done  much  to  make 
the  county  occupy  its  present  proud  position. 
From  the  very  beginning  he  has  been  very 
active  and  enterprising  and  the  result  is 
shown  in  his  extensive  business  interests,  he 
now  being  the  owner  of  much  valuable 
property  in  the  city,  including  the  Hotel 
Bishop  Block.  He  is  a  native  of  New  York, 
born  in  Oneida  county,  July  i,  1831.  His 


ancestors  in  this  country  he  traces  back  to 
his  great-grandfather,  who  emigrated  from 
Holland  and  located  in  Dutchess  county, 
New  York.  Adam  Crego,  the  grandfather, 
was  born  in  Dutchess  county,  and  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  His  son, 
Daniel  S.  Crego,  was  born  in  Herkimer 
county,  New  York,  April  4,  1801.  He  re- 
mained in  his  native  county  until  after  at- 
taining his  majority,  and  then  moved  to 
Oneida  county,  where  he  married  Ann  Kel- 
ley,  a  native  of  Oneida  county  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Michael  Kelley,  who  was  a  profes- 
sional educator,  and  who  for  fourteen  years 
was  engaged  in  one  school.  Daniel  S. 
Crego  was  a  substantial  farmer  in  Oneida 
county,  but  in  1836  moved  to  Chenango 
county,  New  York,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming  until  1852,  when  he  came  to  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  and  located  in  Sugar  Grove 
township.  Four  years  later  he  moved  to 
De  Kalb  county,  where  his  death  occurred 
in  the  fall  of  1893  at  the  age  of  ninety-two 
years  and  six  months.  His  wife  died  about 
three  years  previous,  when  about  eighty- 
four  years  of  age. 

Of  the  three  sons  and  four  daughters 
born  to  Daniel  S.  and  Ann  Crego,  our  sub- 
ject is  second  in  order  of  birth.  The  others 
are:  Sallie  Ann,  who  married  Alva  Bolster, 
and  located  in  Sugar  Grove  township,  where 
her  death  occurred;  Polly  J.  now  makes 
her  home  with  our  subject;  O.  C.  is  married 
and  resides  in  Kane  county;  Lewis  H.  re- 
sides in  De  Kalb  county,  Illinois;  Nancy 
married  Eli  Barnes,  and  they  now  reside  in 
Grand  Island,  Nebraska;  Ellen  married  Her- 
man Skells,  moved  to  Nebraska  and  has 
since  died. 

On  the  farm  of  his  father  in  Chenango 
county,  New  York,  George  M.  Crego  re- 
mained until  nineteen  years  of  age.  Like 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


581 


the  great  majority  of  American  youths,  his 
education  was  obtained  in  the  common 
schools.  In  1851  he  came  to  Aurora,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  spent  the  winter  of  1851-2, 
then  returned  to  New  York,  and  later  in  the 
spring  came  back,  accompanied  by  his  par- 
ents, and  located  in  Blackberry  township, 
Kane  county,  where  he  purchased  a  farm 
of  two  hundred  acres  and  at  once  began  its 
improvement.  He  later  added  one  hundred 
acres,  making  a  fine  farm  of  three  hundred 
acres,  all  of  which  was  placed  under  culti- 
vation. In  1 882  he  purchased  another  farm, 
a  well-improved  place  of  three  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  in  Sugar  Grove  township,  and 
carried  on  both  farms  for  some  years.  In 
the  spring  of  1892  he  moved  into  Aurora, 
where  he  bought  a  residence,  which  he  re- 
modeled, and  where  the  family  yet  reside. 
He  also  bought  or  traded  for  business  prop- 
erty, including  the  Bishop  Hotel  Block, 
which  yet  remains  in  his  possession.  Since 
coming  to  Aurora,  he  has  been  quite  active 
in  the  improvement  of  his  property. 

Mr.  Crego  was  married  in  Kane  county, 
February  21,  1855,  to  Miss  Jane  Reynolds, 
a  native  of  Ulster  county,  New  York,  born 
near  Poughkeepsie,  and  a  daughter  of  Silas 
Reynolds,  who  became  a  resident  of  Kane 
county,  in  1836,  locating  in  Sugar  Grove 
township.  By  this  union  there  were  nine 
children,  seven  of  whom  are  living,  as  fol- 
lows: Porter,  who  is  a  veterinary  surgeon 
in  Aurora;  Millie  grew  to  womanhood, 
married  Albert  Seavey,  of  Sugar  Grove  town- 
ship, and  is  now  deceased;  Celia,  now  re- 
siding in  Omaha;  Silas  married  and  resides 
on  a  farm  in  Blackberry  township;  Belle 
married  Clarence  Humestom,  and  resides  in 
the  town  of  Kaneville;  Joseph,  living  in  Au- 
rora; Gideon  and  Irvin,  living  at  home,  the 
latter  now  attending  the  State  University  at 


Madison,  Wisconsin,  taking  a  course  in  the 
law  department. 

Mr.  Crego  is  a  lifelong  Democrat  and 
cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  Franklin 
Pierce.  For  twenty  years  he  served  as  a 
member  of  the  school  board.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  of  the  blue 
lodge  at  Kaneville  and  of  the  chapter  at 
Aurora.  He  has  ever  been  a  friend  of  the 
temperance  cause,  and  while  not  support- 
ing the  Prohibition  party,  has  been  a  pro- 
hibitionist in  principle.  Mrs.  Crego  died  at 
their  home  in  Aurora,  November  14,  1897. 
She  was  a  faithful  wife  and  mother,  and  for 
forty-two  long  years  with  her  husband  she 
trod  life's  journey.  Her  remains  were  laid 
to  rest  in  the  beautiful  Spring  Lake  ceme- 
tery. In  the  growth  and  development  of 
the  southern  part  of  Kane  county,  few  men 
have  done  more  than  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  While  in  limited  circumstances  on 
his  arrival  here,  he  has  by  his  industry  and 
temperate  habits  placed  himself  in  comfort- 
able circumstances  for  the  remainder  of  his 
days. 


M1 


RS.  RUTH  ANN  THIERS,  now  re- 
siding at  No.  306  West  Chicago 
street,  Elgin,  is  a  representative  of  one  of 
the  first  families  to  locate  in  that  city.  She 
was  born  in  Plymouth,  New  Hampshire, 
September  28,  1821,  and  is  the  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Nancy  (Currier)  Kimball,  also 
natives  of  the  Granite  state. 

Joseph  Kimball  was  born  in  Hopkinton, 
New  Hampshire,  September  i,  1783,  and 
at  Plymouth,  that  state,  he  married  Nancy 
Currier,  who  was  born  September  26, 
1787,  the  marriage  ceremony  being  per- 
formed November  28,  1804.  To  them 
were  born  nine  children:  William  Currier, 


582 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


who  married  Caroline  Willard  and  moved 
to  Elgin  in  1837,  where  his  death  occurred; 
Mary  Carter,  who  married  Bartlett  Adams; 
Samuel  Jewett,  who  married  Clarinda  Jane 
Hill,  and  in  1835  came  to  Elgin,  where  he 
served  as  mayor  in  1856  and  1857;  Susanna 
Clement,  who  married  Hiram  George; 
Nancy  Currier,  who  married  Alden  V.  Hills; 
Laura  Ann,  who  married  Asa  Smith;  Eliz- 
abeth Howe,  who  married  George  R. 
Dyer;  Ruth  Ann,  of  this  sketch,  and  Har- 
riet Tamsen,  who  died  in  infancy. 

In  the  summer  of  1834  Joseph  Kimball 
carne  to  Illinois  and  spent  two  months, 
stopping  for  a  time  in  Du  Page  county. 
Returning  east,  he  made 'the  second  trip 
west,  starting  in  February,  1835,  and  arriv- 
ing at  Elgin  in  April,  soon  after  the  Giffords, 
who  located  on  the  east  side  of  the  Fox 
river.  Mr.  Kimball  chose  the  west  side. 
On  the  Fourth  of  July,  1835,  he  wrote  to 
.his  son,  William  C.  Kimball,  the  letter  be- 
ing still  preserved.  In  it  he  says  of  his 
new  location:  "We  have  plowed  and 
planted  nearly  thirty  acres  with  corn  and 
other  things.  We  are  well  suited  with  our 
prairie  land,  although  not  so  much  timber 
as  we  would  like.  Our  land  is  so  situated 
that  we  will  have  a  first  rate  chance  for  a 
grain  farm  and  the  keeping  of  cattle  and 
sheep,  being  beautifully  situated  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Fox  river,  so  that  we  can 
drive  a  team  about  over  it  equal  to  any  old 
cultivated  farm  in  an  old  country.  We 
have  made  and  reserved  a  location  for  you, 
and  very  much  need  your  help  and  influ- 
ence." He  writes  about  the  need  of  a  "  store 
on  a  small  scale,"  and  then  adds:  "  James 
T.  Gifford,  from  New  York,  'near  Utica,  has 
a  location  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  We 
have  agreed  to  build  a  datn  together,  he 
having  the  privilege  of  improving  equal 


share  of  the  water.  Mr.  Gifford  is  to  build 
a  flour  mill,  and  we  are  to  build  a  sawmill 
and  improve  equal  to  one-half  of  the  water 
in  other  machinery,  such  as  timber  works, 
shingle  machines  and  clapboard,  etc.  We 
think  that  Chicago  will  be  one  of  the  most 
important  places  in  all  the  western  country; 
also  Galena,  on  the  Mississippi  river,  where 
the  great  mining  country  is  situated,  is  fast 
increasing  and  will  soon  be  a  great  place. 
We  have  taken  considerable  pains  to  ascer- 
tain what  chance  there  is  for  making  a  road 
in  direct  line  from  Chicago  to  Galena,  and 
find  that  we  are  on  the  direct  line  between 
these  two  important  places.  I  presume  that 
Samuel  has  written  to  you  that  I  expect  to 
return  and  move  out  our  family  the  1st  of 
September,  and  it  would  be  pleasing  to  me 
to  have  you  come  with  us." 

The  letter  also  gives  a  description  of  his 
journey  from  New  Hampshire  to  Illinois. 
At  Washington,  where,  he  stopped  he  viewed 
the  capitol,  "the  most  magnificent  build- 
ing I  ever  saw.  The  Hon.  Mr.  Hill  and 
Hubbard  gave  me  an  invitation  to  ride  in  a 
coach  with  them  and  call  on  the  president 
and  vice-president  of  the  United  States.  I 
accepted  the  invitation  and  was  much 
pleased  with  those  good  men. "  The  Galena 
road  seemed  to  be  the  most  important  thing 
to  occupy  his  mind,  and  its  building  was  the 
concern  of  many.  "  But  the  thing  must  be 
postponed  on  account  of  Mr.  J.  Gifford  be- 
ing gone  to  New  York  after  his  family.  1 
think  if  you  mean  to  come  to  this  country, 
the  sooner  the  better." 

Soon  after  writing  this  letter  from  which 
the  extracts  given  were  taken,  Mr.  Kimball 
started  east  for  his  family,  accompanied  as 
far  as  Chicago  by  his  son  Samuel.  He 
traveled  by  water  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and 
thence  by  canal  to  Perry,  Ohio,  where  he 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


583 


died  from  cholera  rnorbus,  after  an  illness 
of  five  days,  July  25,  1835.  He  wasagood 
man,  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and 
had  a  very  good  idea  of  the  future  of  this 
middle  west.  In  his  native  state  Mr.  Kim- 
ball  served  as  captain  in  the  state  militia, 
took  some  interest  in  politics,  and  was  an 
ardent  admirer  of  Genera]  Jackson.  He 
served  as  collector  of  taxes  in  1823,  and 
filled  other  local  offices  from  time  to  time, 
serving  as  a  member  of  the  New  Hampshire 
legislature.  He  was  the  son  of  Samuel  and 
Susanna  Kimball,  whose  children  were  as 
follows:  James,  born  October  23,  1767; 
Samuel,  January  30,  1771;  Rebecca,  1773; 
Jonathan,  1775;  Phineas,  1777;  Mehitable, 
1779;  Ruth,  1781;  Joseph,  1783;  Benjamin 
and  Moses,  twins,  1785;  and  Susanna,  1789. 
The  mother  of  these  children  died,  and 
Samuel  Kimball  married  again,  and  by  his 
second  union  had  one  son,  Amos  Clement, 
born  in  1798. 

Soon  after  the  death  of  her  husband, 
Mrs.  Nancy  Kimball  came  with  her  family 
to  Elgin,  where  the  remainder  of  her  life 
was  passed.  One  of  the  most  noted  events 
in  Elgin  was  the  celebration  of  her  one 
hundredth  birthday, September  26,1887.  On 
that  occasion  she  was  in  splendid  health 
and  entertained  a  large  number  of  friends 
who  called  to  pay  their  respects.  The 
Baptist  church  of  Elgin,  of  which  she  was 
a  charter  member,  was  represented  by  a 
large  delegation.  They  brought  and  pre- 
sented to  her  a  very  handsome  bouquet, 
containing  exactly  one  hundred  flowers  and 
the  figure  "100"  worked  in  immortelles- 
Flowers  were  also  sent  her  from  friends  in 
New  York  and  Chicago.  Within  three 
days  of  one  year  after  this  event,  Mrs. 
Nancy  Kimball  was  called  to  her  heavenly 
home,  her  death  taking  place  September  23, 


1888.  She  was  the  eldest,  the  best  known, 
and  one  of  the  most  highly  respected  women 
that  ever  lived  in  Elgin. 

Ruth  Ann  Kimball  spent  the  first  four- 
teen years  of  her  life  in  New  Hampshire, 
where  she  received  her  education.  In  1837, 
in  company  with  her  mother  and  brother 
William,  she  came  to  Elgin,  where  she  has 
since  made  her  home,  a  period  of  sixty-one 
long  years.  On  the  4th  of  July,  1840,  she 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Edward  E. 
Harvey,  an  attorney  at  Elgin  who  was  post- 
master in  the  early  '403  and  who  was  com- 
missioned captain  in  the  Second  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  in  the  Mexican  war,  and 
who  died  at  Pueblo,  in  1847,  while  return- 
ing from  the  city  of  Mexico,  being  stricken 
with  fever.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harvey  two 
children  were  born,  (i)  Isabel  J.  married 
Sherwood  Raymond,  of  Elgin,  but  they  now 
reside  in  Chicago.  They  are  the  parents  of 
six  children — Edward  H.,  George  B.,  Anna 
B.,  Ruth  A.,  Benjamin  W.  and  Frank.  (2) 
Florence  Annette  died  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen months. 

The  second  union  of  oursubject  was  con- 
summated June  15,  1851,  when  she  married 
Chauncy  C.  Thiers,  who  was  born  in  Tomp- 
kins  county,  New  York,  April  26,  1821.  By 
this  union  there  were  two  children:  (i) 
Henry  K.  died  May  29,  1878,  at  the  age  of 
nearly  twenty-four  years, [_ from  injuries  re- 
ceived in  a  railroad  accident.  (2)  William 
C.,  a  resident  of  Elgin,  married  Nellie  A. 
Powers,  and  has  three  children — Raphael 
H.,  Ruth  M.  and  Orrel  M. 

Chauncy  C.  Thiers  was  a  man  of  marked 
ability,  and  for  some  years  was  a  notary 
public.  He  did  not,  however,  believe  in 
litigation,  and  often  advised  the  settlement 
of  claims  and  disputes  out  of  court.  In 
the  arbitrament  of  cases  he  tried  to  have 


584 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


men  act  in  accordance  with  the  golden  rule. 
He  was  a  man  in  whom  the  people  confided. 
His  death  occurred  October  31,  1861,  while 
attending  a  political  convention  at  Geneva, 
he  being  a  candidate  for  county  clerk,  and 
his  loss  was  mourned  not  alone  by  the  fam- 
ily but  by  a  large  circle  of  friends.  A  con- 
sistent Christian  man,  he  served  his  master 
faithfully  as  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 
Mrs.  Thiers,  who  resides  with  her  son  at 
No.  306  West  Chicago  street,  is  now  one  of 
the  oldest  members  of  the  Baptist  church  in 
Elgin.  She  is  a  woman  universally  es- 
teemed, and  her  friends  are  legion.  A  citi- 
zen of  the  county  for  sixty- one  years,  she 
has  witnessed  many  important  changes. 
From  a  vast  wilderness  she  has  lived  to  see 
the  county  one  of  the  first  in  all  the  one  hun- 
dred and  two  counties  of  the  state.  In  all 
this  time  she  has  ever  retained  the  love  and 
respect  of  all  with  whom  she  has  been 
brought  in  contract. 


WILLIAM  ROCHE,  who  is  engaged  in 
dairy  farming  on  section  29,  Hamp- 
shire township,  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  born 
in  the  village  of  Claughhannon,  near  New- 
ton Barry,  County  Wexford,  March,  1834, 
and  is  the  son  of  Martin  and  Margaret 
(Rice)  Roche.  The  father,  who  was  a  lease 
holder  in  Ireland,  died  at  the  age  of  about 
fifty  years.  After  the  death  of  the  father, 
the. mother  and  children  left  the  farm  and 
lived  in  the  village  of  Claughhannon  and 
remained  there  for  five  years  before  coming 
to  the  United  States.  She  died  in  Chicago, 
Illinois,  in  1881.  They  were  the  parents' 
of  four  boys  and  four  girls. 

In  1853,  when  but  nineteen  years  old, 
our  subject  came  to  the  United  States,  tak- 
ing a  boat  at  Wexford  for  Liverpool,  and 


there  a  sailing  vessel,  the  Robert  Kelly,  for 
the  new  world.  After  thirty-two  days  on 
the  water,  he  landed  at  New  York  and  went 
directly  to  Augusta,  Maine,  where  he 
worked  one  year  in  a  cotton  factory,  having 
learned  that  trade  in  Ireland.  From  Au- 
gusta, Maine,  he  came  to  Kane  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  found  employment  in  a  distillery 
at  South  Elgin,  where  he  worked  for  a 
time.  He  then  engaged  at  farm  work  and 
various  other  employments  for  other  par- 
ties until  1878,  when  he  rented  a  farm  in 
Rutland  township,  on  which,  together  with 
another  farm,  he  spent  four  years.  In  1882 
he  came  to  his  present  farm,  which  com- 
prises one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  rich 
land,  which  he  has  placed  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  and  on  which  he  has 
about  thirty  head  of  cows. 

Mr.  Roche  was  married  in  Elgin  July 
10,  1864,  to  Julia  Kelly,  fourth  in  a  family 
of  six  children  born  to  John  and  Bridget 
(Doghoney)  Kelly,  the  latter  being  a  daugh- 
ter of  Dennis  and  Mary  Doghoney.  A 
brother  of  Mrs.  Roche,  John  Kelly,  lives  in 
Aurora,  and  has  served  as  sheriff  of  Kane 
county.  John  Kelly,  Sr. ,  was  born  in  Tip- 
perary,  Ireland,  about  1820,  and  came  to 
America  about  1840.  Like  his  brother, 
Timothy  Kelly,  who  also  settled  in  Hamp- 
shire township,  he  was  a  thrifty,  energetic, 
and  industrious  farmer,  and  acquired  a  fine 
tract  of  land,  which  is  now  occupied  by  our 
subject.  He  was  always  a  stanch  Demo- 
crat, and  was  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
church. 

William  Roche  and  wife  have  been 
blessed  by  fourteen  children  as  follows: 
Annie  L. ,  who  married  Patrick  Sullivan,  by 
whom  she  has  six  children,  William,  Ar- 
thur, John,  Anabel,  Safford  and  Stanley, 
the  family  now  residing  in  Chicago;  Mary 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


585 


T.,  an  experienced  attendant  at  the  home 
for  incurable  insane  in  Chicago;  Michael 
F. ;  Catherine;  Martha  L. ;  Agnes  R. ;  Julia 
A. ;  John;  Elizabeth  C. ;  Margaret  A. ;  Will- 
iam A.;  Charles;  James;  and  Ralph  De 
Witt.  Of  these,  Martha  L.,  Agnes  R.  and 
Elizabeth  C. ,  are  teachers  in  the  public 
schools,  while  John  is  deceased.  In  nation- 
al and  state  politics  Mr.  Roche  is  a  Demo- 
crat, but  in  local  affairs  he  is  independent. 
For  six  years  he  served  as  school  director. 
Religiously  he  and  his  family  are  members 
of  the  Catoholic  church. 


IS.  STEPHENS,  who  resides  in  Batavia, 
Illinois,  but  who  is  actively  engaged  in 
business  in  Aurora,  Illinois,  came  to  Kane 
county  in  1847,  and  has  since  made  it  his 
home.  He  was  born  at  Stephensburg,  Mor- 
ris county,  New  Jersey,  March  25,  1841. 
The  family  are  of  Welsh  descent,  two 
brothers  coming  from  Wales  prior  to  the 
Revolutionary  war,  one  locating  in  South 
Carolina,  and  the  other  in  New  Jersey. 
From  the  latter  he  traces  his  descent.  The 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  Samuel 
Stephens,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution- 
ary war,  holding  a  captain's  commission. 
His  son,  Daniel  Stephens,  was  the  father  of 
Joseph  C.  Stephens,  born  in  1813,  in  Mor- 
ris county,  New  Jersey.  The  latter  married 
Sarah  C.  Shipman  also  a  native  of  New 
Jersey.  The  Shipman  family  had  a  grant 
of  land  from  King  George,  on  which  they 
located  at  a  very  early  day,  and  the  old 
stone  house  erected  by  the  first  of  the  name 
who  came  to  America,  is  still  standing. 
After  his  marriage,  Joseph  C.  Stephens  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  in  milling  at  Stephens- 
burg,  where  his  father,  who  was  a  mill- 
wright by  trade,  had  erected  the  first  mill 


in  Morris  county.  He  remained  in  that 
business  until  1847,  when  he  moved  with 
his  family  to  Illinois.  In  1846,  in  company 
with  three  other  men,  he  visited  northern 
Illinois,  and  spent  the  whole  season  in  look- 
ing over  the  country.  He  was  at  Nauvoo 
when  Joseph  Smith,  the  Mormon  prophet, 
was  killed.  On  coming  to  Kane  county  he 
located  in  Geneva,  and  there,  in  connection 
with  two  brothers,  built  a  paper  mill,  and  en- 
guged  in  the  manufacture  of  paper.  In 
1853  he  moved  to  Mill  Creek,  south  of  Ba- 
tavia, and  settled  on  a  farm  on  which  he 
continued  to  reside  until  his  death,  Decem- 
ber i,  1858.  His  wife  survived  him  many 
years,  dying  March  29,  1891. 

I.  S.  Stephens  is  the  oldest  of  three 
children,  the  others  being  Edgar,  who  has 
been  in  business  in  West  Chicago  for  more 
than  twenty  years,  and  Ella  C.,  wife  of  Dr. 
James  Bradley,  of  West  Chicago.  When 
the  family  came  to  Kane  county  our  subject 
was  but  six  years  old.  He  here  grew  to 
manhood,  and  received  his  education  in  the 
Batavia  schools  and  in  the  Beloit  High 
School.  On  the  death  of  his  father  he  was 
in  his  eighteenth  year,  and  with  his  mother, 
he  took  charge  of  the  farm  and  engaged  in 
its  cultivation.  Later  he  purchased  the  in- 
terest of  the  other  heirs  and  succeeded  to 
the  whole  place,  to  which  he  subsequently 
added  more  land,  making  a  fine  farm  of  two 
hundred  and  seventeen  acres,  located  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  from  Batavia.  In  1869 
Mr.  Stephens  formed  a  partnership  with  J. 
W.  Randall,  who  owned  a  stone  quarry  on 
the  Fox  river,  and  engaged  with  him  in  the 
business  until  1875,  when  Mr.  Randall  was 
killed.  He  then  purchased  the  interest  of 
the  heirs  and  continued  the  business.  In 
1870,  however,  with  Mrs.  Randall,  he  com- 
menced business  in  Aurora,  building  some 


586 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


kilns  and  burning  lime.  Later  he  engaged 
in  the  coal  business  in  connection  with  the 
lime,  and  still  later  added  charcoal,  fire- 
brick and  Batavia  stone.  His  business  has 
always  been  quite  an  extensive  one  and  fairly 
profitable. 

As  his  means  increased,  Mr.  Stephens 
has  made  other  investments,  and  to-day 
owns  stock  in  the  cotton  mill,  ice  plant  and 
barrel  factory,  in  Batavia  and  in  Aurora 
creameries.  Has  been  identified  with  the 
dairy  interests  as  director  and  president  of 
Batavia  Creamery.  He  is  also  a  stock- 
holder in  the  bank  at  Batavia,  and  in  the 
Merchants'  National  Bank,  of  Aurora.  At- 
taining his  majority  after  the  war  for  the 
Union  had  commenced,  he  cast  his  first 
presidential  ballot  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in 
1864.  He  has  since  been  an  earnest  sup- 
porter of  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party.  He  has  been  an  active  member  of 
the  Congregational  church  of  Batavia  since 
1858,  and  for  the  greater  part  of  that  time 
one  of  its  official  board.  For  nearly  forty 
years  he  has  served  as  superintendent  of  a 
Sunday-school,  and  for  fifteen  years  was  one 
of  the  members  of  the  choir.  Always  de- 
voted to  the  church,  he  has  given  of  his  time 
and  means  towards  its  upbuilding.  For 
fifty-one  years  he  has  been  a  resident  of 
Kane  county,  and  for  forty  years  actively 
engaged  in  business.  He  is  well  known  and 
highly  respected  throughout  Kane  and  ad- 
joining counties. 


JACOB  N.    HOYT,  who  resides  on  sec- 
tion 11,  Kaneville  township,    is  one  of 
the  active  and  enterprising  farmers  of  Kane 
county,  owning  and  operating  a  farm  of  four 
hundred  and   twenty  acres,  which  was  long 


known  as  the  Livingston  farm.  He  is  a 
native  of  New  Hampshire,  born  in  Concord, 
December  15,  1831.  His  father,  Hon. 
Jacob  Hoyt,  was  also  born  in  Concord,  his 
birth  occurring  March  28,  1772,  while  his 
grandfather,  John  Hoyt,  was  likewise  a  na- 
tive of  the  Granite  state.  The  family  are 
of  English  ancestry,  and  originally  settled 
in  New  Hampshire  prior  to  the  Revolution- 
ary war.  Abner  Hoyt,  a  brother  of  Jacob, 
was  a  soldier  in  that  war. 

Jacob  Hoyt,  who  was  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation, grew  to  manhood  in  his  native 
state,  and  there  married  Fannie  Tucker, 
who  was  born  in  Canton,  Massachusetts. 
They  became  the  parents  of  five  sons  and 
five  daughters,  of  whom  our  subject  and 
one  brother,  J.  T. ,  are  the  only  survivors. 
The  latter  now  resides  in  California.  The 
father  was  a  prominent  man  in  his  county 
and  state,  and  was  elected  and  served  sev- 
eral terms  in  the  legislature,  and  held  other 
positions  of  trust  and  honor,  being  one  of 
the  three  selectmen  of  his  town.  As  an  oc- 
cupation he  followed  farming  his  entire  life, 
and  was  quite  prosperous.  His  death  oc- 
curred on  the  old  farm  April  17,  1864,  at 
the  ripe  old  age  of  ninety-two  years.  His 
wife  survived  him  a  few  years,  dying  at  the 
age  of  ninety-five  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  man- 
hood in  Concord,  and  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  and  in  Andover  and  other 
academies.  For  several  terms,  after  leav- 
ing school,  he  engaged  in  teaching  in  his  na- 
tive state.  In  1853,  when  a  young  man, 
he  moved  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  there  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  business  for  a  time, 
and  later  was  in  the  Cleveland  postoffice 
ten  years,  having  charge  of  the  registered 
letter  department.  Leaving  that  position, 
he  was  engaged  with  his  brother  at  Castalia, 


J.   N.    HOYT. 


Of 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


589 


Ohio,  in  the  manufacture  of  paper  for  sev- 
eral years. 

At  Delaware,  Ohio,  May  2O,  1862,  Mr. 
Hoyt  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary  A. 
Latimer,  who  was  born  and  reared  at  that 
place,  and  who  was  a  daughter  of  Sylvester 
Latimer.  She  died  at  Castalia,  December 
21,  1866,  leaving  three  children,  as  follows: 
William  L. ,  who  is  married  and  is  residing 
in  Nebraska;  Robert  T.,  married,  and  re- 
siding in  Chicago,  where  he  is  engaged  in 
business;  and  Harry  M.,  who  is  assisting  his 
father  in  operating  the  farm. 

In  1868  Mr.  Hoyt  came  west  and  located 
in  Macon  county,  Illinois,  where  he  bought 
and  also  leased  a  section  of  land,  and  en- 
gaged in  farming.  In  1869  he  returned  to 
Concord,  New  Hampshire,  and  was  there 
married,  April  7  of  that  year,  to  Mrs.  Eu- 
nice N.  Thayer,  nee  Brown,  who  had  one 
son  by  her  former  marriage,  Charles  G., 
who  is  now  married  and  engaged  in  business 
in  Chicago.  Immediately  after  their  mar- 
riage, Mr.  Hoyt  returned  with  his  bride  to 
Macon  county,  Illinois,  where  he  was  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  farming  until  1884. 
He  then  sold  his  farm  and  moved  to  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  having  previously  purchased 
the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides,  and 
which  he  has  greatly  improved  since  it  came 
into  his  possession.  He  has  built  several 
barns  and  outbuildings",  tiled  much  of  the 
land,  and  has  made  of  it  a  model  farm. 
Mrs.  Hoyt  died  on  this  farm,  February  19, 
1888,  leaving  two  sons,  Edward  L.  and  J. 
Walter,  the  former  married  and  is  residing 
on  the  home  farm,  and  an  adopted  daugh- 
ter, named  Belle,  resides  at  home. 

Politically  Mr.  Hoyt  is  a  Democrat  of 
the  old  school,  and  cast  his  firs.t  presidential 
ballot  for  James  Buchanan,  in  1856.  While 
residing  in  Macon  county,  he  took  quite  an 


active  part  in  politics,  and  served  seven  con- 
secutive years  as  a  member  of  the  county 
board  of  supervisors.  In  the  spring  of  1898 
he  was  elected  supervisor  of  Kaneville  town- 
ship, and  is  now  faithfully  discharging  the 
duties  of  that  office.  For  some  eight  or  ten 
years  he  was  township  trustee,  and  being  a 
friend  of  education  and  the  public  schools, 
he  served  some  years  as  a  member  of  the 
school  board.  During  the  war  he  contrib- 
uted largely  towards  its  vigorous  prosecu- 
tion. Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason,  a  mem- 
ber of  Blackberry  lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  at 
Elburn,  and  of  Sycamore  commandery,  K. 
T.,  of  Sycamore,  De  Kalb  county,  Illinois. 
He  has  served  as  worshipful  master  of 
Blackberry  lodge,  and  has  represented  the 
lodge  in  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  state. 
.While  pot  numbered  among  the  pioneers  of 
the  state,  Mr.  Hoyt  has  given  thirty  of  the 
best  years  of  his  life  to  its  growth  and  de- 
velopment, and  in  every  enterprise  which 
has  a  tendency  for  the  public  good,  he  is 
willing  to  give  of  his  time  and  means.  He 
is  an  enterprising  and  successful  farmer, 
and  is  worthy  of  the  esteem  in  which  he  is 
held. 


DE  WITT  CLINTON  PRATT,  the  old- 
est photographer  in  Aurora,  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Homer,  Cortland  county, 
New  York,  August  14,  1823,  and  is  the  son 
of  David  and  Electa  (Alexander)  Pratt,  the 
former  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  the  lat- 
ter of  Vermont.  By  occupation  he  was  a 
farmer,  and  in  the  war  of  1812  was  a  fifer 
in  a  New  York  regiment.  He  served  only  a 
short  time,  and  although  the  regiment  was 
anxious  to  go  into  battle  it  did  not  have  a 
chance  on  account  of  the  war  being  brought 
to  a  sudden  close.  Both  he  and  his  wife 


590 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


were  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
His  death  occurred  at  Homer,  New  York, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  His  wife  sur- 
vived him,  dying  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven 
years.  Of  their  family  of  ten  children,  six 
still  survive.  One  son,  Francis  M.,  lives  in 
Lake  Forrest,  Illinois,  while  a  daughter, 
Mrs.  H.  Wood,  resides  in  Aurora.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  remained  upon  the  home 
farm  until  thirteen  years  of  age,  then  went 
to  learn  the  painting  and  cabinet  maker's 
trade,  finishing  all  kinds  of  furniture.  Hav- 
ing no  particular  taste  for  cabinet  making, 
but  having  a  strong  liking  for  painting,  he 
discontinued  cabinet  making,  and  devoted 
his  attention  exclusively  to  painting.  In 
1845  he  came  west  to  Chicago,  where  he 
remained  one  year,  working  for  a  firm,  do- 
ing ornamental  painting  on  furniture.  From 
Chicago  he  went  to  Waukegan,  then  called 
Little  Fork,  where  he  remained  until  1849, 
working  at  his  trade.  Having  painter's 
colic,  by  the  advice  of  his  physician,  he  quit 
working  at  his  trade,  although  in  after  years 
he  did  a  little  in  that  line.  At  that  time 
the  making  of  daguerreotypes  had  assumed 
some  importance,  and  Mr.  Pratt  determined 
to  learn  to  make  them.  From  a  lady  who 
understood  the  business  he  received  instruc- 
tions, giving  in  exchange  work  at  his  trade. 
After  learning  the  business  Mr.  Pratt  in  the 
fall  of  1849  removed  to  St.  Charles,  and 
set  up  an  establishment.  He  there  re- 
mained until  1853,  although  he  established 
himself  in  business  in  Aurora  in  1851,  while 
still  making  his  home  in  St.  Charles.  In 
1853  he  moved  his  family  to  Aurora,  which 
has  since  been  his  home,  with  the  exception 
of  one  year  spent  in  Boston.  Beginning 
with  the  daguerreotypes,  he  soon  learned  to 
make  ambrotypes  and  later  photographs, 
and  has  been  in  the  business  from  that  time 


to  the  present,  almost  fifty  years.  He  is 
now  the  oldest  photographer  in  Aurora,  and 
is  called  the  veteran  portrait  man  of  the 
city.  His  work  has  always  been  rated  as  A 
No.  i,  and  he  has  carried  off  many  prizes 
for  the  excellency  of  his  work.  The  gal- 
lery is  now  run  by  his  son,  Edmund  Clinton, 
who  has  inherited  the  artistic  taste  of  his 
father. 

In  July,  1848,  Mr.  Pratt  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Burdick,  daughter 
of  Paul  Burdick,  of  Scott,  New  York.  By 
this  union  there  were  six  children,  as  fol- 
lows: Flora,  now  the  wife  of  Col.  De  Witt 
C.  Sprague,  who  was  for  eight  years  minis- 
ter to  Germany,  and  is  now  in  the  auditor's 
office  of  the  treasury  department  at  Wash- 
ington; Evlelyn  E.,  who  married  Frank  H. 
Vick,  of  Rochester,  New  York,  but  is  now 
deceased;  Frances,  wife  of  Don  D.  Miles,  a 
machinist  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
fine  tools  in  Aurora,  and  Edmund  Clinton, 
of  whom  mention  has  already  been  made. 
Two  children  died  in  infancy.  The  mother 
of  these  children,  who  was  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  church,  dying  in  1889,  our  sub- 
ject, for  his  second  wife,  in  1894,  married 
Mrs.  Charlotte  A.  Newcomb,  a  widow  of 
Rudolphus  Newcomb,  and  daughter  of 
James  White,  of  Homer,  New  York.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pratt  are  members  of  the 
Congregational  church.  In  politics  he  is 
thoroughly  independent,  voting  for  the  man 
and  not  the  party. 


F)ROFESSOR  WALTER  H.  CALLOW, 
1  principal  and  proprietor  of  the  Elgin 
Business  College,  of  Elgin,  Illinois,  was  born 
April  4,  1866,  in  Linden,  Wisconsin,  and  is 
a  son  of  W7illiam  and  Elizabeth  (Glasson) 
Callow,  the  former  a  native  of  the  Isle  of 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Man,  and  the  latter  of  Mineral  Point,  Wis- 
consin. The  paternal  grandfather,  who  was 
a  miner  by  occupation,  spent  his  entire  life 
on  the  Isle  of  Man.  He  had  a  large  family 
of  children.  John  Glasson,  the  maternal 
grandfather,  was  also  a  miner,  who  was 
born  in  England  and  at  an  early  day  came 
to  America.  He  met  his  death  in  middle 
life,  being  lost  in  the  gold  mines  at  Grass 
Valley,  California. 

In  1860,  William  Callow,  our  subject's 
father,  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  United 
States,  and  four  years  later  took  up  his  resi- 
dence upon  his  present  farm  near  Linden, 
Wisconsin.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  ear- 
nest, consistent  Christian  people,  faithful 
members  of  the  Methodist  church,  and  he  is 
now  serving  as  trustee.  To  them  have  been 
born  nine  children,  namely:  Walter  H., 
Ulysses  Grant,  Forrest  H.,  William  L., 
Herman  R.,  Clarence  L.,  Gussie  P.  and 
Wesley  H.,  all  living;  and  Roxie  L. ,  de- 
ceased. 

Professor  Callow  was  reared  upon  the 
home  farm,  and  after  attending  the  district 
schools,  he  was  a  student  for  some  time  in 
the  high  school  in  Dodgeville,  Wisconsin. 
Subsequently  he  worked  for  two  years  in  a 
creamery,  and  then  attended  a  business 
college  for  one  year,  while  for  two  years  he 
pursued  the  teacher's  course  at  Valparaiso, 
Indiana.  He  then  came  to  Elgin  where  he 
taught  in  Drew's  Business  College  for  four 
years,  and  in  1893  opened  the  Elgin  Busi- 
ness College,  which  he  has  since  success- 
fully conducted.  The  course  of  study  in- 
cludes book-keeping,  shorthand,  arithmetic, 
typewriting,  commercial  law,  correspond- 
ence, penmanship,  business  forms,  spelling 
and  business  practice,  and  it  is  the  object  of 
the  school  to  thoroughly  prepare  young  men 
and  women  for  business  careers.  The  teach- 


ers are  experienced  and  competent,  and  the 
school  is  meeting  with  a  well-deserved  suc- 
cess, having  an  average  attendance  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty  scholars. 

On  the  2 ist  of  August,  1890,  Professor 
Callow  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Al- 
vina  Holman,  a  daughter  of  Matthew  and 
Elizabeth  (Batten)  Holman,  and  to  them 
have  been  born  a  son  and  a  daughter — Al- 
vah  O.,  and  Cora  M.  The  family  have  a 
pleasant  home  at  No.  555  Douglas  avenue. 
The  Professor  and  his  wife  are  both  active 
and  prominent  members  of  the  Methodist 
church,  in  which  he  is  now  serving  as  stew- 
ard, and  politically,  he  is  identified  with  the 
Republican  party. 


WATERMAN  R.  SUNDERLAND,  now 
living  retired  in  St.  Charles,  where  he 
has  made  his  home  since  September,  1869, 
was  born  in  Shoreham,  Addison  county, 
Vermont,  April  21,  1829,  and  is  a  worthy 
representative  of  an  old  and  honored  New 
England  family  of  English  origin.  The  first 
to  come  to  the  new  world  were  three  broth- 
ers, John,  William  and  Samuel  Sunderland, 
who  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Mass- 
achusetts. Samuel  Sunderland,  our  sub- 
ject's grandfather,  was  a  soldier  of  the  Rev- 
olutionary war,  and  in  recognition  of  his 
services  he  was  granted  a  pension  by  the 
government.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  Addison  county,  Vermont,  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  wilderness  developed  a  farm 
and  reared  his  family. 

There  his  son,  Waterman  Sunderland, 
Sr. ,  grew  to  manhood,  and  for  his  services 
in  the  war  of  1812  he  was  given  a  land  war- 
rant. He  married  Lydia  Haynes,  who  was 
born  and  reared  in  Middletown,  Vermont,  a 
daughter  of  Kiah  Haynes,  also  a  represent- 


592 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


ative  of  an  old  family  of  that  state.  After 
his  marriage,  Mr.  Sunderland  continued  to 
reside  on  the  old  homestead,  caring  for  his 
father,  while  he  successfully  operated  the 
farm,  upon  which  he  lived  until  called  to 
the  world  beyond.  In  his  family  were  four 
sons  and  four  daughters  who  reached  years 
of  maturity,  Waterman  R.  being  the  young- 
'est  of  those  to  reach  maturity.  The  otheis 
were  as  follows:  Volney  lived  for  many 
years  in  Addison  county,  Vermont,  and  then 
removed  to  the  northern  part  of  the  state, 
where  he  died  at  the  age  of  eighty  years; 
Charlotte  Sophia  married  Ezekiel  Prescott 
and  first  settled  in  Addison  county,  whence 
they  later  removed  to  Faribault,  Minnesota; 
Cordelia  Maria  married  Ambrose  Hemen- 
way  and  is  now  deceased;  Jonathan  married 
and  resides  on  the  old  homestead,  caring 
for  his  parents  during  their  declining  years, 
and  there  his  death  occurred;  Marcia  Amelia 
is  the  wife  of  Elijah  Grosvenor  and  a  resi- 
dent of  Addison  county;  Lydia  Fidelia  is  the 
wife  of  O.  V.  Munn,  of  Freeport,  Illinois; 
and  Aaron  died  at  the  age  of  seven  years. 
Rev.  Byron  Sunderland,  a  cousin  of  our 
subject,  was  chaplain  of  the  senate  during 
President  Lincoln's  administration.  He  is 
a  very  able  man  and  has  been  pastor  of  one 
of  the  Presbyterian  churches  of  Washington, 
District  of  Columbia,  for  half  a  century.  He 
it  was  who  performed  the  marriage  cere- 
mony of  President  Cleveland  and  Miss 
Frances  Folsom. 

Until  nineteen  years  of  age  Waterman 
R.  Sunderland,  of  this  sketch,  remained  on 
the  old  homestead,  and  his  early  education 
obtained  in  the  common  schools  was  sup- 
plemented by  three  terms'  attendance 
at  the  Shoreham  Academy.  On  leav- 
ing the  parental  roof  he  began  life  for 
himself  as  a  peddler,  selling  tinware  for 


nine  years  in  Addison  and  adjoining  coun- 
ties, and  for  four  years  he  sold  jewelry  in  the 
same  way.  In  the  spring  of  1861  he  re- 
moved to  a  farm  in  Port  Henry,  Essex 
county,  New  York,  but  two  years  later  we 
find  him  en  route  for  Illinois.  Locating  in 
Freeport,  he  entered  the  employ  of  a  mer- 
cantile firm  in  June  of  1863,  traveling  over 
the  country  with  a  wagon  and  selling  notions 
at  wholesale  for  six  years.  He  then  came 
to  St.  Charles  and  successfully  engaged  in 
the  same  business  on  his  own  account  until 
1893,  when  he  laid  aside  business  cares. 
His  route  extended  over  several  counties 
and  he  enjoyed  an  extensive  and  profitable 
trade.  Upright  and  reliable  in  his  dealings, 
he  made  many  friends  and  secured  the  con- 
fidence and  high  regard  of  all  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact. 

In  Rochester,  Vermont,  Mr.  Sunderland 
was  married  in  July,  1855,  to  Miss  Laura 
Rowley,  who  was  born  in  Addison  county 
and  reared  in  Shoreham,  that  state.  She 
died  in  St.  Charles  in  October,  1887,  leav- 
ing one  daughter,  Ida,  now  the  wife  of 
William  Sunderland,  of  Elgin,  Illinois. 
Our  subject  was  again  married  in  Franklin 
county,  Vermont,  March  7,  1889,  his  sec- 
ond union  being  with  Miss  Mary  E.  Sun- 
derland, who  was  born,  reared  and  educated 
in  that  county,  and  is  a  daughter  of  U.  M. 
Sunderland,  a  native  of  Vermont  and  a  sec- 
ond cousin  of  him  whose  name  introduces 
this  sketch.  Our  subject  owns  a  com- 
fortable and  pleasant  home  in  St.  Charles, 
where  he  expects  to  spend  his  declining 
years.  In  August,  1897,  he  and  his  wife 
returned  to  Vermont,  and  after  spending 
six  enjoyable  weeks  in  visiting  the  friends 
and  scenes  of  their  youth  they  returned  by 
way  of  Canada,  stopping  at  Montreal, 
where  they  also  had  friends  living,  and  they 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


593 


took  in  the  sights  of  that  great  and  inter- 
esting city. 

Mr.  Sunderland  was  reared  a  Whig,  and 
has  been  a  stanch  Republican  since  casting 
his  first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lin- 
coln, in  1864.  Public  office  has  never  had 
any  attraction  for  him,  but  he  has  ever 
faithfully  performed  all  duties  of  citizen- 
ship. His  wife  attends  the  Congregational 
church  of  St.  Charles,  and  is  one  of  its 
most  active  workers. 


/CHARLES  W.  WATSON,  who  is  en- 
*<-J  gaged  in  general  farming  on  section 
29,  Hampshire  township,  is  well  known  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  county.  As  his 
father  died  while  yet  a  young  man  the 
facts  of  his  remote  ancestry  that  might  have 
been  known  are  lost.  Benjamin  F.  Wat- 
son, the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Greene,  Chenango  county,  New 
York,  April  4,  1837,  and  came  west  when 
a  boy.  His  father,  William  Watson,  who 
married  Submit  Mack,  came  to  northern 
Illinois  seeking  a  home  for  his  family  and 
died  at  Naperville  before  their  arrival. 
With  a  sister,  Benjamin  F.  Watson  came 
to  Illinois,  and  for  a  time  lived  with  her  at 
Woodstock,  McHenry  county,  Illinois. 
Colonel  Julian,  of  that  county,  took  a  fancy 
to  the  boy  and  taking  him  to  his  home 
when  but  ten  years  of  age,  learned  him  the 
blacksmith  trade.  In  five  years  and  at  an 
age  when  most  boys  are  just  beginning  to 
think  of  choosing  a  trade  or  profession,  he 
was  an  expert  mechanic.  After  about  three 
years  at  Elgin,  doing  the  fine  iron  work  on 
carriages  and  buggies  for  a  factory  at  that 
place,  he  married  and  moved  to  Allen's 
Grove,  Wisconsin,  where  he  conducted  a 
shop  until  his  enlistment  in  the  army.  He 


enlisted  in  the  Fourth  Wisconsin  Battery  in 
September,  1861,  serving  in  all  the  engage- 
ments of  his  command  until  stricken  with 
typhoid  fever,  from  the  effects  of  the  im- 
pure water,  heat  and  dust  incident  to  sum- 
mers in  the  south.  For  twenty-two  months 
he  had  been  stationed  at  Fortress  Monroe, 
where  he  was  stricken  with  the  fever.  After 
but  two  days  in  the  hospital  at  Yorktown, 
Virginia,  so  violent  was  the  fever  that  he 
died  August  4,  1863.  He  was  married  De- 
cember 9,  1857,  to  Mis3  Helen  Bell,  born 
on  the  old  homestead  on  section  29,  Hamp- 
shire township,  March  16,  1840. 

The  Bell  family  is  one  of  the  oldest  and 
most  respected  in  Kane  county.  Henry  G. 
Bell,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was 
born  at  Ogdensburg,  New  York,  September 
13,  1808.  He  was  the  son  of  Ralph  Ru- 
dolphus  Wheelock  Bell,  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont, who  was  the  son  of  Ralph  'Bell. 
Ralph  R.  W.  Bell  married  Desire  Rey- 
nolds, a  native  of  Vermont,  who  lived  until 
about  1876.  Henry  G.  Bell  spent  his  boy- 
hood in  Ogdensburg,  New  York,  and  in  1824 
moved  with  the  family  to  Detroit,  Michi- 
gan, where  he  remained  until  March,  1837, 
and  then  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  tak- 
ing up  a  claim  in  Burlington  township. 
This  claim  was  jumped  and  he  was  wrong- 
fully deprived  of  his  rights.  He  then  came 
to  Hampshire  township,  secured  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  on  section  29,  and 
made  a  home  here  for  his  family,  and  on 
which  he  resided  until  his  death,  December 
26,  1897.  Owing  to  the  wrong  done  him  in 
Burlington,  he  seldom  ever  went  there  on 
business  of  any  kind,  doing  his  trading  else- 
where. At  the  time  of  making  his  claim  in 
Hampshire  township,  there  was  but  one 
house  between  his  place  and  Sycamore,  De 
Kalb  county,  that  of  Mr.  Shurtliff. 


594 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Henry  G.  Bell  was  of  a  genial,  sunny 
disposition,  always  happy.  His  only  tribu- 
lation was  getting  the  boys  up  in  the  morn- 
ing. Sometimes,  after  repeatedly  calling 
them,  he  would  become  provoked  and 
angrily  start  up  the  stairs,  but  after  mount- 
ing a  step  or  two,  would  stop  and  reflect 
that  anger  was  not  conducive  to  longevity, 
and  come  down  singing,  leaving  the  boys  to 
sleep.  He  was  revered  by  all  who  knew 
him,  and  sincerely  mourned  when  called  to 
rest  at  the  age  of  almost  four  score  years 
and  ten.  Henry  G.  Bell  married  Charlotte 
R.  DeWitt,  who  was  left  an  orphan  at  the 
age  of  eight  years.  To  them  were  born  ten 
children,  as  follows:  Martinette,  who  mar- 
ried Henry  Phelps,  of  Charles  City,  Iowa; 
Helen,  the  mother  of  our  subject;  Prudence, 
widow  of  Dennis  Remmington,  of  Kansas; 
George,  who  lives  in  Elgin;  Charlotte,  who 
married  Melvin  Poor,  and  resides  in  Ne- 
braska; John,  who  lives  in  Genoa  township, 
DeKalb  county;  Mary,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Frank,  living  in  Elgin;  Charles,  living  in 
Genoa  township,  De  Kalb  county;  and  Can- 
dice,  living  in  Sycamore,  and  who  married  a 
Mr.  Gillett. 

Charles  W.  Watson  was  the  only  child 
of  Benjamin  F.  and  Helen  Watson.  He 
was  born  at  Allen's  Grove,  Wisconsin,  Feb- 
ruary 26,  1860,  and  was  reared  in  Hamp- 
shire  township,  Kane  county,  Illinois.  His 
education  was  obtained  in  the  schools  of 
that  township,  and  at  Madison,  Wisconsin, 
and  Sycamore,  Illinois.  At  the  age  of  sev- 
enteen, he  commenced  to  learn  the  trade  of 
a  machinist  and  engineer  in  Chicago,  and 
after  working  for  the  City  railway  two 
years,  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Illinois 
Central  railroad,  remaining  thirteen  years, 
becoming  one  of  its  most  trusted  engineers. 
He  resigned  that  position  in  1894,  and  with 


his  mother  moved  back  to  the  farm  in  or- 
der that  she  might  care  for  her  aged  father. 
He  is  now  conducting  a  general  and  dairy 
farm,  and  being  an  expert  machinist,  has  a 
shop  on  his  place,  doing  his  own  repairing, 
which  is,  in  fact,  better  than  it  could  be 
done  at  most  regular  repair  shops.  Mr. 
Watson  was  married  in  Chicago,  January 
i,  1896,  to  Miss  Carrie  Smith,  a  native  of 
Galesburg,  Illinois,  but  reared  in  Chicago, 
and  a  daughter  of  Frederick  L.  Smith,  Jr., 
a  native  of  Mercersburg,  Franklin  county, 
Pennsylvania,  born  September  25,  1825, 
and  who  died  August  13,  1893.  He  was  the 
son  of  Frederick  L.  Smith,  Sr. ,  and  Re- 
becca (Shafer)  Smith,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Frederick  L. 
Smith,  Jr.,  who  was  a  commercial  traveler 
for  a  wholesale  drug  house  in  Chicago,  mar- 
ried Anna  Benton,  born  at  Quincy,  Illinois, 
and  a  daughter  of  Erastus  and  Caroline 
(Cook)  Benton,  who  were  from  Hartford, 
Connecticut. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  one  child  has 
been  born,  Charles  Frederick,  born  De- 
cember 19,  1897.  While  engaged  in  rail- 
roading, Mr.  Watson  was  a  member  of  the 
Fireman's  Brotherhood,  and  also  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  fraternally 
is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 


ALFONSO  A.  SMITH,  who  resides  at 
119  North  Root  street,  Aurora,  Illi- 
nois, has  held  a  responsible  position  in  the 
shops  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
Railroad  Company  for  more  than  twenty- 
five  years.  He  was  born  in  Burlington, 
Illinois,  March  31,  1852.  He  is  an  adopted 
son  of  U.  M.  Smith,  who  was  born  on  Cald- 
well's  Manor,  Canada,  November  23,  1818, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


595 


and  who  died  in  March,  1897,  but  who  was 
an  early  settler  of  Kane  county,  emigrating 
from  Pennsylvania.  His  own  father,  James 
Shanks,  was  of  Scotch  parentage,  and  was 
also  an  early  settler  of  Illinois.  Shortly 
after  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California  he 
made  a  trip  to  that  new  Eldorado,  and  died 
on  the  homeward  voyage. 

Our  subject  grew  to  manhood  in  Kane 
county,  and  received  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  Aurora.  In  early  life  he 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  for  ten 
years  was  a  journeyman  in  the  carpenter 
shops  of  the  Burlington  road,  and  since 
1 88 1  has  been  foreman  of  a  gang  of  work- 
men, and  is  now  one  of  the  oldest  employes 
here  of  that  road. 

Mr.  Smith  was  married  May  17,  1874, 
in  Aurora,  to  Miss  Laura  Bradshaw,  a  na- 
tive of  Canada,  born  and  reared  in  Prince 
Edwards  county,  and  a  daughter  of  James 
Bradshaw,  who  located  in  Aurora  in  1885, 
where  his  death  occurred  in  1897.  His 
wife  survived  him,  dying  March  2,  1898. 
By  this  union  are  four  children — Pearl, 
Pansy,  Adra  and  Gladys.  The  first  named 
is  an  artist  in  water  colors  and  oils,  and  has 
developed  a  decided  talent  for  painting  and 
drawing. 

Politically,  Mr.  Smith  is  a  Republican, 
and  has  advocated  the  principles  of  that 
party  since  attaining  his  majority,  and  has 
at  all  times  voted  his  party's  ticket.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  and  has  served 
in  nearly  every  official  capacity  in  his  lodge. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Home  Forum. 
While  not  members,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith 
are  attendants  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  They  reside  in  a  neat  and  com- 
fortable home  on  Root  street,  which  is  ever 
open  for  the  reception  of  their  many  friends. 
A  lifelong  resident  of  Kane  county,  Mr. 


Smith  has  gone  in  and  out  among  the  peo- 
ple, doing  the  work  at  hand  cheerfully  and 
well,  and  not  only  enjoys  the  respect  and 
confidence  of  the  community  in  which  he 
lives,  but  the  great  company  in  whose  em- 
ployment he  has  so  long  been,  which  is  at- 
tested by  his  years  of  faithful  service. 


f~>EORGE  BYRON  REED,  engaged  in 
V.J  farming  on  section  32,  Plato  township, 
was  born  near  Wayne,  Du  Page  county, 
Illinois,  January  22,  1838.  He  grew  to 
manhood  on  his  father's  farm  and  attended 
district  schools  during  the  winter  terms  un- 
til twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  remained 
at  home  until  August,  1862,  when  he  en- 
listed in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and 
Fifth  Regiment,  Illinois  Volunteer  Infan- 
try, enlisting  at  Wheaton,  from  which  place 
he  was  sent  to  Dixon,  Illinois,  thence,  to 
Chicago,  where  the  regiment  remained  one 
week.  From  there  it  was  sent  to  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky,  from  which  place  it 
marched  to  Tunnel  Hill,  near  Nashville. 
With  the  regiment  he  participated  in  the 
battle  of  Resaca,  in  the  Atlantic  campaign, 
and  with  Sherman  on  his  march  to  the  sea. 
While  on  the  way  north,  at  Milledge,  North 
Carolina,  he  first  heard  of  the  surrender  of 
Lee.  He  was  present  at  the  surrender 
of  Johnston,  and  was  in  a  grand  review  at 
Washington.  With  his  regiment  he  was 
mustered  out  at  Washington,  and  was  dis- 
charged at  Chicago,  June  15,  1865.  Re- 
turning home  he  rented  a  farm  some  eight 
or  ten  years,  and  then  purchased  some  two 
hundred  and  fifteen  acres,  lying  in  Camp- 
ton  township,  which  four  years  later  he 
sold,  and  then  purchased  his  present  farm 
of  two  hundred  and  forty-two  acres,  which 
lies  partly  in  Plato  and  Campion  townships. 


596 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


George  W.  Reed,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Franklin  county,  Ver- 
mont, February  22,  1806,  and  died  in  Du 
Page  county,  Illinois,  February  22,  1888. 
He  lived  in  Vermont  until  he  was  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  years  old,  and  after  marriage 
emigrated  to  Ohio,  where  he  lived  two 
years.  He  then  came  west  to  Chicago, 
and  from  there  to  Du  Page  county,  settling 
near  Wayne,  where  he  took  up  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres.  His  father,  Nathan- 
iel Reed,  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  and 
was  the  son  of  Horace  Reed,  a  soldier  of 
the  Revolutionary  war.  George  W.  Reed 
married  Miss  Julia  Ellenwood,  a  native  of 
Vermont,  born  in  1816,  by  whom  he  had 
eight  children,  as  follows:  Rodney  H.,  de- 
ceased; George  Byron,  our  subject;  William 
Thomas,  who  lives  in  West  Chicago;  Emily 
A.,  wife  of  Robert  Benjamin,  residing  near 
West  Chicago;  Eldon,  deceased;  Julia,  wife 
of  James  Campbell,  a  hardware  merchant; 
Charles,  living  on  the  old  homestead;- and' 
Ida  May,  who  married  Weldford  Wagner, 
of  West  Chicago. 

On  the  ipth  of  February,  1873,  our  sub- 
ject was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Eliza 
A.  Kline,  born  in  the  township  of  Wayne, 
Du  Page  county,  and  daughter  of  John  and 
Clarrissa  (Champion)  Kline,  natives  of  New 
York  state.  By  this  union  three  children 
have  been  born:  Frank  W.,  in  charge  of 
the  store  owned  by  his  father  at  Lily  Lake, 
Kane  county;  Mertie  M.  and  Ray  Harrison. 

Mr.  Reed  was  for  some  years  a  member 
of  the  South  Chicago  post,  G.  A.  R.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  for  fifteen 
years  served  as  school  director,  always  tak- 
ing a  commendable  interest  in  educational 
matters.  His  fine  farm,  which  is  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation,  is  devoted  chiefly 
to  grain  and  dairy  purposes.  The  dwelling 


house  is  a  substantial  structure,  and  there 
is  a  beautiful  grove  of  evergreens  about  the 
place.  Mr.  Reed  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
most  enterprising  business  men  in  Plalo 
township,  and  his  fine  property  has  been 
accumulated  by  his  own  exertions. 


HIRAM  LASHER,  a  retired  farmer,  liv- 
ing on  section  5,  Big  Rock  township, 
has  been  a  resident  of  Kane  county  since 
1855.  He  was  born  in  Columbia  county, 
New  York,  November  8,  1815.  His  father, 
George  G.  Lasher,  was  also  a  native  of  that 
county.  The  family  are  of  German  ances- 
try, and  were  among  the  pioneers  of  Co- 
lumbia county.  In  that  county  George  G. 
Lasher  grew  to  manhood  and  married  Eliza- 
beth Kiselbergh,  also  a  native  of  Columbia 
county.  After  their  marriage  he  engaged 
jn  farming  in  Columbia  county  for  some 
years,  and  later  removed  to  Rensselaer 
county,  New  York,  and  there  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life,  dying  in  1872,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-two  years.  His  wife  preceded 
him  many  years,  dying  in  1848. 

Hiram  Lasher  grew  to  manhood  in  Co- 
lumbia county,  and  during  his  boyhood  and 
youth  had  the  opportunity  each  winter  of 
attending  the  public  schools.  During  the 
remainder  of  the  year  he  assisted  his  father 
in  farm  work.  When  a  young  man  he  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  Rensselaer  county, 
and  remained  with  them  until  thirty  years 
old.  He  was  married  in  Rensselaer  county, 
July  4,  1846,  to  Miss  Fannie  Maria  Williams, 
born  in  Warren  county.  New  York,  and  a 
daughter  of  W.  W.  Williams,  also  a  native 
of  New  York,  but  whose  parents  were  from 
Connecticut. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Lasher  worked 
his  father's  farm  on  shares  for  two  years. 


HIRAM   LASHER. 


MRS.   HIRAM   LASHER. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


60 1 


and  after  the  death  of  the  mother  rented 
the  farm  for  six  years.  In  1855  he  came 
to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  located  in 
Kaneville  township,  where  he  purchased  a 
farm  of  ninety  acres,  eighty  acres  of  which 
had  been  broken  and  some  improvements 
made  on  the  place.  He  there  resided  for 
eighteen  years,  during  which  time  he  made 
many  valuable  improvements,  including  the 
building  of  a  barn  and  other  outbuildings. 
Selling  that  farm  at  an  advance  over  the 
original  purchase  price,  he  bought  the  farm 
where  he  now  resides,  on  section  5,  Big 
Rock  township,  consisting  of  one  hundred 
and  forty-eight  acres,  and  which  lies  partly 
in  Kaneville  township.  The  farm  was  an 
improved  one  at  the  time  of  his  purchase, 
but  he  has  since  made  other  improvements, 
tiling  the  place,  erecting  a  good  barn,  and 
building  cribs  and  sheds  for  the  storing  of 
grain  and  the  shelter  of  stock. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lasher  became  the  par- 
ents of  two  children.  Sarah  Olivia  is  now 
the  wife  of  J.  H.  Meade,  a  farmer  of  Kane- 
ville township.  Melvin  grew  to  manhood, 
was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of 
Kaneville  and  Big  Rock  townships,  and 
later  married  Harriet  Bailey,  a  native  of 
Peoria  county,  Illinois,  but  who  grew  to 
womanhood  in  Kane  county.  They  have 
three  children:  Fannie,  Alice  and  Ida,  who 
are  students  of  the  home  schools. 

After  a  happy  married  life  of  fifty-two 
years,  Mrs.  Lasher  died  May  2,  1898,  and 
was  laid  to  rest  in  the  Kaneville  cemetery. 
Her  death  was  mourned  by  a  large  circle  of 
friends  in  Big  Rock  and  Kaneville  town- 
ships. Politically  Mr.  Lasher  has  been  a 
Republican  since  the  organization  of  the 
party,  but  cast  his  first  presidential  ballot 
for  Martin  Van  Buren,  after  which  he  sup- 
ported the  Whig  party  until  it  ceased  to 
£.9 


exist.  A  residence  of  forty-three  years  in 
Kaneville  and  Big  Rock  townships  has  made 
for  Mr.  Lasher  many  warm  friends,  by  whom 
he  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem.  He  is  a 
man  of  upright  character  and  exemplary 
habits,  and  this  sketch  of  him  will  be  read 
by  many  friends. 


WILLIAM  W.  EVANS,  a  well-known 
publisher  of  maps  and  directories 
living  at  No.  260  'Villa  street,  Elgin,  was 
born  in  Quebec,  Canada,  February  13, 
1839,  a  son  of  James  and  Mary  (Carpenter) 
Evans.  The  father,  a  native  of  county 
Galway,  Ireland,  served  for  some  time  as 
lieutenant  in  the  British  army,  and  as  a  re- 
tired officer  he  received  half  pay  for  forty 
years,  from  the  time  Napoleon  was  sent  to 
St.  Helena.  After  his  emigration  to  Can- 
ada he  married  Mary  Carpenter,  who  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  of  English  and  Ger- 
man descent,  but  was  reared  in  Canada. 
There  the  father  died  in  1859,  when  in  his 
sixty-fifth  year,  and  the  mother  passed 
away  April  8,  1888,  aged  eighty-seven 
years.  Both  were  earnest,  consistent 
Christians,  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  and  Mr.  Evans  was  a  local 
preacher  for  that  denomination,  in  which 
capacity  he  was  known  throughout  the 
greater  part  of  the  province  of  Ontario. 
Of  the  twelve  children  born  to  this 
worthy  couple,  seven  are  still  living,  name- 
ly: Frances,  wife  of  Richard  Wood,  of 
Toronto,  Canada;  Louisa,  widow  of  Will- 
iam G.  Stephens,  and  also  a  resident  of 
Toronto;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Henry  L.  Boss, 
of  Caro,  Michigan;  James  C.,  a  resident  of 
East  Saginaw,  Michigan;  Henry  T.,  an  ed- 
itor living  in  Texas;  William  W. ,  of  this 
sketch;  and  Robert  F.,  who  is  a  clerk  in 


6O2 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  auditor's    office   of  the    Michigan  Cen- 
tral railroad  at  Detroit,  Michigan. 

William  W.  Evans  commenced  his  edu- 
cation under  the  able  direction  of  his  father, 
who  was  a  classical  scholar  and  a  teacher 
for  many  years.  Subsequently  he  attended 
the  high  school  at  Simcoe,  Canada,  where 
he  studied  the  languages  and  higher  math- 
ematics. During  early  life  he  learned  the 
printer's  trade,  at  which  he  worked  in  many 
places  until  finally  locating  in  the  Canadian 
oil  regions,  where  oil  was  first  discovered 
during  our  Civil  war.  Here  he  was  em- 
ployed on  "The  Oil  Springs  Chronicle,"  the 
first  paper  of  the  kind  published  in  Canada, 
and  subsequently  he  purchased  the  paper, 
remaining  there  two  years.  On  selling  out 
he  removed  to  Watertown,  New  York,  in 
1865,  where  he  worked  on  a  daily  paper  for 
a  year  and  a  half,  and  then  entered  the 
service  of  Hamilton  Child,  a  directory  pub- 
lisher at  Syracuse,  acting  as  compiler  and 
superintendent  for  ten  years,  during  which 
time  he  assisted  in  the  publication  of  direct- 
ories of  forty-two  counties  in  New  York  and 
three  in  Pennsylvania.  On  leaving  that 
firm  he  returned  to  the  province  of  Ontario. 
Canada,  where,  on  his  own  account,  he 
published  directories  of  many  counties  and 
some  cities,  remaining  there  for  ten  years 
and  meeting  with  good  success  in  the  under- 
taking. In  1888  he  came  to  Elgin  and  got 
out  the  first  gazetteer  and  directory  of  Kane 
county,  and  since  then  has  compiled  a  sec- 
ond edition  and  also  two  editions  of  the  city 
directory  for  the  publishers,  Lowrie  &  Black. 
Our  subject  has  also  published  a  map  of 
Kane  county. 

In  Watertown,  New  York,  Mr.  Evans 
was  married  to  Miss  Nellie  Waters,  of 
Loughborough,  Canada,  a  daughter  of  Bulk- 
ley  Waters,  a  farmer  and  tanner  of  that 


country.  Three  children  bless  this  union, 
namely:  Hamilton,  a  machinist,  of  Elgin; 
and  Eva  and  Dora,  who  are  both  employed 
in  the  watch  factory  at  this  place.  The 
parents  and  children  are  all  members  of  the 
First  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Elgin, 
and  are  the  center  of  a  large  circle  of  friends 
and  acquaintances.  Politically  Mr.  Evans 
is  in  sympatny  with  the  Republican  party. 


DANIEL  B.  MOORE.— This  age  is  not 
wholly  utilitarian.  On  all  sides  we 
see  some  earnest  souls  laboring  devotedly 
to  bring  about  a  recognition  of  some  higher 
principle  in  life  than-selfish  greed,  and  stim- 
ulating in  the  hearts  of  others  a  desire  for 
spiritual  progress.  The  friends  of  Mr. 
Moore  will  see  in  his  years  of  faithful  work 
in  all  forms  of  religious  endeavor  a  source 
of  present  good  to  the  community,  and  long 
after  he  has  entered  into  his  final  rest  his 
influence  will  continue  in  everlasting  circles. 

Mr.  Moore,  who  is  now  a  highly  respect- 
ed citizen  of  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  was  born 
January  7,  1829,  in  the  town  of  Leroy, 
Genesee  county,  New  York,  and  belongs  to 
a  family  that  was  established  in  New  Jersey 
at  a  very  early  day  in  the  history  of  this 
country.  His  grandfather,  John  Moore, 
was  a  native  of  that  state,  and  successfully 
engaged  in  the  occupation  of  weaving 
throughout  his  active  business  life.  He 
was  a  well-educated  man,  and  held  numer- 
ous public  positions  of  honor  and  trust. 

John  C.  Moore,  our  subject's  father, 
was  born  in  New  Jersey,  in  1796,  and  about 
1804  removed  with  his  father  to  Seneca 
county,  New  York,  becoming  a  pioneer  of 
that  region,  where,  in  the  midst  of  the  wil- 
derness, he  grew  to  manhood.  There  he 
was  married  to  Elizabeth  Bovee,  who  was 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


603 


born  on  the  Mohawk  river,  in  Schoharie 
county,  New  York.  He  was  also  a  weaver 
by  -trade,  and  after  following  that  occupa- 
tion in  Seneca  county  for  some  years,  he 
removed  to  Genesee  county,  locating  on  a 
farm.  Subsequently  he  lived  for  a  time  in 
Monroe,  Niagara  and  Livingston  counties, 
but  returned  to  Genesee  county,  where  he 
died  in  January,  1877.  His  wife,  who  sur- 
vived him  for  some  time,  passed  away  at 
the  age  of  seventy-eight  years,  and  her  re- 
mains were  interred  by  his  side. 

All  of  the  children  born  to  this  worthy 
couple  reached  man  and  womanhood. 
Maria  is  the  wife  of  Edwin  Ward,  of  Bata- 
via,  New  York.  Rachel  Ann  married  Will- 
iam Adkins,  and  died  in  Michigan.  Cath- 
erine is  the  widow  of  Abram  Bovee,  and  re- 
sides in  Monroe  county,  New  York.  Daniel 
B.  is  next  in  order  of  birth.  Jane  first  mar- 
ried Matthew  Spitzer,  and  after  his  death 
wedded  Horace  Freer,  and  died  in  Portage, 
New  York.  Sarah  married  Alexander  Cul- 
verson,  and  some  years  later  came  to  St. 
Charles,  Illinois,  where  her  death  occurred. 
Jacob  enlisted  in  the  Ninth  New  York  Ar- 
tillery during  the  Civil  war,  but  was  after- 
ward transferred  to  the  infantry,  and  was 
killed  at  the  battle  of  Winchester,  giving 
his  life  in  defense  of  the  Union.  Matthew, 
who  was  also  one  of  the  boys  in  blue  during 
the  Rebellion,  now  resides  on  the  old  home 
farm  in  Genesee  county,  New  York.  Mary 
E.  is  the  widow  of  James  Cooper,  who  was 
killed  in  a  railroad  accident  at  Batavia,  New 
York,  in  August,  1897. 

On  the  old  homestead  in  Genesee  coun- 
ty, New  York,  Daniel  B.  Moore  passed  his 
boyhood  and  youth,  acquiring  his  elementary 
education  in  the  common  and  union  schools 
of  that  section.  In  early  life  he  learned  the 
blacksmith's  trade,  serving  four  and  a  half 


years'  apprenticeship,  and  then  worked  at 
the  trade  for  a  time,  saving  his  wages  to 
pay  his  expenses  while  attending  Oberlin 
College  of  Ohio,  where  he  completed  his 
literary  training. 

In  1853  Mr.  Moore  went  to  Delavan, 
Walworth  county,  Wisconsin,  where  he 
taught  school,  and  also  worked  at  his  trade 
for  a  short  time.  In  Elkhorn,  that  state, 
he  was  married  November  29,  1853,  to  Miss 
Harriet  Jane  Culverson,  who  was  born  in 
Vermont,  but  was  principally  reared  and 
educated  in  Delavan,  Wisconsin.  Her  fa- 
ther, James  Culverson,  was  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  that  state.  In  1854  Mr.  Moore 
located  on  a  farm,  and  though  he  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  through  the  summer 
season,  he  taught  school  during  the  winter 
months.  Removing  to  Iowa,  in  1855,  ne 
bought  a  farm  in  Fayette  county,  but  at  the 
end  of  a  year  sold  his  place  and  returned  to 
.  Wisconsin,  living  in  Walworth  county  until 
coming  to  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  in  Novem- 
ber, 1862.  Here  he  conducted  a  black- 
smith shop  from  1863  until  1886.  His  first 
wife  died  in -St.  Charles  in  1872,  and  of  the 
six  children  born  to  them,  two  died  in  child- 
hood. In  order  of  birth  they  are  as  follows: 
Alice  passed  away  at  the  age  of  eight  years; 
James  is  a  business  man  of  Elgin;  Charles 
is  engaged  in  business  in  Aurora;  Edwin 
died  in  childhood;  Carrie  J.  is  engaged  in 
the  millinery  business  in  Chicago;  and  Mary 
E.  is  the  wife  of  James  H.  Furman,  who 
holds  a  responsible  business  position  in 
Chicago. 

Mr.  Moore  was  again  married  in  St. 
Charles,  April  4,  1889,  his  second  union  be- 
ing with  Mrs.  Kate  A.  Chapman,  a  native 
of  New  York  City,  and  a  daughter  of  James 
P.  Furnald,  an  honored  pioneer  of  St. 
Charles,  who  removed  here  from  Genesee 


604 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


county,  New  York.  By  occupation  he  was 
a  merchant  tailor.  From  St.  Charles  he 
removed  to  Chillicothe,  Missouri,  where  he 
lived  some  years,  after  which  he  returned 
to  St.  Charles,  and  here  died  at  the  age  of 
sixty-eight  years.  He  was  a  stanch  Re- 
publican in  politics  and  was  a  faithful  mem- 
ber of  the  Congregational  church. 

In  1887  Mr.  Moore  removed  to  Chicago, 
but  after  a  residence  there  of  one  year,  he 
returned  to  St.  Charles,  buying  back  his 
old  business.  A  year  later,  however,  he 
again  sold,  and  was  engaged  in  business  for 
some  time  in  Chicago,  though  he  continued 
to  reside  in  St.  Charles.  He  subsequently 
conducted  a  grocery  store  for  two  or  three 
years  in  the  former  city,  and  on  disposing 
of  that  he  embarked  in  the  tea  and  coffee 
business,  during  all  this  time  continuing  to 
reside  in  St.  Charles.  When  he  sold  the 
latter  store  he  again  engaged  in  black- 
smithing  for  two  or  three  years  in  Chicago, 
and  made  his  home  in  that  city,  but  in 
April,  1896,  he  returned  to  St.  Charles, 
where  he  has  since  lived.  After  disposing 
of  his  blacksmith  shop  in  Chicago,  he  en- 
gaged in  the  tea  and  coffee  business,  in 
which  business  he  is  still  engaged.  Upright 
and  reliable  in  all  things,  he  has  gained  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  all  with  whom  he 
has  come  in  contact  either  in  business  or 
social  life,  and  through  his  own  industry, 
enterprise  and  good  management  has  ac- 
cumulated a  comfortable  competence. 

Mr.  Moore's  father  was  first  an  old-line 
Whig  in  politics,  later  was  a  stanch  Aboli- 
tionist and  afterward  a  Republican.  Our 
subject  also  supported  the  Abolition  party 
on  attaining  his  majority,  voting  for  John 
P.  Hale,  and  in  1856  he  cast  his  ballot  for 
John  C.  Fremont,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  a  pronounced  Republican.  Being  a 


warm  friend  of  our  public  school  system,  he 
most  efficiently  served  as  a  member  of  the 
school  board  for  a  number  of  years,  and  for 
four  years  he  also  served  as  trustee  of  St. 
Charles  before  the  incorporation  of  the  city 
and  assisted  in  changing  it  from  a  village, 
laying  out  the  wards  as  they  stand  to-day. 
He  was  a  candidate  on  the  temperance 
ticket,  and  although  he  never  solicited  a 
vote,  he  received  a  large  majority  at  each 
election. 

During  his  youth  Mr.  Moore  joined  the 
Congregational  church  in  New  York,  was  a 
member  of  the  old  Plymouth  church  at 
Oberlin,  Ohio,  while  attending  college,  and 
afterward  belonged  to  the  church  in  De- 
lavan,  Wisconsin.  In  1863  he  became 
identified  with  the  church  in  St.  Charles,  and 
four  years  later  was  chosen  deacon,  which 
office  he  filled  continuously  until  1887.  On 
his  removal  to  Chicago  he  united  with  the 
Union  Park  church,  and  for  some  time  was 
a  teacher  in  that  Sunday-school  and  in  the 
Oakley  Avenue  mission.  On  his  return  to 
St.  Charles  he  was  again  elected  deacon  of 
the  congregation  there,  and  when  he  again 
removed  to  Chicago  he  was  chosen  deacon 
of  the  Warren  Avenue  Congregational 
church,  of  which  he  became  a  member. 
He  was  also  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school 
and  chairman  of  the  relief  committee.  Since 
his  return  to  St.  Charles  in  1896  he  has  been 
re-elected  deacon,  and  is  still  serving  in 
that  capacity,  being  one  of  the  most  faith- 
ful and  untiring  workers  in  the  church  there. 
Since  a  child  he  has  taken  great  interest  in 
the  Sabbath-school,  was  a  teacher  in  Ober- 
lin, superintendent  01  surrounding  schools, 
and  also  superintendent  of  a  Sabbath-school 
in  Iowa  while  living  there.  For  nineteen 
years,  at  different  times,  he  has  filled  the 
same  office  in  St.  Charles.  An  earnest, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


605 


conscientious  Christian  gentleman,  char- 
itable and  benevolent,  the  world  is  cer- 
tainly better  for  his  having  lived. 


TAMES  D.  McDONALD  is  one  of  the 
kJ  best  farmers  of  Plato  township,  and  re- 
sides upon  section  36,  on  the  farm  known 
as  the  Otter  Creek  farm.  He  was  born  on 
a  farm  in  Elgin  township  February  26,  1851, 
and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Rebecca  (Den- 
mark) McDonald,  the  former  a  native  of 
Scotland  and  the  latter  of  England,  of  whom 
further  mention  is  made  in  the  sketch  of 
William  Wallace  McDonald.  Until  he  was 
sixteen  years  of  age  he  attended  the  district 
schools  a  portion  of  each  year,  but  con- 
fesses at  that  time  he  had  no  love  for  the 
school  room,  and  frequently  played  truant, 
much  to  his  present  sorrow.  At  the  age  of 
nineteen  he  began  working  in  the  creamery 
at  East  Plato,  but  after  the  death  of  his  fa- 
ther he  took  charge  of  the  home  farm  for 
his  mother  until  he  attained  his  majority. 
She  then  gave  him  a  team  of  horses  and  a 
wagon.  He  then  worked  one  year  for  his 
mother,  for  which  he  received  three  hundred 
dollars  in  money,  with  which  to  commence 
life  for  himself. 

For  several  years  after  leaving  the  pa- 
rental roof  Mr.  McDonald  rented  land, 
which  he  cultivated  with  some  success,  but 
in  1879,  in  partnership  with  his  brother, 
William  Wallace,  he  bought  fifty  acres  of 
land,  which  was  part  of  his  father's  first 
purchase  in  Kane  county,  and  built  a  cream- 
ery. This  they  operated  until  1885,  when 
they  sold  out.  Four  years  previously,  how- 
ever, our  subject  purchased  his  present  farm 
of  four  hundred  and  ten  acres;  lying  in  sec- 
tion 36,  Plato  township,  and  section  i, 
Campton  township.  Until  1890  he  ran  a 


dairy  farm,  but  has  now  a  stock  farm,  rais- 
ing principally  Holstein  cattle.  For  many 
years  he  was  engaged  in  raising  horses,  con- 
tinuing in  that  business  until  prices  got  too 
low  to  raise  at  a  profit.  During  a  part  of 
the  years  1897-8  he  lived  in  Elgin,  that  his 
children  might  have  the  benefits  of  its  pub- 
lic schools,  but  in  the  spring  of  1898  he  re- 
turned to  the  farm. 

Mr.  McDonald  was  married  in  Geneva, 
Kane  county,  to  Miss  Frances  Sovereign,  a 
daughter  of  George  P.  and  Agnes  (Windsor) 
Sovereign,  the  former  a  native  'of  Canada 
and  the  latter  of  England.  The  latter,  who 
was  born  May  27,  1820,  was  a  daughter  of 
George  Windsor,  who  came  to  America  in 
1834.  George  P.  Sovereign,  who  was  a 
natural  general  mechanic,  and  had  at  vari- 
ous times  followed  the  occupations  of  a  car- 
penter, painter  and  wagon-maker,  was  a 
son  of  Richard  and  Betsy  (Plumber)  Sover- 
eign. His  father  served  in  the  war  of  1812. 
They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children — 
Mary  A.,  Harriet  E. ,  Frances,  Ella  E., 
George,  Harriet,  Myra  and  Daniel.  Of 
this  number,  Harriet  E.  died  in  early  child- 
hood, and  there  was  one  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. To  our  subject  and  wife  four  chil- 
dren have  been  born — Walter  Alton,  who 
married  Mina  Grady,  by  whom  he  has  one 
child,  Ralph  W. ,  is  now  living  on  a  farm  in 
Plato  township;  Lily  Luelia,  deceased; 
James  Elmer,  who  is  assisting  his  father  in 
the  cultivation  of  the  home  farm;  and  John 
P.,  a  student  in  the  schools  of  Elgin. 

Politically  Mr.  McDonald  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  has  served  in  various  offices,  in- 
cluding those  of  road  overseer,  school  di- 
rector and  trustee.  His  farm  is  one  of  the 
finest  in  the  county,  well  drained  and  wa- 
tered, good  dwelling,  and  good  barns  and 
other  outbuildings.  In  the  yard  are  many 


6o6 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


fine  old  trees,  which  also  line  the  roadside 
in  front  of  his  residence.  He  is  a  genial, 
whole-souled  man,  and  a  general  favorite 
throughout  the  community  in  which  he 
resides. 


HORACE  GILBERT  was  for  many  years 
an  honored  citizen  of  Aurora,  and  one 
of  its  most  active,  enterprising  business 
men.  He  was  born  in  Otsego  county,  New 
York,  August  i,  1819.  His  parents  were 
natives  of  Connecticut.  His  father  was  by 
occupation  a  farmer  and  blacksmith,  and 
for  a  time  conducted  a  general  store,  in 
connection  with  his  other  business.  Re- 
ligiously he  was  a  Congregationalist,  and 
for  years  was  a  deacon  in  that  church.  He 
was  quite  influential  in  the  community  in 
which  he  resided,  and  was  well  and  favor- 
ably known  throughout  the  county.  His 
wife,  also  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
church,  was  a  most  worthy  woman,  and 
for  many  years  was  an  invalid.  They  never 
came  west  except  on  a  visit. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  fourth  in 
a  family  of  nine  children,  of  whom  all  are 
deceased  save  three  sisters:  Adaline,  wife 
of  Clark  Smith, residing  in  New  York;  Caro- 
line, an  honored  resident  of  Aurora;  and 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  Charles  Hyde,  residing  in 
New  York.  Of  the  sons,  William  was  a 
clothier.  His  son  Doctor  Rufus,  was  a 
surgeon  in  the  late  war,  and  was  the  in- 
ventor of  the  elevated  railway  in  New  York. 
Another  son  of  William  was  a  noted  physi- 
cian, an  eye  and  ear  specialist.  Another  of 
his  sons,  William,  was  a  tobacconist  in  New 
York.  His  second  son,  Harry,  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  and  came  west,  dying 
at  Paw  Paw,  Lee  county,  Illinois.  Jay  also 
came  west  and  settled  in  Wayne  county, 


Illinois,  on  a  farm.  Delos,  was  a  druggist 
in  New  York  state. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  on 
a  farm,  and  as  soon  as  able  to  run  around, 
was  usefully  employed,  his  father  being  an 
extensive  dairyman.  His  education  was 
obtained  in  the  district  schools  of  his  native 
state.  In  1851  he  came  west,  and  spent  a 
year  on  .a  farm,  and  then  married  Miss 
Minerva  Fitch,  daughter  of  the  late  Ira 
Fitch,  who  built  the  Evans  hotel  and  other 
large  buildings  in  Aurora,  and  was  quite  a 
successful  business  man.  Soon  after  his 
marriage,  Mr.  Gilbert  came  to  Aurora, 
formed  a  partnership  with  his  father-in-law, 
and  engaged  in  the  harness  trade  on  Broad- 
way, between  Fox  and  Main  streets,  con- 
tinuing there  for  many  years.  They  were 
burned  out  at  one  time,  and  also  lost  much 
by  the  sudden  rise  of  Fox  river.  They  did 
a  large  business  in  buying  hides,  which  at 
one  time  during  a  freshet,  went  down  the 
river  incurring  great  loss.  Later  Mr.  Gil- 
bert went  across  the  river  and  engaged  in 
the  same  business  on  the  site  of  the  present 
Merchants'  Bank.  His  partner  was  John 
Kemp,  with  whom  he  continued  for  perhaps 
thirty-five  years,  and  doing  a  very  extensive 
business.  Their  goods  went  to  many  of  the 
states  of  the  union,  and  were  in  great  de- 
mand before  and  during  the  war.  He  re- 
mained in  the  harness  trade,  until  his  health 
began  to  fail,  when  he  retired  and  gave  his 
time  and  attention  to  his  other  property. 

To  Horace  and  Minerva  Gilbert,  two 
children  were  born,  both  of  whom  died  in 
infancy.  The  mother  passed  away  about 
1857.  She  was  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Congregational  church  and  died  in  the 
faith.  On  the  grd  of  January,  1871,  Mr. 
Gilbert  was  again  married,  his  second  union 
being  with  Miss  Mary  Spalding,  daughter 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


607 


of  the  late  Joseph  A.  and  Julia  A.  (West) 
Spalding,  the  former  a  native  of  Windsor 
county,  Vermont,  and  the  latter  of  Straf- 
ford,  Orange  county,  same  state.  She  was 
a  cousin  of  Justin  Morrill,  the  oldest  senator, 
and  the  longest  continually  in  the  office,  of 
any  person  in  the  United  States  senate. 
They  were  from  the  same  town,  Strafford, 
Orange  county,  Vermont. 

Joseph  A.  Spalding  came  to  Kane  coun- 
ty in  1849,  and  settled  on  a  farm  near 
Elgin.  His  children  were  all  born  in  Ver- 
mont, and  came  west  in  their  childhood. 
On  the  farm  near  Elgin  they  grew  to  mature 
years.  In  1861,  he  moved  with  his  family 
to  Aurora,  and  engaged  in  teaming  and 
farming  on  land  which  he  had  leased  just 
south  of  the  city.  In  Vermont,  Mr. 
Spalding  was  an  influential  man,  having 
served  as  captain  of  the  militia  and  justice 
of  the  peace.  He  was  a  devout  member 
and  at  times  held  the  office  of  steward, 
class  leader  and  trustee,  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  having  a  wide  and  excel- 
lent influence,  which  was  always  effectual 
in  the  right  direction.  His  death  occurred 
in  1884,  at  the  age  of  eighty- four  years. 
His  wife,  who  was  also  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  died  in  1878, 
at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  Of  their  eight 
children,  Charles  West,  who  is  a  well  edu- 
cated man,  with  experience  as  editor  of 
both  papers  and  magazines,  now  resides  in 
Florida;  Jane  Amelia,  who  married  Asa 
Merrill,  an  early  settler  of  Elgin,  and  both 
are  now  deceased,  she  dying  August  6, 
1878,  at  the  age  of  forty-four  years;  Han- 
nah A.  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Besse,  a  soldier 
of  the  late  war,  and  they  now  reside  in 
Osage  City,  Kansas;  Mercy  B..,  died  in  1841, 
at  the  age  of  four  years;  Mary  A.,  widow  of 
our  subject;  Joseph  Albert,  a  commercial 


traveler,  residing  in  Lawrence,  Kansas; 
Sarah  E.,  who  first  married  Fred  James,  of 
Aurora,  and  after  his  death,  married  Her- 
man Tetzlaff,  of  Clinton,  Iowa;  Henry  U., 
a  railroad  engineer,  at  Tacoma,  Washing- 
ton; and  Wilber  Fisk,  connected  with  the 
State  street  railway  of  Chicago,  residing  in 
Englewood,  Illinois. 

Three  children  were  born  to  Horace  and 
Mary  A.  Gilbert,  as  follows:  Jennie,  wife 
of  Hartwell  Staples,  a  native  of  Boston, 
now  doing  business  in  Chicago,  but  they 
reside  with  Mrs.  Gilbert  in  Aurora.  They 
have  one  child,  a  daughter,  Jane  Gilbert; 
Mary  Elizabeth,  wife  of  William  Hills,  in 
the  express  business  at  Galesburg,  Illinois, 
and  Edna  Morrill,  who  resides  at  home. 
Mrs.  Gilbert  is  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  is  vice  president  of  the  Ladies' 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the  church, 
and  is  in  every  way  a  most  worthy  lady  of 
pleasing  presence,  good  culture  and  Chris- 
tian character. 

Mr.  Gilbert  was  a  thorough  business 
man,  one  who  was  willing  to  do  all  in  his 
power  to  build  up  the  manufacturing  and 
other  interests  of  this  city.  He  did  much 
in  securing  the  Silver  Plate  Manufactory 
in  Aurora,  and  for  several  years  gave  it  his 
best  attention.  He  was  very  progressive 
and  modern  in  his  views,  his  great  delight 
being  in  seeing  all  industries  of  the  city  in 
a  prosperous  condition.  When  he  came  to 
Aurora,  in  the  early  "503,  he  bought  the 
place  where  his  wife's  pleasant  home  is  now 
located,  and  which  was  then  at  the  edge  of 
the  city  limits,  a  large  wheat  field  covering 
that  part  of  the  city  which  is  now  located 
on  the  south.  The  city  now  extends  far 
beyond  the  boundaries  of  the  wheat  field. 
Mr.  Gilbert  was  much  of  a  home  man,  pre- 
ferring home  to  any  other  place.  He  was 


6o8 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


a  wonderfully  kind  man,  as  is  shown  by  the 
following  incident:  A  man  had  borrowed 
from  him  a  sum  of  money,  for  which  he 
gave  as  security  a  mortgage  on  his  farm. 
The  time  for  payment  and  foreclosure  had 
arrived,  and  the  man,  feeling  his  inability 
to  pay,  was. for  relinquishing  and  giving  up 
the  farm.  Mr.  Gilbert  would  not  hear  to 
this,  and  told  him  to  hold  on  another  year. 
The  next  year  was  no  better  and  he  was 
determined  to  give  up,  but  through  hard 
persuasion  he  was  induced  to  try  another 
year,  when  fortune  turned  in  his  favor  and 
he  paid  off  the  mortgage,  and  was  ever 
afterwards  thankful  to  Mr.  Gilbert  for  his 
kindness  and  patience.  This  was  but  one 
of  many  incidents  that  might  be  related  of 
how  he  strove  to  help  others,  especially 
those  he  considered  honest  and  were  trying 
to  help  themselves.  Although  not  a  mem- 
ber of  any  church,  he  was  strict  to  observe 
the  Sabbath  day,  and  showed  a  preference 
for  the  Congregational  church.  His  death, 
which  occurred  July  9,  1894,  was  mourned 
alike  by  family  and  many  friends,  who  es- 
teemed him  for  his  true  worth  and  excel- 
lent character. 


LEWIS  C.  CLYNE.— Success  in  any 
line  of  occupation,  in  any  avenue  of 
business,  is  not  a  matter  of  spontaneity, 
but  is  a  legitimate  offspring  of  the  proper 
use  of  the  means  at  hand,  the  improvement 
of  opportunity,  and  the  exercise  of  the 
highest  functions  made  possible  in  any  case. 
To  trace  the  history  of  a  successful  life,  be 
it  in  the  electrical  world  of  business,  in  which 
competition  is  rife;  in  the  intellectual  field, 
where  devotees  open  up  the  wider  realms 
of  knowledge;  in  a  public  sphere,  where  is 
directed  the  course  of  government,  and  the 


policies  formed  that  sway  nations;  or  in 
the  calm  and  peaceful  pursuits  which  have 
to  do  with  the  source  of  all  supplies,  must 
ever  prove  possible  and  satisfying  indul- 
gence, for  the  history  of  an  individual  is  the 
history  of  a  nation;  the  history  of  a  nation 
the  history  of  a  world.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  has  made  a  success,  although  his  life 
has  not  been  under  the  most  favorable  cir- 
cumstances. 

Lewis  C.  Clyne  was  born  in  county 
Longford,  Ireland,  March  22,  1862,  and  is 
the  son  of  Thomas  and  Ann  (Martin)  Clyne, 
both  natives  of  Ireland,  and  who  were  the 
parents  of  fourteen  children,  of  whom  our 
subject  is  the  youngest.  He  remained  in 
his  native  country  until  seventeen  years  of 
age,  and  there  received  his  education  in  the 
common  schools.  With  that  laudable  de- 
sire to  better  his  condition  in  life,  he  came 
to  the  United  States,  coming  djrect  to  Ma- 
ple Park,  Illinois,  where  for  four  year's,  he 
clerked  in  the  general  store  of  his  brother, 
during  which  time  he  had  a  good  business 
training.  In  1884,  he  engaged  in  business 
for  himself,  in  the  general  mercantile  trade, 
in  which  he  has  since  continued,  and  in 
which  he  has  been  very  successful.  His 
abilities  were  soon  recognized  by  his  fellow 
citizens,  and  in  1885  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  village  board,  and  by  re- 
election has  continued  until  the  present 
time.  He  has  served  as  township  treasurer 
for  eight  years,  ,and  in  1892  was  elected 
supervisor  of  his  township,  and  in  that 
office  has  since  continued  to  serve.  In 
1893  he  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Ma- 
ple Park,  and  filled  that  position  for  four 
years,  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  the  patrons 
of  the  office. 

On  the  1 8th  of  February,  1890,  Mr. 
Clyne  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 


LEWIS    C    CLYNE. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Cii 


Hannah  Keenan,  a  native  of  Kane  county, 
and  to  them  have  been  born  two  children, 
Kathleen  and  Rose.  The  parents  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Catholic  church,  and  politics  he 
is  an  ardent  Democrat.  Although  the  town- 
ship is  largely  Republican,  his  popularity 
has  been  such  as  to  give  him  the  election 
whenever  nominated  for  any  office.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America. 


FRANKLIN  WEBSTER,  proprietor  of 
the  leading  livery  stable  of  Elgin,  Illi- 
nois, is  one  of  the  native  sons  of  Kane  coun- 
ty, born  in  Geneva,  September  12,  1849, 
and  is  a  worthy  representative  of  one  of  its 
honored  pioneer  families.  His  father,  Will- 
iam Gaylord  Webster,  was  born  at  West- 
moreland, Oneida  county,  New  York,  April 
6,  i Si  i,  a  son  of  Gaylord  and  Lucy  (Mc- 
Moran)  Webster,  who  were  natives  of  Con- 
necticut, and  were  farming  people. 

William  G.Webster  was  among  the  first 
settlers  of  Kane  county,  Illinois,  coming 
here  in  1840  and  locating  on  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  at  Nelson's  Grove, 
near  Bald  Mound,  to  the  improvement  and 
cultivation  of  which  he  devoted  his  energies 
for  some  years.  On  selling  out  he  removed 
to  Geneva,  where  he  opened  the  Webster  Tav- 
ern, which  he  successfully  conducted  until 
it  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1865.  During  a 
part  of  this  time  he  carried  the  mail  from 
the  depot  to  the  postoffice  and  also  carried 
on  a  livery  business,  being  thus  engaged  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  April 
6,  1887.  Prior  to  engaging  in  the  livery 
business  he  conducted  a  grocery  store  for  a 
time,  buying  his  stock  at  St.  Louis,  and 
hauling  it  across  the  country  from  Lyons, 
Iowa.  At  one  time  he  served  as  deputy 


sheriff  of  Kane  county,  and  as  a  stalwart 
Republican,  he  took  quite  an  active  interest 
in  political  affairs.  He  was  six  feet  in 
height,  well  built,  and  was  a  man  who  com- 
manded the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact. 

In  1841  William  G.  Webster  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Margaret  E.  Pierce, 
who  was  born  January  6,  1811,  in  Vermont, 
of  which  state  her  parents,  Dr.  Joseph  K. 
and  Hannah  (Kenyon)  Pierce,  were  also  na- 
tives. From  there  they  removed  to  Jeffer- 
son county,  New  York,  and  in  1839,  with 
their  family  of  four  children,  they  emigrated 
to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  each  taking  up 
claims  and  locating  at  Nelson's  Grove  and 
Bald  Mound.  The  children  were  Eveline, 
who  married  Samuel  Wood;  Margaret  E., 
mother  of  our  subject;  George  and  Kenyon. 
In  early  life  Mrs.  Webster  was  a  successful 
teacher  and  taught  the  first  school  ever  con- 
ducted in  Geneva.  She  was  a  lady  of  cul- 
ture and  refinement  and  was  a  member  of 
the  Episcopal  church.  She  departed  this 
life  at  Geneva,  April  14,  1887.  Her  chil- 
dren were  as  follows:  Henry  died  at  Ge- 
neva when  about  thirty-eight  years  of  age. 
Elizabeth  is  the  widow  of  T.  W.  Herring- 
ton,  who  died  in  Aurora  in  1868,  and  she 
now  lives  at  Geneva  on  the  lot  where  the 
first  house  was  built  at  that  place,  and  where 
a  spring  is  constantly  flowing.  Mary  E.  is 
also  a  resident  of  Geneva.  Franklin,  of 
this  sketch,  completes  the  family. 

The  early  life  of  our  subject  was  spent 
at  Geneva,  attending  the  public  schools  and 
assisting  his  father.  On  starting  out  in  life 
for  himself  he  was  employed  as  clerk  in  a 
grocery  store  in  Chicago  at  the  corner  of 
Canal  and  Judd  streets  for  about  six  months 
during  the  year  1864.  He  then  returned 
home  and  the  following  winter  attended 


6l2 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


school  at  Batavia.  The  next  two  years  he 
again  worked  for  his  father,  and  during  the 
winters  of  1867  and  1868  he  pursued  his 
studies  in  the  Jennings  Seminary  of  Aurora, 
where  his  literary  education  was  completed. 
Accepting  a  clerkship  in  a  grocery  store  at 
that  place,  he  remained  there  for  three  years 
and  a  half,  or  until  1871,  when  he  and  his 
brother  Henry  purchased  his  father's  livery 
business,  which  they-  successfully  conducted 
for  four  years.  After  selling  his  interest  to 
his  brother,  Franklin  Webster  came  to  Elgin 
in  April,  1882,  and  embarked  in  the  same 
business  on  Milwaukee  street.  Two  years 
later  he  built  stables  on  Grove  avenue,  where 
he  continued  in  business  until  1893,  when 
he  removed  to  his  present  location  on  Chi- 
cago street.  His  stables  are  supplied  with 
good  horses  and  a  fine  line  of  vehicles  for 
the  accommodation  of  his  large  patronage, 
and  he  is  doing  a  profitable  business,  which 
is  certainly  well  deserved. 

On  the  27th  of  September,  1882,  Mr. 
Webster  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Marian  E.  Conklin,  a  native  of  Kane  coun- 
ty, and  a  daughter  of  William  G.  and  Sarah 
A.  (Ingersol)  Conklin.  At  an  early  day  her 
parents  came  from  Buffalo,  New  York,  to 
Kane  county,  and  the  father  erected  the 
first  mill  at  St.  Charles,  operating  it  for 
many  years.  He  was  a  veteran  of  both  the 
Mexican  and  Civil  wars,  and  in  the  latter 
rose  to  the  rank  of  major,  serving  as  such 
in  the  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry.  He  was  one 
of  the  most  distinguished  and  honored  citi- 
zens of  St.  Charles,  where  he  died  in  1895. 
At  that  place  his  widow  is  still  living. 

Politically  Mr.  Webster  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican, and  fraternally  is  an  honored 
member  of  Jerusalem  Temple  lodge,  No. 
90,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Aurora  chapter,  No. 
22,  R.  A.  M.,  both  of  Aurora;  Bethel  com- 


mandery,  No.  36,  K.  T. ,  of  Elgin;  and  Sil- 
ver Leaf  camp,  No.  60,  M.  W.  A.  Being 
a  public-spirited,  enterprising  citizen,  he 
most  efficiently  served  as  alderman  from  the 
Fourth  ward  of  Elgin  in  1895-6.  With  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  his  wife  holds 
membership. 


/->EORGE  ALEXANDER,  who  is  one 
V_J  of  the  oldest  conductors  on  the  Chi- 
cago, Burlington  &  Quincy  railroad,  has 
been  in  the  employ  of  the  company  for 
forty-two  years.  He  resides  with  his  family 
at  No.  242  New  York  street,  Aurora,  Illinois. 
He  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  born  in 
Franklin  county,  February  15,  1827,  and  is 
the  son  of  Fordyce  Alexander,  also  a  native 
of  Massachusetts,  born  in  the  town  of 
Sunderland,  in  1796.  The  paternal  grand- 
father, Elisha  Alexander,  was  a  native  of 
Massachusetts.  He  moved  to  Irving,  Frank- 
lin county,  from  Sunderland,  which  was 
afterwards  his  home.  The  Alexanders  are 
of  Scotch  descent,  and  were  among  the  very 
early  settlers  of  New  England. 

Fordyce  Alexander  grew  to  manhood  in 
his  native  state,  and  there  married  Thankful 
Whitehead,  also  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
born  in  Phillipston,  Worcester  county.  Her 
father,  Gadd  Whitehead,  was  likewise  a 
native  of  the  Bay  state.  Fordyce  Alex- 
ander was  for  many  years  engaged  in 
merchandising,  in  his  native  state,  and  was 
a  manufacturer  and  dealer  in  lumber,  and 
also  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  Later 
he  moved  to  Wrightsville,  Warren  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  there  engaged  in  lumber- 
ing during  the  remainder  of  his  life,  dying 
in  1860,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  His 
wife  survived  him  many  years,  dying  in 
in  1882,  at  the  residence  of  a  daughter  in 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


613 


Boston,  Massachusetts,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
three  years.  Of  their  family  of  nine  chil- 
dren, all  grew  to  mature  years,  save  one 
daughter  who  died  in  early  childhood. 
Three  sons  yet  survive — James  H.,  a  busi- 
ness man  residing  in  Los  Angeles,  Califor- 
nia; Elisha  M.,  with  the  Chicago,  Burling- 
ton &  Quincy  Railroad  Company,  residing 
in  Aurora;  and  George  our  subject. 

George  Alexander  grew  to  manhood  in 
his  native  town  and  county,  where  he  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  common  schools. 
He  remained  with  his  father  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  assisting  him  in  the  store, 
and  on  the  farm.  He  commenced  railroad- 
ing in  Massachusetts,  when  a  young  man, 
and  in  1851  went  to  New  York,  where  he 
engaged  with  the  New  York  &  Erie  Railroad 
Company,  and  assisted  in  the  construction 
of  the  telegraph  line  of  the  western  division. 
He  remained  there  about  one  year,  then 
came  west  to  Detroit,  Michigan,  where  for 
one  year  he  engaged  in  the  wholesale  notion 
business  selling  to  the  trade  from  a  wagon. 
He  then  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  construction  work  on  the  Mis- 
souri Pacific  road,  for  about  eight  months, 
assisting  in  grading  and  laying  the  first 
thirty-five  miles  of  track.  In  1854,  here- 
turned  to  Massachusetts,  and  there  engaged 
with  the  Boston  &  Albany  railroad,  where 
he  remained  about  a  year,  and  in  1855  came 
to  Chicago,  and  commenced  work  for  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad 
Company,  at  breaking  on  a  freight  train. 
In  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  conductor  on  the  freight  train, 
and  ran  a  freight  and  construction  train 
until  1 86 1.  He  then  took  a  passenger  train 
from  Mendota  to  Chicago,  continuing  on 
that  run  about  eight  months,  and  was  then 
given  a  through  train  from  Chicago  to  Bur- 


lington. He  continued  on  that  run  until 
the  summer  of  1873,  when  he  was  made 
train  master  at  Chicago,  where  he  resided 
until  the  following  season.  In  June,  1874, 
was  transferred  to  Aurora,  where  he  was 
trainmaster,  in  charge  of  the  Chicago  divi- 
sion, until  1878,  when  he  was  made  master 
of  transportation.  Later  he  was  appointed 
division  superintendent,  a  position  that  he 
held  until  1888,  when  he  was  transferred  to 
the  claim  department,  settling  all  classes  of 
claims  against  the  road,  which  position  he 
held  for  three  years.  He  then  returned  to 
the  road  and  took  charge  of  a  passenger 
train  from  Aurora  to  Streator. 

Mr.  Alexander  was  married  in  Aurora  in 
January,  1859,  to  Miss  Mattie  Baldwin,  a 
native  of  Indiana,  where  she  was  reared 
and  educated,  and  a  daughter  of  Pollard 
Baldwin,  who  was  a  native  of  Windsor,  Ver- 
mont, and  who  removed  from  that  state  to 
Ohio,  where  he  married,  and  later  moved 
to  Indiana,  locating  in  Warren  county,  and 
from  thence  to  Montgomery  county,  where 
his  death  occurred.  By  this  union  were 
three  children,  all  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 
After  their  marriage,  Mr.  Alexander  built 
a  residence  in  Aurora,  which  he  sold  on 
his  removal  to  Chicago.  On  returning  to 
Aurora,  he  rented  for  a  year,  then  bought 
the  neat  and  substantial  residence  where  he 
now  resides  on  New  York  street. 

Politically,  Mr. -Alexander  is  a  Republic- 
an, though  of  late  years  he  has  been  inde- 
pendent, supporting  the  best  men  regardless 
of  party.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of 
Jerusalem  Temple  lodge,  No.  90,  F.  &  A. 
M.,  with  which  he  united  in  1859.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Aurora  City  Club,  a 
social  organization.  On  coming  to  Aurora 
in  1855,  he  found  but  few  miles  of  railroad 
in  the  state,  single  track  extending  from 


614 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Chicago  to  Mendota  only  was  complete. 
To-day  there  is  a  complete  network  of  roads 
extending  through  every  part  of  the  state, 
and  it  requires  hundreds  of  telegraph  wires 
to  transact  the  business  of  the  country.  As 
a  railroad  man  he  has  done  his  part  in  the 
development  of  the  state.  Wherever 
known  he  is  held  in  high  esteem,  and  has 
always  been  popular  on  the  road. 


JAMES  F.  BELL  resides  upon  section 
30,  Hampshire  township,  where  he  is 
engaged  in  dairy  farming.  He  was  born  in 
Batavia,  New  York,  January  22,  1830, 
and  is  the  son  of  Charles  Bell,  a  native  of 
Vermont,  born  October  8,  1794,  and  who 
well  remembered  Washington's  funeral. 
After  living  for  a  time  in  Batavia,  New 
York,  Charles  Bell  removed  with  his  family 
to  Java,  and  later  to  Aurora,  in  the  same 
state.  In  1838  he  moved  to  Michigan  and 
settled  in  the  town  of  Redford,  Wayne 
county,  where  he  lived  until  1865.  For  a 
time  he  was  a  sailor  on  the  lakes,  and  while 
at  a  point  of  bay  near  Toledo  he  was 
stabbed  by  an  Indian.  The  weather  was 
hot,  and  before  medical  aid  could  be  secured 
at  Detroit,  gangrene  set  in  and  it  became 
necessary  to  amputate  the  leg.  While  yet 
living  in  New  York  he  taught  school  for  a 
time.  Before  leaving  the  state  he  learned 
the  tailor's  trade,  at  which  he  worked  in  his 
native  state  and  in  Wayne  county,  Michi- 
gan. During  the  war  of  1812,  he  gave  his 
services  to  his  country.  At  the  commence- 
ment of  the  war  he  and  his  father  were 
in  rafting  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  he 
was  pressed  by  the  British  to  take  a  raft 
over  the  rapids,  and  he  ran  it  on  the  Amer- 
ican side  of  the  river  after  passing  the  rap- 
ids, into  the  hands  of  the  Americans.  After 


being  held  about  twelve  days,  he  escaped 
and  joined  the  Vermont  volunteers.  Charles 
Bell  was  the  son  of  Ralph  Rudolphus 
Wheelock  and  Desire  (Reynolds)  Bell,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  Vermont,  and  the 
father  of  Irish  descent. 

At  Aurora,  New  York,  our  subject  began 
his  education  in  the  public  schools,  and, 
after  his  arrival  in  Michigan,  continued  to 
attend  school  until  eighteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  secured  a  position  in  a  rake  fac- 
tory, where  wooden  hay  rakes  were  manu- 
factured. After  working  four  years  in  the 
factory  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  and  at 
anything  his  hand  found  to  do  until  1854. 
On  the  1 4th  of  February,  of  that  year,  he 
left  home  for  California,  sailing  from  New 
York  February  20,  on  the  steamer  Star  of 
the  West,  which  was  afterward  made  fa- 
mous in  trying  to  carry  provisions  to  Fort 
Sumter  before  hostilities  commenced  be- 
tween the  states.  After  crossing  Nicarau- 
gua,  from  Grey  town,  he  sailed  from  San 
Juan  to  San  Francisco,  on  the  steamer 
Brother  Jonathan,  arriving  about  April  10. 
On  the  trip  a  boiler  blew  out,  which  neces- 
sitated slow  speed.  The  vessel  was  soon 
afterward  condemned  for  sea  duty,  and  was 
confined  to  coast  trade.  On  arriving  in 
California  Mr.  Bell  went  into  the  mines, 
sometimes  making  one  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  a  day,  and  sometimes  making  no 
more  in  one  hundred  and  fifty  days.  For 
four  years  he  was  at  Murphy's  Camp  and 
Gaston  Hill,  near  Cave  City.  Having 
enough  of  California,  he  returned  home  by 
way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  leaving 
Aspinwall  in  the  steamer  Illinois,  which  was 
wrecked  on  the  north  coast  of  Cuba,  twelve 
hours'  run  from  Havana.  Our  subject  here 
lost  everything.  The  vessel,  however,  was 
got  off  the  reef,  repaired  and  reached  New 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


615 


York  September  8,  1858.  Onhiswaywest 
he  stopped  at  Niagara,  and  a  few  days  later 
reached  his  home  in  Wayne  county.  He 
then  worked  on  farms  in  Wayne  county  un- 
til he  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  in 
April,  1865.  On  arriving  here  he  worked 
for  his  uncle.,  Henry  G.  Bell,  for  a  time,  and 
then  rented  farms  for  six  years.  In  1871 
he  bought  his  present  farm  of  forty  acres, 
and  is  now  engaged  in  dairy  farming,  manu- 
facturing his  own  butter. 

Mr.  Bell  has  been  twice  married,  his 
first  union  being  with  Mrs.  Mary  Mclogan, 
nee  Harrne,  a  native  of  Sullivan  county, 
New  York.  By  this  union  there  are  four 
children  as  follows:  Jessie  and  China,  the 
latter  living  in  Elgin,  while  Jessie  is  a 
teacher  in  the  public  schools  in  Oregon; 
Georgia,  a  teacher  living  in  California;  and 
Mary,  who  married  Blucher  Remmington, 
by  whom  she  has  one  child,  Merrill  Vernon, 
and  they  reside  in  Kansas.  The  mother  of 
these  children  died  March  16,  1877,  and 
Mr.  Bell,  April  18,  1880,  in  Hampshire 
township,  married  Lucy  D.  Babcock,  who 
was  born  near  Warsaw,  Greene  county, 
New  York,  who  was  but  two  and  a  half 
years  old  when  her  parents  came  west  in 
1854.  She  is  the  daughter  of  William  H. 
Babcock,  a  son  of  Abiram  and  Susanna  (Lee) 
Babcock,  the  latter  being  a  cousin  of  Gen- 
eral Robert  E.  Lee.  William  H.  Babcock, 
who  was  born  October  10,  1816,  married 
Cornelia  E.,  widow  of  Evan  Soules,  and  a 
daughter  of  Andrew  and  Julia  (Diston)  Hoge- 
boom,  who  were  among  the  earliest  settlers 
of  De  Kalb  county,  and  who  also  owns 
land  in  Hampshire  township.  William  H. 
Babcock  came  to  Kane  county  in  1854,  and 
died  on  his  old  homestead,  September  12, 
1884.  By  this  second  union  there  is  one 
child,  a  daughter,  Albertine. 


Politically  Mr.  Bell  is  a  Republican,  and 
while  believing  in  the  principles  of  the 
party,  from  the  time  of  its  organization,  yet 
cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  U.  S. 
Grant,  in  1868,  having  missed  his  vote  at 
every  preceding  election,  in  consequence  of 
being  away  from  home  at  election  time.  He 
served  as  school  director  several  years. 
Mrs.  Bell  has  likewise  served  as  school  di> 
rector,  discharging  the  duties  of  the  office 
in  a  satisfactory  manner.  Our  subject  re- 
members hearing  his  parents  talk  of  the  fall 
of  stars  in  1832.  People  then  thought  the 
world  was  coming  to  an  end,  the  falling 
stars  being  a  fulfillment  of  prophecy.  His 
mother's  sister,  "  Aunt  Gurney,"  took  down 
her  Bible  and  began  reading  the  account  of 
the  falling  stars  and  the  moon  which  should 
be  turned  into  blood. 


HENRY  M.  CRAWFORD,  M.  D.,  of  St. 
Charles,  has  rounded  the  Psalmist's 
span  of  three-score  years  and  ten,  but  is 
still  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  having  for  forty-nine  years  de- 
voted his  life  and  services  to  the  alleviation 
of  human  suffering.  It  is  a  record  probably 
almost  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  the 
state.  He  came  to  Illinois  when  the  north- 
ern district  was  but  sparsely  settled  and  rode 
for  miles  over  the  prairies  administering  to 
those  who  needed  medical  aid,  and  his  kind- 
ness and  generosity,  as  well  as  professional 
skill,  endeared  him  to  the  hearts  of  many. 
His  has  been  a  life  of  peculiar  usefulness 
and  its  record  forms  an  important  chapter  in 
the  history  of  Kane  county. 

A  native  of  Ireland,  Dr.  Crawford  was 
born  in  the  city  of  Belfast  in  1820  and  is  of 
Scotch  ancestry.  He  acquired  a  classical 
education  and  then  took  a  course  in  the 


6i6 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Royal  College  of  Belfast,  an  affiliated  col- 
lege of  the  London  University.  He  was 
also  a  student  in  educational  institutions  of 
Dublin  and  Edinburg,  and  after  completing 
his  medical  studies  began  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  which  he  continued  for  four 
years  in  Europe.  He  had  built  up  a  very 
extensive  business  when  in  1848,  he  finally 
yielded  to  the  importunities  of  some  friends 
who  wished  him  to  accept  a  position  as 
surgeon  on  an  emigrant  ship  bound  for  New 
York.  On  arriving  at  New  York  he  was 
induced  by  an  eminent  physician  of  that 
city  to  remain  for  a  few  days,  which  period 
was  ultimately  extended  until  he  had  re- 
mained in  the  eastern  metropolis  for  nearly 
a  year. 

The  Doctor  then  resolved  to  make  a  trip 
through  the  west  to  see  the  country  and  in 
the  course  of  his  travels  arrived  at  the  vil- 
lage of  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  in  October, 
1848.  While  here  he,  with  other  members 
of  the  party,  was  overtaken  by  a  severe  snow 
storm,  which  compelled  him  to  remain 
until  the  roads  could  be  opened.  While 
here  he  was  repeatedly  urged  to  remain  and 
engage  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and 
finally  yielding  to  this  persuasion, St.  Charles 
became  his  home.  He  soon  had  a  large 
patronage  that  came  from  a  territory  extend- 
ing one  hundred  miles  westward  from  Lake 
Michigan  and  up  into  Wisconsin.  Fre- 
quently on  making  these  long  trips  he  would 
have  relays  of  horses  stationed  at  various 
points  in  order  to  take  him  with  all  possible 
speed  to  the  beside  of  a  sufferer.  He  was 
often  called  long  distances  to  take  part  in  a 
consultation  and  such  a  practice  in  those 
early  days  involved  many  hardships,  occa- 
sioned by  the  long  drives  through  the  storms 
of  winter,  or  over  almost  impassable  roads 
in  the  rainy  season  of  spring  and  fall. 


In  1 86 1  Dr.  Crawford  was  induced  by 
Col.  William  Lynch  to  accept  a  surgeon's 
commission  for  the  Fifty-eighth  Illinois  In- 
fantry, and  in  that  capacity  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  in  the  active 
practice  of  his  profession  during  six  pitched 
battles  and  a  great  many  lesser  engage- 
ments, serving  as  regimental  and  division 
surgeon  of  the  Sixteenth  Army  Corps.  He 
was  chief  of  hospitals  at  LaGrange,  and 
faithfully  did  his  duty  toward  the  sick  and 
wounded  until  the  close  of  the  war  and  the 
return  of  the  soldiers  to  their  homes  relieved 
him  of  all  further  effort  in  this  direction. 
On  his  return  he  resumed  practice  in  St. 
Charles,  and  in  a  short  time  opened  an  of- 
fice in  Chicago,  where  he  remained  for 
about  a  year,  when  he  was  burned  out  in 
the  great  fire  which  devastated  that  city  in 
1871.  He  lost  therein  a  large  and  valua- 
ble library  and  all  his  surgical  instruments 
to  the  value  of  several  thousand  dollars. 
Then  again  he  returned  to  St.  Charles  and  has 
since  actively  been  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  medicine  and  surgery.  He  has  been  sur- 
geon for  the  Great  Western  or  Maple  Leaf 
railroad,  and  also  acted  as  surgeon  for  the 
Northwestern  road  in  years  past.  He  has 
successfully  performed  some  very  difficult 
surgical  operations,  and  his  professional 
efforts  have  been  attended  with  a  uniform 
success  that  is  very  gratifying  and  won  him 
an  enviable  prestige. 

Dr.  Crawford  was  married  in  St.  Charles, 
in  1855,  to  Miss  Margaret  P.  McWilliams,  a 
native  of  Ireland,  born  and  reared  in  Ulster, 
near  Belfast.  They  have  three  children: 
Henry  M.,  a  man  of  good  education,  most 
exemplary  habits  and  excellent  business 
ability,  who  assists  his  father  in  managing 
the  business  and  estate;  Minnie  E.  and 
Margaret  Hypatia  at  home. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


617 


The  Doctor  is  independent  in  his  polit- 
ical convictions,  supporting  the  men  and 
measures  in  which  he  believes,  regardless  of 
party  affiliations.  He  is  a  believer  in  free 
trade  or  a  retaliatory  tariff,  and  also  advo- 
cates a  gold  standard  monetary  system,  and 
on  this  issue  gave  his  support  to  President 
McKinley  in  1896.  In  his  religious  views 
he  is  also  liberal.  He  does  not  use  the 
term  religion  in  its  common  acceptation, 
and  would  prefer  the  use  of  the  term  con- 
scientious obligations,  to  implying  an  obed- 
ience to  the  sense  of  right  as  gained  from 
the  best  experience  and  practice  of  those 
whose  lives  are  most  worthy  of  emulation. 
He  believes  in  leaving  every  individual  free 
to  form  their  own  opinions  and  feels  that 
there  is  an  inner  consciousness  whose 
promptings  will  lead  in  the  path  of  virtue 
and  duty  if  only  followed  out.  His  own  life 
is  an  exemplification  of  this  belief,  and  St. 
Charles  has  no  more  worthy,  honorable  or 
respected  citizen  than  Dr.  Crawford.  He 
has  always  been  active  and  liberal  in  sup- 
purt  of  the  measures  which  have  contrib- 
uted to  the  upbuilding,  advancement  and 
improvement  of  St.  Charles,  and  has  left 
the  impress  of  his  individuality  indelibly  on 
the  best  interests  of  the  city  and  of  the  coun- 
ty through  half  a  century. 


FW.  BLOSS,  a  leading  hardware  mer- 
chant doing  business  at  No.  25  South 
Broadway,  is  a  native  of  Aurora,  born 
March  20,  1858,  and  is  the  son  of  Daniel 
and  Telina  (Davis)  Bloss,  who  at  one  time 
owned  the  property  from  Spring  Lake 
cemetery  clear  to  Jackson  street.  He  came 
from  New  York  to  Aurora  about  1844,  and 
engaged  in  carpentering  and  contracting, 
which  occupation  he  followed  for  a  few 


years.  In  company  with  Russell  C.  Mix  he 
worked  on  the  Blackhawk  mill,  and  also  on 
many  other  buildings.  Strange  to  relate, 
the  two  were  buried  on  the  same  day,  Feb- 
ruary 21,  1871,  Mr.  Bloss  dying  on  the  i8th 
of  February,  from  congestion  of  the  lungs. 
His  marriage  with .  Miss  Telina  Davis  oc- 
curred about  1845.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  but  took 
no  especially  active  part.  His  wife  is  still 
living  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years,  and 
a  resident  of  Emporia,  Kansas,  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
Of  their  family  of  five  children,  our  subject 
is  the  youngest.  Of  the  others,  Henry, 
who  was  first  a  farmer  and  later  a  teleg- 
rapher, died  at  the  age  of  forty  years;  Mary 
J.  is  the  wife  of  L.  Titsworth,  of  Aurora; 
Bertha  is  the  wife  of  C.  B.  Sims,  of  Em- 
poria, Kansas. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  Aurora,  and 
spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  engaged  in 
farm  work.  In  1878  he  became  a  clerk  in 
a  hardware  store  in  Aurora,  and  with  the 
exception  of  one  year  as  postal  clerk  and 
one  year  as  clerk  in  the  offices  of  the  Chi-, 
cago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  Com- 
pany, he  has  been  in  the  hardware  business, 
either  as  clerk  or  proprietor.  In  1889  he 
purchased  the  establishment  of  his  em- 
ployer, and  has  since  conducted  a  profitable 
business.  His  stock  of  hardware,  stoves, 
ranges  and  agricultural  implements  is  always 
full  and  complete,  and  he  has  his  full  share 
of  trade  of  both  city  and  country. 

Mr.  Bloss  has  been  twice  married,  his 
first  union,  in  1884,  being  with  Miss  Belle 
Elliott,  daughter  of  W.  F.  and  Sarah  Elli- 
ott, of  Oswego,  Illinois.  Two  children 
were  born  of  this  union  as  follows:  Daniel 
Elliott  and  Belle.  The  mother  died  June 


6i8 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


22,  1892,  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years. 
She  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  and  for  some  years  was  a  teacher  in 
the  schools  of  Oswego,  Illinois,  and  in  other 
parts  of  Kendall  county.  The  second  marriage 
of  Mr.  Bloss  was  celebrated  September  21, 
1894,  when  he  was  united  with  Miss  Clara 
Fickensher,  a  daughter  of  Henry  Ficken- 
sher,  one  of  the  old  settlers  of  Aurora.  She 
is  a  member  of  the  German  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  Politically,  Mr.  Bloss 
is  a  Republican,  and  although  never  aspiring 
to  office  himself,  he  has  been  quite  active  in 
the  interests  of  his  friends.  A  lifelong  resi- 
dent of  Aurora  and  a  representative  of  one 
of  its  pioneer  families,  he  takes  especial  in- 
terest in  everything  calculated  to  promote 
the  growth  and  prosperity  of  his  native  city, 
and  is  therefore  numbered  among  Aurora's 
most  enterprising  citizens. 


ASAHEL  T.  JUDD  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing on  section  10,  Sugar  Grove  town- 
ship, and  is  well  known  as  one  of  the  most 
enterprising  and  progressive  farmers  of  the 
township.  He  is  a  native  of  New  York, 
born  in  Warren  county,  on  the  banks  of 
Lake  George,  March  21,  1844,  and  is  the 
son  of  Dexter  C.  and  Eliza  (Brown)  Judd, 
the  former  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  born 
March  11,  1822,  and  the  latter  a  native  of 
New  York.  Sarson  L.  Judd,  the  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  was  also  born  in 
Massachusetts,  from  which  state  he  moved 
to  New  York  about  1830,  locating  in  War- 
ren county  on  the  banks  of  Lake  George, 
where  he  reared  his  family  and  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life. 

In  1850,  Dexter  C.  Judd  came  to  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  and  joined  his  uncle, 
Thomas  Judd,  who  settled  here  about  1836. 


On  coming  to  Kane  county,  Dexter  C.  Judd 
purchased  about  twenty  acres  in  Sugar 
Grove  township,  on  which  he  built  a  dwell- 
ing and  also  a  blacksmith  shop,  and  there 
resided  a  few  years,  engaged  in  working  at 
his  trade  of  blacksmith,  and  also  in  farming. 
Selling  his  original  purchase,  he  bought  a 
farm  of  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  acres, 
on  which  were  some  improvements.  Re- 
pairing the  house  and  building  a  shop,  he 
began  work  and  in  due  time  became  a  suc- 
cessful and  prosperous  farmer.  He  later 
sold  the  farm  to  his  son,  Sarson  L. ,  and  re- 
moved to  Aurora,  where  he  lived  retired  and 
where  his  death  occurred  in  1893.  His  wife 
passed  away  one  year  previous. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  but  six 
years  old  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
Kane  county.  He  received  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  Sugar  Grove  town- 
ship, and  remained  at  home  assisting  his 
father  until  eighteen  years  of  age.  In  the 
fall  of  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  H, 
One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment, 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  joined 
Grant's  command  at  Jackson,  Tennessee. 
He  participated  in  the  battle  of  Champion 
Hills  and  in  the  siege  and  surrender  of 
Vicksburg.  Later  he  did  provost  duty 
there  for  several  months,  and  while  there 
was  commissioned  second  lieutenant,  and 
assigned  to  the  Third  United  States  Heavy 
Artillery,  which  was  retained  on  garrison 
duty  at  Vicksburg,  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  was  discharged  in  August,  1865, 
although  at  home  on  a  sick  furlough.  For 
nearly  two  years  he  was  an  invalid,  due 
from  exposure  while  in  service. 

On  the  1 2th  of  November,  1868,  Mr. 
Judd  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Elizabeth  Reynolds,  daughter  of  Silas  Rey- 
nolds, whose  sketch  appears  in  this  work. 


ASAHEL  T.  JUDD. 


^ 


<-^x 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


621 


She  was  reared  on  the  farm  where  she  now 
resides.  By  this  union  there  is  one  son, 
Ira  R. ,  who  is  married  and  resides  in  the 
village  of  Sugar  Grove,  where  he  is  asso- 
ciated with  S.  L.  Judd  in  the  agricultural 
implement  business.  He  is  a  young  man  of 
good  business  ability  and  is  quite  popular  in 
the  community  where  he  resides.  Soon 
after  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judd  located 
on  a  farm  in  Sugar  Grove  township,  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty  acres,  which  he  pur- 
chased and  improved.  They  there  resided 
two  years,  and  then  came  to  their  present 
farm,  which  comprises  a  part  of  the  old 
Reynolds  homestead.  Here  they  remained 
for  six  years  and  then  moved  to  Aurora, 
where  Mr.  Judd  engaged  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness, in  which  he  continued  five  years.  In 
1883  they  returned  to  the  farm,  Mrs.  Judd 
having  inherited  a  part  of  the  estate.  In 
addition  to  that  inherited  by  Mrs.  Judd,  he 
purchased  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
other  heirs,  and  now  has  five  hundred  and 
thirty-six  acres  of  well  improved  and  val- 
uable land.  He  ,has  remodeled  the  house 
and  built  a  good  barn,  and  made  other  val- 
uable improvements  to  the  place.  In  the 
winter  of  1897-8  he  fed  some  fourteen 
hundred  head  of.  sheep,  which  he  prepared 
for  the  market. 

Politically,  Mr.  Judd  is  a  Republican, 
and  has  voted  for  every  presidential  nominee 
of  the  party  since  1868,  when  he  cast  his 
ballot  for  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant.  By  his  fellow 
citizens  he  has  been  honored  with  a  number 
of  local  offices,  including  township  collector, 
which  he  held  two  or  three  terms,  commis- 
sioner of  highways,  township  trustee,  and 
has  served  as  a  delegate  to  various  conven- 
tions of  his  party.  In  1865  he  became  a 
Master  Mason,  and  is  now  a  member  of  both 
the  blue  lodge  and  chapter  of  Aurora.  He 

30 


is  a  well  known  man  in  Kane  county,  hav- 
ing been  identified  with  its  interests  almost 
half  a  century. 


AUGUSTINE  H.  HUBBARD,  ESQ., 
r\  who  is  now  serving  as  justice  of  the 
peace,  with  office  at  No.  19  Chicago  street, 
Elgin,  was  born  on  the  i/thof  March,  1850, 
in  Salem,  Michigan,  a  son  of  Harvey  and 
Emily  (Hamilton)  Hubbard,  natives  of  New 
York  state.  Four  children  were  born  to 
them:  Mary,  wife  of  J.  H.  Cooley,  of 
Trinidad,  Colorado;  Martha  and  Eva,  who 
are  also  residents  of  that  city;  and  August- 
ine H.  Throughout  the  greater  part  of  his 
active  business  life  the  father  engaged  in  the 
real  estate  business  and  in  farming.  For 
many  years  he  made  his  home  in  Minnesota, 
locating  in  Winona,  that  state, ''at  an  early 
day,  later  lived  some  time  in  Elgin,  Illinois, 
and  then  with  his  family  removed  to  Trini- 
dad, Colorado,  where  he  died  in  1885,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  His  esti- 
mable wife  still  makes  her  home  in  that 
city,  and  is  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Congregational  church.  He  belonged  to 
the  same  church,  and  served  as  deacon  for 
many  years.  While  living  in  Winona,  he 
filled  the  office  of  supervisor  for  one  term, 
and  was  also  school  trustee  for  many  years. 

The  grandfathers  of  our  subject,  Mr. 
Hubbard  and  Isaac  Hamilton,  were  born  in 
New  York,  of  English  ancestry,  and  reared 
large  families.  The  former  died  in  Salem, 
Michigan,  when  well  advanced  in  years,  and 
the  latter,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
passed  away,  when  living  in  the  same  state, 
at  the  age  of  seventy. 

Mr.  Hubbard,  whose  name  introduces 
this  sketch,  was  ten  years  old  when  his  par- 
ents left  their  old  home  in  Michigan  and 


622 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


removed  to  Minnesota,  where  he  spent  the 
following  quarter  of  a  century  in  Winona, 
St.  Paul  and  Lake  City.  He  attended  the 
Normal  School  in  Winona,  and  at  the  age 
of  seventeen  began  clerking  in  Lake  City, 
where  he  remained  for  several  years.  Dur- 
ing the  Indian  wars,  he  served  as  special 
messenger  for  General  Sibley  for  two  years, 
after  which  he  attended  a  commercial  col- 
lege in  Chicago.  After  about  three  years 
spent  in  dairy  farming  in  McHenry  county, 
Illinois,  Mr.  Hubbard  came  to  Elgin  in 
1871,  and  for  some  time  was  employed  in 
the  city  clerk's  office.  For  twenty  years  he 
has  now  acceptably  served  as  justice  of  the 
peace,  and  has  also  successfully  engaged  in 
the  life  and  fire  insurance  business. 

On  the  2$th  of  October,  1870,  Mr. 
Hubbard  led  to  the  marriage  altar  Miss 
Martha  L.  Hatch,  a  daughter  of  Lewis  and 
Mandana  (Cole)  Hatch,  and  to  them  have 
been  born  two  sons — Frederick,  who  mar- 
ried Beyrl  Burns,  and  is  now  a  special  agent 
for  the  Hanover  Fire  Insurance  Company 
for  Illinois  and  Michigan;  and  Roy,  who  is 
clerking  in  Elgin.  The  wife  and  mother, 
who  was  an  active  worker  and  faithful  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  church,  was  called  to  her 
final  rest  in  February,  1897.  Mr.  Hubbard 
is  also  a  prominent  member  of  the  same 
church,  and  is  now  serving  as  trustee.  His 
political  support  is  always  given  the  men 
and  measures  of  the  Republican  party,  and 
he  is  thoroughly  interested  in  whatever 
tends  to  promote  the  moral,  intellectual 
and  material  welfare  of  the  community. 
His  home  is  at  No.  145  Hill  street. 


RURIC  A.  FRENCH,  an  energetic  farmer 
and  stock  trader,    residing  on  section 
32,  Hampshire  township,  was  born  in  East 


Java,  Wyoming  county,  New  York,  January 
13,  1862.  His  father,  Martin  French,  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  is  a  successful 
mechanic,  now  living  in  Wyoming  coun- 
ty, New  York.  He  is  the  son  of  Nathaniel 
French,  also  a  native  of  Pennsylvania. 
Martin  French  married  Diana  Thornton,  a 
native  of  East  Java,  New  York,  and  a 
daughter  of  Oben  Thornton,  who  is  still 
living  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  four 
years,  making  his  home  with  his  daughter, 
Mrs.  French.  He  married  Clarissa  Lord, 
long  since  deceased.  To  Martin  and  Diana 
French  the  following  named  children  were 
born:  Jay,  a  physician  of  Chautauqua  coun- 
ty, New  York;  Ruric  A.,  our  subject;  Myron, 
who  lives  on  the  old  farm  in  Wyoming 
county;  and  Fred,  deceased. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended  the 
district  school  until  the  age  of  eighteen,  but 
remained  with  his  father  until  twenty-two 
years  old.  For  one  year  he  worked  for  a 
stock  trader  in  Wyoming  county,  and  then 
began  business  for  himself,  renting  a  farm 
for  two  years  and  engaging  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  was  then  in  the  produce  busi- 
ness for  one  year,  buying  through  the  coun- 
try and  shipping  to  New  York  and  Phila- 
delphia. In  1885  he  came  west  on  a  visit, 
and  September  3,  of  that  year,  he  married 
Miss  Anna  Gage,  born  on  the  farm  where 
they  now  reside,  and  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Evaline  (Rich)  Gage.  Her  father  was 
born  in  East  Java,  New  York,  and  was 
reared  on  a  farm.  In  1846  he  came  west 
with  his  parents,  driving  from  Wyoming 
county  to  Buffalo,  New  York,  and  from 
thence  coming  west  by  lake  to  Chicago  and 
by  teams  to  Kane  county.  The  family  first 
settled  on  section  29,  with  the  Guernseys. 
John  Gage  later  purchased  the  farm  on  sec- 
tion 32,  where  he  resided  until  his  death, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


623 


which  occurred  August  20,  1897.  During 
the  excitement  with  reference  to  gold  in 
California  he  went  to  that  New  Eldorado, 
and  spent  the  years  1853  and  1854. 

John  Gage  was  the  son  of  Solomon  and 
Mary  (Guernsey)  Gage,  the  former  a  native 
of  New  Hampshire,  born  in  1788,  and  dying 
in  Hampshire.  October  21,  1851.  The  lat- 
ter was  a  daughter  of  Cyril  Guernsey,  born 
in  New  Hampshire  in  1786,  and  dying  in 
Hampshire  township,  December  17,  1866. 
Eveline  Rich,  wife  of  John  Gage,  twin  sis- 
ter of  Evelyn  E.  Rich,  was  born  on  the  old 
homestead,  in  Rutland  township,  Kane  coun- 
ty, April  26,  1839,  and  is  the  daughter  of 
Elijah  Rich,  who  was  born  in  Massachu- 
setts, June  10,  1795,  and  who  moved  to  the 
town  of  Benson,  Rutland  county,  Vermont, 
about  1810,  and  who  came  to  Illinois  in  the 
spring  of  1836,  and  settled  on  sections  30 
and  31,  Rutland  township,  shortly  after  his 
nephew,  E.  R.  Starks,  made  the  first  per- 
manent settlement.  He  took  up  a  claim 
south  of  Starks',  and  the  two  kept  "  bach  " 
one  year.  The  following  year  he  brought 
out  his  family,  and  here  resided  until  his 
death,  November  10,  1871.  Thefirsttime 
he  came  to  the  country,  he  drove  through 
from  his  eastern  home  with  a  horse  and 
buggy.  Illustrative  of  the  lack  of  con- 
venience in  those  days,  it  is  said  that  Mr. 
Rich  on  one  occasion  walked  to  the  resi- 
dence of  Mr.  Stone,  hear  Elgin,  to  grind  his 
axe,  no  grindstone  being  near.  Their  mail 
was  received  at  Chicago.  Elijah  Rich  was 
the  son  of  Elijah  Rich,  Sr. ,  who  died  in 
Vermont  in  1835,  before  his  son  came  west. 
The  Rich  family  in  America  descended  from 
four  brothers,  who  emigrated  from  Wales. 
Elijah  Rich  first  married  Triphosa  Fowler, 
by  whom  he  had  four  children.  His  sec- 
ond marriage  was  with  Anise  Meacham,  by 


whom  five  children  were  born,  of  whom 
Eveline  was  one.  To  John  and  Eveline 
Gage  six  children  were  born,  as  follows: 
Frank  E.,  who  died  in  infancy;  Frank  E., 
the  second,  residing  at  Starks  Station;  Anna, 
wife  of  our  subject;  John  S.  living  at  Starks 
Station;  Perry  Hart  is  an  employee  of  the 
Chicago  &  Alton  railroad,  at  Chicago;  Clara 
V.,  wife  of  Perry  Hart,  of  Chicago;  and 
Pearl,  residing  on  the  old  homestead  with 
her  sister. 

After  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  French 
went  east  to  the  old  home  of  Mr.  French, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  produce  business, 
but  the  climate  not  agreeing  with  his  wife, 
they  returned  to  Kane  county  in  1886. 
From  1886  to  1888  Mr.  French  was  in  the 
stock  business  in  Elgin,  and  then  com- 
menced farming  on  two  hundred  acres  of 
the  estate  of  the  father  of  Mrs.  French,  in 
which  he  has  continued  to  the  present  time, 
while  also  engaging  quite  extensively  as  a 
dealer  in  stock.  Like  many  other  farmers 
in  this  region,  he  is  engaged  principally  in 
dairy  farming,  milking  from  fifty  to  seventy- 
five  cows,  and  shipping  the  product  to  Chi- 
cago. Mrs.  French  received  her  education 
in  the  schools  of  Burlington  and  Hampshire 
townships,  and  has  spent  her  entire  life  on 
the  homestead  where  she  now  resides,  with 
the  exception  of  the  years  spent  in  Wyom- 
ing county,  New  York,  immediately  after 
her  marriage.  She  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Hampshire, 
and  is  a  woman  who  delights  in  doing  good. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  French  have  one  child,  Earle, 
born  December  u,  1887,  at  444  South 
street,  Elgin,  Illinois,  who  is  attending  the 
Hampshire  schools.  Politically  Mr.  French 
is  a  Republican,  and  is  an  energetic,  hustling 
farmer  and  stock  trader,  a  good  neighbor 
and  excellent  citizen. 


624 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


EORGE  FITCH  RUGGLES.deceased, 
V_J  was  of  English  descent,  whose  lineage 
can  be  traced  back  to  William  the  Con- 
queror, of  England,  while  his  more  imme- 
diate ancestors  for  several  generations  were 
natives  of  Rutland,  Vermont.  He  was  born 
December  12,  1818,  at  Rutland,  Vermont, 
and  is  the  son  of  Major  John  and  Pollie 
(Gould)  Ruggles.  His  early  education  was 
obtained  at  Castleton  Seminary,  Vermont, 
supplemented  by  a  course  at  Middlebury 
College,  Vermont,  where  he  graduated  in 
1848.  On  account  of  his  health  being  deli- 
cate, he  went  to  Virginia  after  leaving  col- 
lege, and  gave  instruction  to  pupils  in  a 
private  family,  after  which  he  clerked  in  a 
furniture  store  at  Boston,  Massachusetts, 
where  his  brother  had  an  interest  in  the 
business.  But  before  proceeding  further 
with  the  personal  history  our  subject,  we 
give  briefly  a  record  of  his  illustrious  pro- 
genitors: 

(i)  William  the  Conqueror,  king  of  Eng- 
land, 1066,  married  Lady  Matilda,  daugh- 
ter of  Baldwin  V. ,  count  of  Flanders,  and 
great-granddaughter  of  Hugh  Capet,  king  of 
France.  (2)  Princess  Gundred,  died  1085, 
married  William  Warren,  earl  of  Surrey. 
(3)  Lady  Editha  de  Warren  married  Gerard 
de  Gournay.  (4)  Hugh  de  Gournay,  died 
1 1 80.  (5)  Hugh  de  Gournay,  lord  of  Bev- 
erstan,  Gloucestershire.  (6)  Anselme,  Bar- 
on de  Gournay,  died  1240.  (7)  Robert  de 
Gournay,  died  1268.  (8)  Anselme  de  Gour- 
nay, died  1285.  (9)  John  de  Gournay,  lord 
of  Beverstan.  (10)  Lady  Elizabeth  de 
Gournay,  married  Sir  John  ap  Adam,  1291. 
(n)  Sir  John  ap  Adam.  (12)  William  ap 
Adam.  (13)  Sir  John  ap  Adam,  knight. 
(14)  Thomas  ap  Adam,  married  Lady  Jane, 
daughter  of  Sir  John  Ing,  knight.  (15)  Sir 
John  ap  Adam,  married  Lady  Millicent, 


daughter  of  Sir  Matthew  Besylls.  (16)  Sir 
John  Adam,  married  Clara,  daughter  of 
Roger  Powell.  (17)  Roger  Adams,  married 
Jane  Eliot.  (18)  Thomas  Adams,  married 
Marie  Upton.  (19)  John  Adams,  married 
Gathering  Stebbing.  (20)  John  Adams, 
married  Margary  Squier.  (21)  Richard 
Adams,  married  Margaret  Armager.  (22) 
William  Adams,  married  Miss  Borington. 
(23)  Henry  Adams,  of  Braintree,  Massachu- 
setts, died  in  1646.  He  was  also  ancestor 
of  Presidents  John  and  John  Quincy  Adams, 
and  the  Revolutionary  patriot,  Samuel  Ad- 
ams. (24)  Edward  Adams,  of  Medfield, 
Massachusetts,  died  1716.  (25)  Henry 
Adams,  of  Medford,  Massachusetts,  and 
Plainfield  (now  Canterbury),  Connecticut, 
born  October  29,  1663.  (26)  Ruth  Adams, 
married  Amos  Kingsley.  (27)  Isaiah  Kings- 
ley.  (28)  Phineas  Kingsley.  (29)  Eunice 
Kingsley,  married  Major  John  Ruggles,  who 
fought  in  the  war  of  1812.  (30)  George 
Fitch  Ruggles,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

George  Fitch  Ruggles,  our  subject,  was 
married  April  25,  1856,  to  Louise  Gould, 
whose  parents,  John  and  Theodosia  (Nich- 
ols) Gould,  was  one  of  the  old  and  honored 
families  of  Essex  county,  New  York.  She 
was  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  seven,  and 
was  educated  at  the  Miss  Lees  Seminary, 
Burlington,  Vermont.  Major  John  Ruggles 
was  an  extensive  land  owner  and  was  "twice 
married,  the  first  time  in  1800.  His  second 
wife,  Eunice  Kingsley,  he  married  in  1807. 
This  lady  was  a  descendant  of  John  Alden, 
who  came  over  in  the  Mayflower.  George 
F.  Ruggles  is  the  eighth  in  direct  descent 
from  John  Alden. 

In  1860,  our  subject  and  wife  and  his 
daughter,  Theodosia,  now  Mrs.  W.  T. 
Reeves,  came  to  Galesburg,  Illinois,  by  way 
of  Chicago,  but  soon  afterwards  went  to 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


625 


Milwaukee,  where  Mr.  Ruggles  started  a 
linseed  oil  factory,  which  soon  afterwards 
was  destroyed  by  tire.  The  family  then 
moved  to  Chicago,  where  Mrs.  Ruggles' 
mother  and  three  brothers  were  living,  her 
father  having  died  in  the  east.  Mr.  Rug- 
gles then  became  engaged  in  the  life  insur- 
ance business,  at  which  he  continued  until 
1868,  when  he  came  to  Aurora  to  act  as 
superintendent  of  the  foundry  work  of  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  railroad 
shops.  The  company  doing  the  work  for 
the  railroad  at  that  time  was  N.  S.  Bouston 
&  Co.,  Chicago.  A  severe  attack  of  the 
grip  caused  retirement  from  the  shops  in 
1^91,  and  he  was  an  invalid  for  two  and  a 
half  years,  dying  December  4,  1893.  His 
only  child,  Theodosia,  is  the  wife  of  Dr. 
W.  T.  Reeves,  D.  D.  S. ,  doing  business  in 
Chicago.  They  have  four  children — Helen, 
Allen,  Marjorie  and  Louise.  During  his  life 
Mr.  Ruggles  was  a  member  of  the  Congre- 
gational church,  and  for  many  years  a  dea- 
con in  the  same. 


/->RANT  GOODRICH,  D.  D.  S.,  one  of 
V_J  the  leading  and  popular  dentists  of 
Elgin,  was  born  in  Iowa,  near  Clinton, 
November  23,  1861,  and  is  a  son  of  Her- 
man and  Emily  (Duncklee)- Goodrich,  na- 
tives of  Pottsdam,  New  York,  and  Du  Page 
county,  Illinois,  respectively.  The  mother 
died  July  i,  1874,  at  the  age  of  thirty-six 
years,  leaving  six  children,  namely:  Carrie, 
now  the  wife  of  C.  P.  Dandy,  of  Los  An- 
geles, California;  Grant;  Walter,  of  Elgin; 
Harry  and  Herman,  of  Chadbourn,  North 
Carolina;  and  Mame,  wife  of  John  Way, 
of  Los  Angeles.  For  over  twenty  years  the 
father  was  a  successful  dealer  in  sewing 
machines  and  attachments,  but  since  1882, 


has  engaged  in  farming  in  North  Carolina. 
After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  he  married 
Miss  Frances  Brewster,  by  whom  he  has 
two  sons — Charles  and  Monroe.  The  Doc- 
tor's paternal  great-grandmother  lived  to 
the  extreme  old  age  of  one  hundred  and  six 
years,  but  his  grandfather,  Ebenezer  Good- 
rich, died  at  the  age  of  forty.  He  was  a 
native  of  Pottsdam,  -New  York,  and  had 
two  sons.  The  maternal  grandfather  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation  and  died  at  the  age 
of  fifty. 

From  the  age  of  two  years  Dr.  Good- 
rich was  reared  in  Chicago,  and  acquired 
his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
that  city.  Later  he  attended  the  Elgin 
Academy,  and  for  seven  years  was  his  fa- 
ther's bookkeeper  in  Chicago.  He  studied 
dentistry  and  graduated  from  the  Chicago 
College  of  Dental  Surgery  with  the  class  of 
1888,  and  the  same  year  opened  an  office 
in  Elgin,  where  he  has  since  successfully 
engaged  in  practice. 

On  the  4th  of  June,  1884,  Dr.  Goodrich 
led  to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Kittie  Trues- 
dell,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  W.  H.  and  Jane 
(Burritt)  Truesdell.  They  have  a  pleasant 
home  at  No.  565  Park  street,  which  the 
Doctor  built  in  1888.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Northern  Illinois  Dental  Association, 
and  also  belongs  to  Monitor  lodge,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  and  the  Royal  Arcanum,  while  po- 
litically he  is  identified  with  the  Republican 
party. 


FREDERICK  J.  MARSHALL,  section 
1  10,  Plato  township,  is  numbered  among 
the  young  and  progressive  farmers  of  the 
township.  His  father  George  P.  Marshall, 
was  born  at  Ryther,  Yorkshire,  England, 
May  9,  1817,  and  died  on  his  old  homestead 


626 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  Elgin  township,  Kane  county,  October 
3,  1881.  In  his  native  land  he  learned  the 
carpenter's  trade  which  occupation  he  fol- 
lowed for  some  years.  In  1842,  he  emi- 
grated to  Canada,  and  two  years  later  came 
to  Kane  county,  and  for  two  years  rented  a 
farm  in  Plato  township  and  then  purchased 
seventy-seven  acres,  in  sections  27-8,  Elgin 
township,  where  he  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  until  his  death.  He  was  a  man 
highly  respected  by  all  who  knew  him,  and 
left  to  his  descendants  a  good  name,  of 
which  they  are  justly  proud.  He  was  the 
son  of  James  and  Ann  (Parker)  Marshall, 
whose  entire  life  was  spent  in  Yorkshire, 
England.  While  yet  residing  in  Canada, 
in  1842,  George  P.  Marshall  married  Mary 
Burton,  born  in  Sharrington,  near  Montreal, 
Canada,  August  14,  1825,  and  a  daughter 
of  John  Burton  and  Jane  (Stringer)  Burton, 
the  former  a  native  of  North  Burton,  York- 
shire, England,  born  in  1792,  and  the  latter 
in  Hull,  Yorkshire,  England,  in  1794. 

Frederick  J.  Marshall  was  ninth  in  a 
family  of  ten  children,  and  was  born  Octo- 
ber 4,  1860.  Until  sixteen  years  of  age  he 
attended  the  public  schools  a  portion  of 
each  year  and  assisted  his  father  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  home  farm.  From  six- 
teen to  twenty-one  he  worked  by  the  month 
on  various  farms.  On  the  7th  of  March, 
1883,  in  Elgin  township,  he  married  Miss 
Mary  McKinnell,  the  fourth  in  a  family  of 
nine  children  born  to  Peter  and  Jesse  Mc- 
Dowell McKinnell.  By  this  union  four 
children  have  been  born — Maude  M.,  Roy 
I.,  Elma  M.  and  George  P. 

Immediately  after  his  marriage  Mr. 
Marshall  rented  the  old  homestead  one 
year,  then  the  farm  of  George  Stringer  one 
year,  and  then  spent  one  year  at  Udina, 
engaged  in  carpentering,  after  which  he  oc- 


cupied the  old  homestead  two  years.  He 
then  moved  to  Elgin  and  followed  the  car- 
penter's trade  for  three  years,  after  which 
he  rented  a  farm  near  Pingree  Grove,  Plato 
township,  for  two  years,  and  in  1893  leased 
his  present  place,  known  as  the  Cornell 
farm,  consisting  of  two  hundred  and  four- 
teen acres,  and  is  engaged  in  dairy  farming. 
Politically  Mr.  Marshall  is  a  Republican, 
with  which  party  he  has  been  identified 
since  attaining  his  majority.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  member  of  Pingree  Grove  camp, 
No.  655,  M.  W.  A.  In  religion  he  is  liberal 
in  his  views. 


SAMUEL  S.  BRILL,  dealer  in  gen- 
eral merchandise,  St.  Charles,  Illi- 
nois, is  one  of  the  young,  active  and  en- 
terprising business  men  of  the  place.  He 
was  born  in  the  city  of  Milwaukee,  Wiscon- 
sin, June  19,  1869.  His  father,  Israel 
Brill,  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  where  he  grew 
to  manhood  and  married.  Emigrating  to 
the  United  States,  he  located  in  Milwaukee, 
Wisconsin,  and  a  few  years  later  removed 
to  Chicago,  and  has  since  been  an  active 
business  man  of  that  city. 

Samuel  S.  Brill  grew  to  manhood  in 
Chicago,  and  was  educated  in  its  public 
schools.  He  is  one  of  seven  children  born 
to  his  parents,  all  of  whom  are  living:  Lena, 
wife  of  M.  Davidson,  a  business  man  of  Mil- 
waukee; Joseph,  a  civil  engineer,  married 
and  residing  in  New  York;  Samuel  S., 
of  this  review;  Charles,  who  is  married  and 
in  business  in  Chicago;  Isaac,  holding  a  re- 
sponsible position  in  Chicago;  Simon,  who 
is  clerking  for  our  subject  at  St.  Charles; 
and  Anna,  at  home. 

When  quite  young,  our  subject  began 
clerking  in  a  mercantile  establishment  in 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


627 


Chicago,  and  for  about  ten  years  was  thus 
employed,  receiving  a  thorough  and  practi- 
cal business  training.  In  1891,  he  came  to 
St.  Charles,  put  in  a  stock  of  general  mer- 
chandise and  commenced  business  for  him- 
self. He  was  soon,  however,  burned  out, 
meeting  with  a  severe  loss,  but  with  true 
Chicago  grit,  within  ten  days  he  was  again 
selling  goods.  By  fair  dealing,  he  has  built 
up  an  extensive  trade,  and  carries  one  of 
the  largest  and  most  complete  stocks  of  gen- 
eral merchandise  in  St.  Charles.  In  the 
seven  years  that  he  has  been  engaged  in 
business,  in  this  place,  he  has  built  up  a 
trade  second  to  none,  and  as  a  reputable 
business  man,  he  is  respected  and  honored 
by  all. 

Mr.  Brill  was  united  in  marriage  in  Chi- 
cago, March  18,  1893,  to  Miss  Jennie  Wins- 
berg,  a  native  of  Germany,  but  who  was 
reared  and  educated  in  Chicago.  They 
have  one  son,  Leon  L  ,  a  bright  little  lad  of 
three  years,  and  a  daughter,  Blanche. 

Politically,  Mr.  Brill  is  independent, 
taking  no  active  part  in  political  affairs,  his 
taste  and  inclination  running  in  the  direc- 
tion of  business,  rather  than  politics.  An 
almost  lifelong  resident  of  Illinois,  he  is  now 
thoroughly  identified  with  the  interest  of 
St.  Charles  and  Kane  county  and  by  its 
people  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem. 


PHILIP  SCHICKLER,  the  leading  to- 
bacconist and  cigar  manufacturer  of 
Aurora,  Illinois,  was  born  in  Obendorf,  Ba- 
varia, June  5,  1837,  and  is  the  son  of  John 
and  Anna  (Bolei)  Schickler.  The  father 
was  a  native  of  the  same  country,  where  he 
lived  and  died.  By  occupation  he  was  a 
farmer.  The  mother  died  since  Philip  came 
to  the  United  States.  They  were  the  par- 


ents of  five  children,  as  follows:  Henry,  yet 
residing  in  the  old  country;  Christopher, 
now  living  in  Aurora;  John,  who  died  in  the 
old  country  in  1897;  Philip,  our  subject; 
and  Peter,  who  died  in  Aurora. 

Philip  Schickler  left  Bavaria  for  the 
United  States  in  the  spring  of  1851,  when 
but  sixteen  years  of  age.  Landing  in  New 
York  City,  from  there  he  went  to  Syracuse, 
New  York,  where  he  remained  five  years, 
and  was  engaged  in  the  tobacco  and  cigar 
business.  He  then  came  to  Aurora,  arriv- 
ing here  in  the  fall  of  1856  where  his  broth- 
er, Christopher,  had  settled.  For  a  time 
he  worked  for  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and 
Quincy  Railroad  Company,  and  in  1864 
started  up  in  the  tobacco  and  cigar  trade 
in  company  with  C.  Hoffman.  This  part- 
nership was  dissolved  in  1877,  Mr.  Schick- 
ler selling  out.  However,  he  soon  opened 
up  business  again,  at  89  Fox  street,  where 
he  has  since  remained. 

Mr.  Schickler  was  married  at  Aurora  to 
Miss  Augusta  Eitegeorge,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many. By  this  marriage  six  children  were 
born — Emma,  now  the  wife  of  Fred  Weis- 
senger,  living  in  Aurora;  Louise,  at  home; 
Phillip,  now  in  the  cigar  and  tobacco  busi- 
ness at  Elgin,  and  who  married  Clara  Eich- 
born,  of  Aurora,  by  whom  he  has  one 
child,  Paul;  Carl,  who  married  Gertrude 
Trautan,  of  Aurora,  is  now  assisting  his  fa- 
ther; George,  who  married  Maud  Moore,  of 
Aurora;  and  Rosa,  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools,  residing  at  home.  Religiously, 
Mrs.  Schickler  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  In  politics,  Mr.  Schickler  usually 
supports  the  Democratic  party,  but  1896 
supported  the  Republican  ticket. 

For  his  trade,  Mr.  Schickler  carries  a 
full  line  of  tobacco  and  cigars,  manufactur- 
ing most  of  the  latter.  He  employs  on  an 


628 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


average  about  nine  men,  and  has  built  up  a 
prosperous  business.  His  brand  of  cigars 
are  widely  known  and  much  sought  after  by 
those  who  want  a  choice  and  reliable  arti- 
cle. Mr.  Schickler  has  also  a  house  in  El- 
gin, which  is  managed  by  his  son  who  is 
having  a  good  trade.  He  has  a  good  farm 
in  Banner  county,  Nebraska,  and  some  real 
estate  in  Aurora.  By  correct  business  prin- 
ciples and  integrity  of  purpose  he  has  ac- 
quired a  competency,  and  by  his  pleasant 
manners  and  genial  disposition,  he  has  made 
hosts  of  friends,  and  is  a  credit  to  the  coun- 
try of  his  adoption. 


THOMAS  McCORMICK,  a  representa- 
tive farmer  of  Virgil  township,  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  owns  and  operates  a  farm 
of  two  hundred  acres  on  section  26,  where 
he  is  engaged  in  general  and  dairy  farming. 
He  is  a  native  of  Du  Page  county,  Illinois, 
born  January  26,  1856,  and  is  the  son  of 
Thomas  and  Ann  (Mulvihill)  McCormick, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  County  Longs- 
ford,  Ireland.  They  became  the  parents  of 
six  children — Bridget,  Thomas,  Katie,  Mary 
A. ,  Maggie  and  Tressie. 

Thomas  McCormick,  Sr. ,  spent  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  in  his  native  country,  and, 
when  a  young  man,  came  with  his  parents 
to  America.  After  looking  the  country  over 
to  some  extent,  his  father  finally  settled  in 
Du  Page  county,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged 
in  farming.  Later  the  father  of  our  subject 
came  to  Virgil  township,  Kane  county,  where 
he  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  and  com- 
menced its  improvement.  From  time  to  time 
he  added  to  his  original  purchase  until  he  had 
two  hundred  acres,  all  of  which  he  placed 
under  cultivation,  and  supplied  the  farm 
with  a  good  dwelling  house  and  various  out- 


buildings, making  it  a  number  one  farm. 
Here  he  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life,  dy- 
ing December  14,  1893.  He  was  a  man 
well  respected  in  the  community  where  he 
so  long  resided.  Religiously  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Catholic  church,  of  which  body 
his  wife  and  family  are  also  members. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  on 
the  farm,  and  was  early  learned  the  use  of 
farm  implements,  and  was  required  to  do 
his  share  of  farm  work.  After  attending  the 
public  schools  he  entered  the  academy  at 
Naperville,  Du  Page  county,  Illinois,  where 
he  finished  his  school  life.  Since  the  death 
of  his  father  he  has  been  living  with  his 
mother  and  sisters,  Katie  and  Tressie.  The 
mother  is  now  seventy-six  years  old.  Farm- 
ing has  been  his  life  work,  and  he  has  had 
little  desire  to  make  a  change.  In  this 
work  he  has  been  quite  successful,  and  he 
is  a  thorough,  practical  farmer.  In  poli- 
tics he  has  been  a  life-long  supporter  of 
Democratic  principles,  in  all  general  elec- 
tions casting  his  vote  for  the  nominees  of 
that  party. 


CHARLES  H.  FISHER,  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Fisher  &  Mann,  is  one  of 
the  ablest  lawyers  practicing  at  the  Kane 
county  bar,  and  is  also  corporation  counsel 
for  the  city  of  Elgin.  A  man  of  sound  judg- 
ment, he  masters  his  cases  with  masterly 
skill  and  tact  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
best  jury  advocates  in  Elgin.  He  is  a  log- 
ical reasoner  and  has  a  ready  command  of 
English. 

Mr.  Fisher  was  born  in  Pittsburg,  Penn- 
sylvania, February  22,  1864,  and  is  a  son 
of  Herman  and  Elizabeth  (Blair)  Fisher,  the 
former  born  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  of  Ger- 
man parentage,  and  the  latter  in  Pennsyl- 


THOMAS  McCORMICK. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


631 


vania  of  Scotch  ancestry.  In  their  family 
are  four  sons — Elmer,  a  druggist  of  Port 
Angeles,  Puget  Sound,  Washington;  Charles 
H.,  of  this  sketch;  Frank,  inspector  of  the 
port  at  Port  Townsend,  Puget  Sound;  and 
Morris,  an  attorney  of  Port  Angeles.  From 
the  age  of  twelve  the  father  was  employed 
as  a  canal  boatman  for  many  years,  and 
then  conducted  a  boat  supply  grocery  in 
Newcastle,  Pennsylvania,  for  some  time.  In 
1887  he  removed  to  Port  Angeles,  Wash- 
ington, where  he  is  now  living  retired,  enjoy- 
ing a  well-earned  rest,  free  from  the  cares 
and  responsibilities  of  business  life.  He  has 
filled  various  local  offices  of  honor  and  trust 
and  is  now  serving  as  county  trustee.  The 
mother  is  a  consistent  member  of  the  Bap- 
tist church. 

George  Fisher,  the  paternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Saxe  Coburg, 
Germany,  where  he  learned  the  shoemaker's 
trade.  On  coming  to  America  in  1838,  he 
first  located  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  where 
he  spent  some  years,  then  removed  to  Pitts- 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  and  later  to  Rochester, 
Pennsylvania,  engaging  in  the  boot  and  shoe 
business  at  these  places.  He  died  at  Wam- 
pum, Pennsylvania,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
four  years.  In  his  family  were  three  sons 
and  three  daughters.  The  maternal  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  Robert  Blair,  was  born 
near  Pittsburg,  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812. 
During  early  manhood  he  was  killed  by  a 
horse.  He  had  received  a  farm  on  Chartier's 
creek  in  compensation  for  his  services  dur- 
ing the  war.  His  wife,  who  was  born  near 
Pittsburg  in  1800,  died  at  Puget  Sound  in 
1891. 

Charles  H.  Fisher  was  about  four  years 
old  at  the  time  of  the  removal  of  his  parents 
to  Newcastle,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  later 


acquired  a  good  common-school  education. 
After  working  in  the  machine  shops  at 
Titusville,  Pennsylvania,  for  a  time,  he 
came  to  Elgin  in  the  spring  of  1883,  and 
lor  eighteen  months  was  in  the  mail  service, 
running  between  Chicago  and  Minneapolis. 
He  then  studied  law  in  the  office  of  the  late 
Robert  M.  Ireland  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1 886.  He  has  won  an  enviable  rep- 
utation as  a  successful  lawyer,  and  most 
creditably  served  as  city  attorney  for  two 
terms,  and  is  the  present  corporation  coun- 
sel. 

On  the  1 5th  of  August,  1889,  Mr.  Fisher 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary,  daugh- 
ter of  George  and  Mary  (French)  Bayliss, 
and  to  theni  have  been  born  three  children — 
Elizabeth,  Marian  and  Stella.  They  have 
a  pleasant  residence  at  No.  338  St.  Charles 
street.  Mr.  Fisher  belongs  to  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  and  his  wife  holds  membership  in 
the  Congregational  Church.  Politically  he 
is  independent.  The  firm  of  Fisher  &  Mann 
owns  considerable  real  estate  in  Elgin  and 
vicinity,  and,  as  attorneys,  they  are  doing  a 
large  and  profitable  business.  Upright, 
reliable  and  honorable,  their  strict  adher- 
ence to  principle  commands  the  respect  of 
all. 


ROBERT  CHILVERS,  a  popular  con- 
ductor on  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  railroad,  residing  in  Aurora,  has 
been  in  the  employ  of  that  company  for 
twenty-seven  years.  He  dates  his  residence 
in  Illinois  since  1852.  He  was  born  in 
Lincolnshire,  England,  April  27,  1850,  and 
is  the  son  of  John  T.  and  Alice  (Garrod) 
Chilvers,  both  of  whom  were  also  natives  of 
England.  In  1852  the  family  came  to 


632 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


America,  and  made  their  home  in  Downer's 
Grove  township,  Du  Page  county,  Illinois, 
where  the  father  bought  a  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres,  which  he  at  once 
commenced  to  improve  and  which  in  due 
time  became  one  of  the  most  valuable 
farms  in  that  locality.  He  continued  to  en- 
gage in  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death, 
August  29,  1882.  His  wife  survives  him, 
and  yet  resides  on  the  old  homestead  with 
her  youngest  son.  John  T.  Chilvers  came 
to  this  country  a  poor  man,  but  he  was  en- 
terprising and  industrious,  and  honest,  and 
his  death  was  a  loss  to  the  community. 

Robert  Chilvers  is  the  oldest  of  the  fam- 
ily of  seven  sons  and  one  daughter  who 
grew  to  mature  years.  He  was  but  two 
years  of  age  when  the  family  came  to  Du 
Page  county,  and  on  the  old  farm  he  grew 
to  manhood,  assisting  his  father  when  old 
enough  to  hold  the  plow,  working  in  the 
summer  months,  and  attending  the  district 
school  during  the  winter  months.  He  re- 
mained with  his  father  until  he  attained  his 
majority,  and  coming  to  Aurora,  engaged 
with  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
railroad,  first  as  brakeman  on  a  freight 
train,  at  which  he  worked  for  about  three 
years,  and  was  then  promoted  conductor 
on  a  freight  train,  and  held  that  position 
some  twelve  or  thirteen  years.  In  1887  he 
was  given  charge  of  a  passenger  train,  on 
which  he  has  been  conductor  until  the 
present  time.  In  all  the  time  passed  he  has 
never  had  a  bad  wreck,  and  no  accident 
worth  mentioning  since  placed  in  charge  of 
a  passenger  train.  His  first  run  was  from 
Aurora  to  Streator,  and  he  continued  on 
that  run  until  1889. 

Mr.  Chilvers  was  married  at  Naperville, 
Illinois,  in  December,  1874,  to  Miss  Susan 
Ann  Mackinder,  a  native  of  Illinois,  born  in 


Fullersburg,  and  the  youngest  of  a  family  of 
five  living  children  born  to  John  and  Lydia 
Mackinder,  both  natives  of  England,  and 
who  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Du 
Page  county,  Illinois.  By  this  union  are 
four  children — Alice  Lydia,  now  the  wife  of 
George  Davey,  of  Du  Page  county,  Illinois; 
Cyrus  M.,  now  in  the  employ  of  the  Chi- 
cago, Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  Com- 
pany; Charles  Robert  and  Mabel  S.  V.,  at 
home. 

Politically,  Mr.  Chilvers  was  formerly  a 
Democrat,  casting  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  Grover  Cleveland,  but  of  late  years  has 
supported  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason, 
a  member  of  the  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and 
Commandery,  and  also  a  member  of  the 
Order  of  Railway  Conductors.  In  her  re- 
ligious belief,  Mrs.  Chilvers  is  a  Christian 
Scientist.  Both  are  held  in  the  highest 
esteem. 


VIGO  VALDEMAR  CHRISTIANSEN, 
who  has  for  many  years  been  con- 
nected with  the  Elgin  Watch  Factory,  was 
born  at  Ribe,  Jutland,  Denmark,  February 
4,  1853,  and  is  a  representative  of  a  prom- 
inent and  honored  family  of  that  country, 
his  parents  being  Christian  and  Josephine 
( Veis )  Christiansen.  The  father  was  a 
native  of  Schleswig-Holstein,  but  removed 
to  Jutland  after  the  war  of  1848.  His 
grandfather,  Christian  Christiansen,  took 
part  in  the  Napoleonic  wars,  being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Danish  army  under  Napoleon. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  also  an  officer 
in  the  Danish  army,  enlisting  as  drummer 
boy  and  rising  to  the  rank  of  captain  by 
personal  merit.  He  took  part  in  the  war 
of  1848  against  Schleswig-Holstein,  and 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


633 


also  in  the  war  of  1864.  He  was  a  man  of 
medium  height,  well  built,  of  mild  temper- 
ament, good  humored  and  of  a  gentle  dispo- 
sition. In  1892  he  died  in  Ribe,  Denmark, 
but  his  widow  is  still  living,  residing  on  the 
old  homestead  there,  the  house  being  one 
of  historical  interest.  It  once  belonged  to 
Anders  Sorgensen  Wedel,  who  was  the  first 
to  establish  a  printing  press  in  Denmark. 
This  building  is  quite  noted  and  is  often 
visited  by  tourists.  Ribe  was  formerly  the 
capital  and  is  a  historical  town  of  much  in- 
terest. The  maternal  grandparents  of  our 
subject  were  Andreas  and  Jenssine  Veis,  ex- 
tensive farming  people. 

The  children  born  to  Christian  and  Jose- 
phine (Veis)  Christiansen  were  as  follows: 
Peter,  now  a  resident  of  Toledo,  Ohio; 
Maria  Christina,  wife  of  a  Mr.  Sverdrup, 
a  civil  engineer  in  the  employ  of  the  British 
government  at  Cape  Town,  Africa;  Andreas, 
a  dealer  in  books  and  stationery  at  Copen- 
hagen, Denmark;  Vigo  V.,  of  this  review, 
and  Ida  Wilhelmina,  wife  of  Carl  Hoffman, 
a  native  of  Holland,  who  was  a  trader, 
sailing  his  own  vessel,  and  is  now  a  farmer 
in  Cape  Town. 

Mr.  Christiansen,  of  this  sketch,  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  Ribe  until  his 
graduation  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years, 
and  then  served  a  five  and  a  half  years'  ap- 
prenticeship to  the  watch-maker's  trade. 
He  then  went  to  Hadersleben,  Schleswig, 
where  he  worked  for  three  years,  and  from 
that  place  went  to  Copenhagen,  where  he 
was  in  the  employ  of  the  successors  of  Ur- 
ban, JOrgensen,  celebrated  watch  makers, 
remaining  with  them  until  he  came  to  the 
United  States.  He  was  drafted  for  service 
in  the  Danish  army,  but  avoided  the  enroll- 
ment, and  succeeded  in  leaving  the  country 
before  the  officers  could  muster  him,  sailing 


in  November,  1873,  and  making  the  voyage 
in  three  weeks  on  the  Gellert-Inman  line. 

On  reaching  the  shores  of  the  New 
World,  Mr.  Christiansen  proceeded  to  Tol- 
edo, Ohio,  where  his  brother  was  living, 
and  there  worked  at  his  trade  for  about  six 
months.  Coming  to  Chicago,  he  was  in 
the  employ  of  Hamilton  &  Rowe  for  one 
year,  and  then  went  to  Galesburg,  Illinois, 
to  take  charge  of  the  watch  department 
of  Trask  &  Gentry,  Mr.  Trask  being  a  si- 
lent partner  of  the  firm  of  Hamilton  & 
Rowe.  After  three  years  spent  in  Gales- 
burg  .he  came  to  Elgin,  and  has  since  been 
employed  in  the  finishing  department  "  A  " 
of  the  Elgin  Watch  Factory.  He  also  con- 
ducts a  private  school  at  his  home,  instruct- 
ing his  pupils  in  horology.  He  is  an  expert 
watch  maker,  being  thoroughly  fitted  for 
his  work  by  long  experience  with  the  most 
skilled  workmen  in  that  line  in  his  native 
land. 

In  Chicago,  Mr.  Christiansen  was  mar- 
ried May  25,  1880,  to  Miss  Helen  McCuth- 
en,  who  was  born  in  Galesburg,  January  12, 
1857,  her  parents,  John  P.  and  Caroline 
(Miller)  McCuthen,  being  early  settlers  of 
Knox  county,  Illinois.  They  are  now  liv- 
ing in  Kansas  City,  Missouri.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Christiansen  have  two  very  bright  and 
pretty  daughters— Carrie  Jane  and  Helen 
Marian.  The  parents  hold  membership  in 
the  Universalist  church. 

In  political  sentiment  Mr.  Christian  is  a 
stalwart  Republican.  Possessing  a  splen- 
did tenor  voice,  he  has  become  a  very  pop- 
ular singer  in  Elgin,  and  is  much  sought 
after  in  musical  circles.  He  has  ever  taken 
a  great  interest  in  musical  affairs,  has  been 
leader  of  the  Universalist  and  Congrega- 
gational  church  choirs,  and  is  now  the 
leading  tenor  in  the  Baptist  church.  He 


634 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


is  also  a  prominent  member  of  the  Philhar- 
monic Society  of  Elgin,  and  in  social  as 
well  as  musical  circles  has  gained  a  host  of 
warm  friends. 


JOHN  A.  HASLER,  engineer  and  electri- 
cian of  the  village  of  Hampshire,  occu- 
pied a  position,  the  responsibility  of  which 
is  recognized  by  few  people.  The  safety 
and  comfort  of  dwellers  in  cities,  and  the 
occupants  of  skyscraping  office  and  apart- 
ment buildings,  depends  on  the  engineer. 
Lives  of  these  millions,  who  are  each  year 
safely  carried  on  railroads  and  steamships, 
is  due  to  the  watchful  care  of  the  engineer. 
Too  little  thought  and  credit  is  given  to  this 
vocation,  upon  which  so  much  depends. 

John  A.  Hasler  was  born  in  Brookfield 
township,  Waukesha  county,  Wisconsin, 
May  i,  1857,  and  is  the  son  of  John  Has- 
ler, who  was  born  at  Ulm,  Wurtemberg, 
Germany,  who  married  Lucy  Kreider,  also 
a  native  of  Ulm.  They  were  married  in 
Waukesha  county,  Wisconsin,  and  to  them 
were  born  three  children — John  A.,  our  sub- 
ject; Lucy,  wife  of  Charles  Huber,  a  farmer 
of  Cortland  township,  De  Kalb  county;  and 
George,  who  is  engaged  in  farming,  lives  in 
Genoa,  De  Kalb  county.  In  1862,  the  fam- 
ily moved  to  Elgin,  and  four  years  later  to 
Sycamore,  Illinois.  His  education,  began  in 
the  public  schools  of  Elgin,  was  completed 
in  the  schools  of  Sycamore,  when  sixteen 
years  of  age.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he 
began  to  learn  the  trade  of  an  engineer,  un- 
der the  instruction  of  an  uncle  in  Sycamore. 
For  three  years  he  was  fireman  for  his  uncle, 
during  which  time  he  studied  the  theory  and 
practice  of  steam  engines,  in  books  on  the 
subject,  to  fit  himself  for  passing  examina- 
tion. 


In  1883,  Mr.  Hasler  came  to  Hampshire, 
and  took  full  charge  of  the  engines  of  the 
brick  and  tile  works,  and  for  seven  years 
and  seven  months  filled  the  position  to  the 
satisfaction  of  employers.  Desiring  a  more 
active  outdoor  occupation,  he  resigned  his 
position  with  the  tile  company,  and  went 
into  the  well  and  windmill  business,  sinking 
wells  and  erecting  windmills,  over  portions 
of  the  four  counties,  commencing  near 
Hampshire.  He  was  in  this  business  from 
1890  to  1897.  On  June  8,  1897,  he  again 
accepted  a  position  as  engineer  for  the  tile 
works,  and  electric  plant,  which  they  had 
added  to  their  business. 

Mr.  Hasler  was  married  in  Genoa,  Illi- 
nois, November  28,  1878,  to  Eliza  Heath, 
born  in  Genoa  township,  a  daughter  of  John 
Heath,  a  native  of  Argyle,  Washington 
county,  New  York,  born  February  16,  1817, 
and  who  died  in  September,  1893,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six  years.  He  was  the  son 
of  Isaac  and  Elizabeth  (Alger)  Heath,  na- 
tives of  New  York.  John  Heath  was  fifth 
in  their  family  of  nine  children.  At  the 
age  of  twenty,  he  became  a  deck  hand  on  a 
sloop  on  the  Hudson  river,  in  which  occu- 
pation he  was  engaged  for  two  years.  He 
then  went  to  New  Orleans  and  there  worked 
for  a  time,  then  came  to  Genoa  township, 
De  Kalb  county,  Illinois,  in  the  fall  of  1846, 
where  he  bought  eighty  acres  on  section  34. 
He  was  first  married  May  24,  1846,  to 
Elizabeth  McQuarie,  in  Chatham,  Ontario, 
who  was  a  native  of  the  state  of  New  York. 
By  that  marriage  three  children  were  born, 
Webster,  who  married  Maggie  Dano,  and 
lives  in  Sac  county,  Iowa;  Eliza,  wife  of 
our  subject;  and  Diana,  deceased.  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Heath  died  July  24,  1859.  Mr. 
Heath  again  married,  January  24,  1860,  in 
Genoa,  De  Kalb,  Miss  Hannah  Shurtliff, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


635 


born  in  Canada.  Bythe  second  union  were 
five  children,  as  follows:  Libbie,  who  mar- 
ried Oscar  Davis,  and  resides  on  the  home 
farm  on  section  34;  Mabel  married  M.  Le- 
Fevre,  and  lives  in  Iowa;  Lillian  married 
D.  H.  Moore,  and  lives  in  Hampshire; 
Emily  married  Alfred  Moore,  and  lives  in 
Genoa,  and  John,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
sixteen. 

In  1893,  our  subject  built  an  unusually 
neat  cottage,  in  the  village  of  Hampshire, 
which  is  nicely  furnished,  and  is  comforta- 
ble and  homelike.  Fraternally  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and 
Royal  Neighbors.  Mrs.  Hasler  is  also  a 
member  of  the  latter  order.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican. 


MO.  SOUTHWORTH,  judge  of  the 
county  court  of  Kane  county,  and  a  prac- 
ticing attorney  of  Aurora  since  1 870,  was  born 
in. La  Salle  county,  Illinois,  April  I,  1841, 
and  is  the  son  of  George  A.  and  Cornelia  B. 
(Bowen)  Southworth,  both  New  England 
Pilgrim  families.  They  came  to  Illinois  in 
1835,  residing  first  at  Aurora,  then  Chicago, 
and  in "1837  removed  to  La  Salle  county, 
where  the  family  resided  until  1870,  when 
they  returned  to  Aurora,  where  George  A. 
Southworth  died  in  1871.  His  widow  is 
still  living  and  in  excellent  health,  spending 
her  time  alternately  with  her  son,  and  a 
daughter,  Mary,  wife  of  A.  D.  Southworth, 
of  Northfield,  Minnesota,  the  oldest  of  their 
two  children. 

M.  O.  Southworth  obtained  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  La  Salle  coun- 
ty, at  Batavia  Institute,  and  then  entered 
Beloit  College,  where,  after  pursuing  the 
regular  classical  course,  he  graduated  in 


1863.  Afterwards  he  took  up  the  study  of 
law  and  graduated  from  the  law  depart- 
ment of  Michigan  University.  He  came  to 
Aurora  in  1870  and  has  been  in  active  prac- 
tice since  that  time.  Was  city  attorney  for 
three  terms,  and  in  1894  was  elected  judge 
of  the  county  court,  which  position  he  still 
fills,  and  has  recently  been  renorninated  by 
the  Republican  party  for  a  second  term. 

Mr.  Southworth  was  married  in  1866  to 
Miss  Gabrielle  Mills,  daughter  of  Joel  Mills, 
an  old  settler  of  Will  county,  Illinois,  and 
they  reside  on  Fox  street,  Aurora.  The 
family  has  been  Congregational  in  religious 
sentiment  from  Puritan  times,  and  M.  O. 
Southworth,  though  not  a  member,  is  a 
trustee  of  the  First  Congregational  church 
of  Aurora.  It  is  fair  to  say  that  he  has  been 
a  careful  and  successful  attorney,  and  is  re- 
spected by  his  neighbors. 


WALTER  S.  FRAZIER  is  one  of  the 
men  who  have  given  name  and  fame 
to  the  city  of  Aurora.  He  was  born  in  the 
village  of  Tully,  Onondaga  county,  New 
York,  August  31,  1835.  His  father  was 
William  J.  Frazier,  a  native  of  Saratoga 
county,  New  York,  who  moved  at  an  early 
day  to  Tully,  then  to  Fabius,  conducting  a 
profitable  business  in  the  clothing  trade. 
William  J.  Frazier  was  one  of  the  original 
old  time  abolitionists,  way  back  in  1840-44, 
and  was  active  in  the  organization  of  the 
party  and  in  the  support  of  its  candidates 
when  there  were  but  little  signs  of  success. 
He  was  a  strong  temperance  man,  and  for  a 
long  time  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church  of  Fabius,  but  withdrew  from  it  be- 
cause the  deacon  who  passed  the  commun- 
ion cup  was  a  liquor  dealer.  The  Frazier 
family  dates  back  to  912,  when  a  Bourbon 


636 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


nobleman,  Julian  de  Berry  by  name,  having 
presented  some  fine  strawberries  to  King 
Charles  of  France,  the  latter  knighted  him 
and  substituted  the  name  Fraize,  meaning 
strawberry,  for  that  of  de  Berry.  As  the 
family  spread  to  other  countries  the  name 
was  written  in  other  forms.  In  Scotland, 
from  which  the  branch  to  which  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  belongs,  the  members  were 
known  as  Fraser,  Frasier,  Frasare,  Frazer, 
Frisel,  Fresel  and  Frezel,  which  were  used 
interchangeably  according  to  the  fancy  of 
the  writers.  These  varied  spellings,  some 
of  them  very  old,  are  preserved  in  the  pub- 
lic documents  of  those  times,  and  there  are 
instances  where  the  same  individual,  a  lord, 
appears  as  Simon  Fraser  and  again  as  Si- 
mon Frizel.  The  French  dictionaries  give 
"Fraisier"  for  a  strawberry  plant.  The 
Frazier  family  was  planted  in  Scotland 
about  the  time  ot  the  invasion  by  William 
the  Conqueror,  and  became  a  numerous  and 
powerful  clan  in  Inverness-shire.  At  this 
day,  it  is  said,  fully  one-eighth  of  the  total 
population  of  the  town  of  Inverness,  a  city 
seventeen  thousand,  bear  the  name  of 
Fraser.  There  is  an  authenic  record  of  the 
family  dating  from  1165.  The  clan  Fraser 
took  part  in  many  of  the  bloody  wars  waged 
on  Scottish  soil,  and  were  especially  active 
under  the  banner  of  King  Charles  when  he 
led  his  army  into  England  against  Crom- 
well. At  the  battle  of  Worcester,  Sep- 
tember 3,  1651,  the  Scottish  army  was 
routed,  and  the  following  year  nearly  five 
hundred  of  the  prisoners  taken  by  Crom- 
well's troops,  doubtless  including  Frasers, 
were  transported  to  Boston.  At  about 
this  time,  and  perhaps  from  this  event, 
dates  the  founding  of  the  family  in  Amer- 
ica. The  direct  ancestor  in  this  country  of 
our  subject  was  James  Fraser,  who,  it  is 


thought,  eluded  capture  at  the  time  of  the 
defeat  of  King  Charles  and  escaped  to 
America,  arriving  in  Boston  in  1652,  when 
he  was  about  twenty-six  years  old,  living  at 
what  is  now  called  Jamaica  Plain  until  his 
death.  The  land  he  acquired  was  in  the 
possession  of  the  family  for  one  hundred 
years.  In  order  to  avoid  arrest  and  per- 
haps execution  by  the  emissaries  of  Crom- 
well, he  changed  his  name  to  Frissell,  by 
which  some  of  the  clan  had  previously  been 
known.  He  died  February  6,  1716,  aged 
ninety  years,  leaving  five  sons  and  three 
daughters.  It  is  from  his  second  son,  Sam- 
uel Frissell,  that  the  Fraziers  descend. 
The  genealogy  is  as  follows:  James  Frissell 
settled  in  Boston  in  1652  and  died  in  1716. 
Samuel  Frissell,  his  second  son,  born  in 
1663,  died  in  1718.  Samuel  Frissell,  the 
second,  born  in  1700,  of  whom  there  is  no 
record  of  death.  Reuben  Frizel,  born  in 
1742,  died  in  Leyden,  Massachusetts,  Octo- 
ber 31,  1822.  Michael  Frazier  (who  was 
the  first  to  return  to  the  former  name), 
born  in  1770,  died  in  1848.  William  J. 
Frazier,  born  in  1809,  now  in  his  eighty- 
ninth  year,  is  living  in  Aurora,  Illinois. 
Walter  S.  Frazier,  born  in  1835,  now  'iy~ 
ing  in  Aurora.  The  family  name  was  re- 
stored to  its  original  form  of  Frazier  in 
1806  by  Michael,  who  had  moved  from 
Leyden,  Massachusetts,  to  Fulton  county, 
New  York,  with  his  father-in-law,  David, 
Page,  Sr. ,  of  Bernardston,  Massachusetts, 
whose  wife  was  Sally  Cunnabell.  The 
mother  of  Walter  S.  Frazier  was  Matilda 
(Winegar)  Frazier,  daughter  of  Stephen  and 
Sally  (Tuttle)  Winegar,  among  the  early 
residents  of  Fabius.  Stephen  Winegar  was 
a  son  of  John  Winegar,  a  mill  owner  of 
Lee,  Massachusetts,  a  noted  soldier  of  the 
Revolutionary  war. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


637 


The  boyhood  of  Walter  S.  Frazier  was 
passed  at  Fabius,  where  he  attended  the 
district  schools,  afterward  receiving  an  aca- 
demical education  at  the  Homer  and  Pom- 
pey  Hill  Academies.  When  he  was  eight- 
een years  old,  he  took  a  position  as  clerk 
in  a  dry-goods  store  at  Syracuse,  New 
York,  and  served  five  years,  being  then 
promoted  to  a  bookkeeper's  place.  In  1857 
he  came  to  Chicago,  light  in  purse,  and  se- 
cured a  clerkship  in  the  office  of  the  city 
comptroller.  He  was  soon  made  the  chief 
clerk,  and  retained  the  position  about  five 
years,  when  he  resigned  to  accept  the  office 
of  clerk  of  special  assessments,  to  which  he 
had  been  appointed  by  the  board  of  public 
works.  He  was  the  Republican  nominee 
in  1863  for  clerk  of  the  recorder's  court  of 
that  city,  but  was  defeated,  all  the  candi- 
dates on  the  Democratic  city  ticket  being 
elected  by  small  majorities.  In  1865  he 
was  elected  clerk  of  the  house  of  represent- 
atives of  the  state  of  Illinois,  and  was  given 
the  credit  by  members,  state  officers  and 
the  press  of  being  the  most  efficient  clerk 
that  branch  of  the  legislature  had  ever  had. 
On  his  retirement  he  was  presented  with  a 
handsome  gold  watch  and  chain  by  the 
members  of  the  house.  See  House  Jour- 
nal, 1865,  page  1 202. 

In  1866,  being  apprehensive  as  to  his 
health,  Mr.  Frazier  bought  a  fine  farm  on  the 
river  road  between  Batavia  and  Geneva,  in 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  and,  after  making  ex- 
tensive improvements  in  the  way  of  new 
buildings,  etc.,  moved  his  family  there.  His 
brother,  William  Page  Frazier,  had  moved 
to  Chicago  in  1862,  and,  in  1869,  he  also 
settled  near  Batavia,  where  his  father  had 
gone  in  1864,  with  the  main  object  of  being 
near  his  sons. 

Walter  S.   Frazier  sold  his  farm  in  1870 


and  located  in  Aurora,  where  he  soon  at- 
tained deserved  prominence  as  a  man  of  in- 
tegrity, ability  and  great  executive  force.  He 
had  no  active  business,  but  bred  and  devel- 
oped trotting  horses,  as  an  aid  to  health 
and  a  means  of  recreation.  In  this  he  was 
very  successful,  and  one  of  trie  horses  of  his 
training,  called  "Brother  Jonathan,"  was 
given  a  fast  record  and  sold  for  twelve 
thousand  dollars.  It  was  while  thus  en- 
gaged with  horses,  in  1878,  that  Mr.  Frazier 
invented  the  road-cart,  which  has  since 
given  him  wide-spread  reputation  as  a  man- 
ufacturer. He  made  the  first  one  for  his 
own  use,  but  its  merit  was  so  quickly  appre- 
ciated by  the  public,  that  in  1880  he  secured 
letters  patent  and  began  to  manufacture 
them  for  the  market.  In  connection  with 
his  sons,  he  now  has  a  large  manufacturing 
establishment  in  which  two  hundred  hands 
are  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  all  kinds 
of  road  vehicles,  and  which  has  become  one 
of  the  most  prominent  industries  in  Aurora. 
In  1855  Mr.  Frazier  was  married  at  Syra- 
cuse, New  York,  to  Miss  Mary  Stevens, 
daughter  of  Jacob  Vanderbilt  Stevens  and 
Hannah  (Tallman)  Stevens.  Mrs.  Frazier 
died  in  1880,  leaving  a  family  of  four  sons 
—Walter  S.  and  Edward  S.,  twin  brothers, 
born  in  1863;  Lincoln  B.,  born  in  1870;  and 
Floyd,  born  in '1873 — and  two  daughters, 
Anna  and  Hattie.  Of  the  sons,  Edward  S. 
married  Mary  Dunbar  Holbrook,  daughter 
of  Rev.  Doctor  Holbrook,  of  Aurora,  by 
whom  he  has  two  children:'  Walter  S.,  Jr., 
married  Clara  Pfrangle,  daughter  of  C.  A. 
Pfrangle,  of  Aurora,  and  a  son  has  been 
born  of  this  union  Walter  S.  Floyd  mar- 
ried Maud  Harris,  daughter  of  Hon.  A.  B. 
Harris,  of  Aurora.  Lincoln  B.  married 
Bertha  Plum,  daughter  of  the  late  Samuel 
Plumb,  of  Streator. 


638 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mr.  Frazier  has  done  a  great  deal  to 
beautify  and  improve  Aurora,  and  his  efforts 
in  this  line  are  recognized  and  appreciated 
by  his  fellow  townsmen.  He  has  erected 
some  fine  business  buildings  in  the  city,  and 
has  been  active  in  securing  many  public  im- 
provements. In  political  matters  he  is 
prominent  and  influential,  and  has  to  a 
large  degree  directed  the  shaping  of  political 
events,  not  only  in  the  city  of  Aurora,  but 
in  Kane  county  and  the  congressional  dis- 
trict as  well.  For  several  years  he  was 
chairman  of  the  congressional  district  Re- 
publican committee,  the  district  being  com- 
posed of  the  counties  of  Kane,  De  Kalb, 
Lake,  McHenry  and  Boone.  He  was  chosen 
a  member  of  the  state  central  committee  by 
the  state  Republican  convention  of  1888, 
being  one  of  the  executive  board  of  that 
body  during  the  presidential  campaign  of 
that  year,  giving  to  the  work  the  full  bene- 
fit of  his  ripe  experience,  pre-eminent  sa- 
gacity and  managerial  ability.  He  was  re- 
elected  in  1890  and  in  1892,  serving  three 
terms,  six  years  in  all.  In  the  spring  of 
1891  he  was  asked  to  become  a  candidate 
for  mayor  of  Aurora  on  the  citizens  ticket, 
and  was  elected  by  a  large  majority,  serv- 
ing a  two-years'  term.  His  prominence  in 
political  affairs  has  given  him  a  large  and 
pleasant  acquaintance  with  public  men 
throughout  the  state.  On  the  i6th  of 
March,  1 897,  his  excellency,  Governor  Tan- 
ner, appointed  him  one  of  a  board  of  three 
trustees  of  the  Northern  Illinois  Hospital 
for  the  Insane,  at  Elgin,  containing  some 
twelve  hundred  patients,  and  at  the  Gov- 
ernor's request  he  was  chosen  president  of 
the  board.  The  term  expires  in  1903.  On 
August  21,  1891,  Mr.  Frazier  became  the 
owner  of  the  ' '  Aurora  Daily  News, "  the 
oldest  established  daily  newspaper  in  Au- 


rora, now  an  influential  paper  of  large  cir- 
culation, a  property  which  he  still  owns 
Soon  after  he  purchased  the  paper  he 
erected  the  Daily  News  block,  in  which 
it  is  domiciled.  He  is  also  a  director  in  the 
Merchants'  National  Bank,  of  Aurora,  and 
has  been  since  its  organization  in  1888. 


JONATHAN  S.  DAUBERMAN,  an  en- 
J  terprising  and  successful  farmer,  own- 
ing and  operating  a  farm  of  three  hundred 
acres,  south  of  the  village  of  Kaneville,  has 
been  a  resident  of  Kane  county  since  1856. 
He  was  born  in  Center  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, June  1 6,  1850.  He  traces  his  an- 
cestry back  to  Phillip  Dauberman,  a  native 
of  Germany,  who  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  on  the  ship  Edinburgh,  commanded 
by  Captain  Russell,  and  landing  in  Phila- 
delphia, September  30,  1754.  From  Phila- 
delphia he  went  to  Centre  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  was  numbered  among  the 
pioneers  of  that  county.  His  son  John 
Dauberman  was  born  in  Center  county,  and 
George  Dauberman,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject and  the  son  of  John  Dauberman,  was 
also  born  in  that  county.  George  Dauber- 
man there  married  Matilda  Spangler,  also  a 
native  of  Centre  county,  Pennsylvania,  and 
a  daughter  of  Jonathan  Spangler.  In  1856, 
they  came  west,  and  located  in  Kaneville 
township,  Kane  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
purchased  a  partially  improved  farm  of  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres,  and  to  the  further 
development  of  which  he  bent  his  energies, 
in  due  time  erecting  a  fine  dwelling,  barns 
and  other  outbuildings,  and  there  his  death 
occurred  in  March,  1873.  His  good  wife 
passed  away  in  1857,  leaving  three  children: 
Jonathan  S.,  our  subject;  Ellen,  who  makes 
her  home  with  her  brother  and  sister;  and 


J.  S.    DAUBERMAN. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


641 


Ira  Sterling,  who  is  the  present  county  clerk 
of  Marion  county,  Kansas,  which  has  been  his 
home  for  some  years.  After  the  death  of  his 
first  wife,  George  Dauberman  later  married 
Anna  Harter,  a  native  of  Pennyslvania,  who 
is  now  deceased.  She  was  the  mother  of 
three  children — John  W.,  a  merchant  of 
Kaneville;  McClellan,-  who  grew  to  man- 
hood, but  is  now  deceased;  and  Mary,  who 
died  in  young  womanhood.  McClellan 
Dauberman  started  a  store  in  Kaneville, 
which  he  continued  to  run  until  his  death, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  his  brother, 
John. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  man- 
hood on  the  farm,  and  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  Kaneville.  He  remained  with 
his  father  and  assisted  in  carrying  on  the 
farm  until  the  latter's  death,  when  he  took 
full  charge  of  the  place,  and  later  purchased 
the  interest  of  the  other  heirs,  since  which 
time  he  has  materially  improved  the  place, 
remodeled  the  house,  and  built  three  good 
barns,  erected  a  windmill  pump,  with  feed- 
mill  attachment,  on  which  he  is  now  placing 
an  engine  for  more  power,  and  has  made  the 
farm  one  of  the  best  in  the  township.  His 
success  as  a  farmer  has  been  good,  and  he 
has  not  only  engaged  in  general  farming, 
but  in  dairying  and  stock  raising  as  well. 

In  March,  1873,  Mr.  Dauberman  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Merrill, 
a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  who  came  to 
Illinois  when  a  child,  with  her  father, 
Thomas  Merrill,  who  was  one  of  the  settlers 
of  1855.  By  this  union  there  are  three 
children — George,  Bertha  and  Clarence. 
The  first  named  is  assisting  his  father  in 
management  of  the  home  farm.  Bertha  is 
a  well-educated  young  lady,  who  received 
her  education  in  the  Kaneville  public  school 

and  graduated  in  the  class  of  1896,  review- 
si 


ing  her  studies  in  the  Normal  School  of  Val- 
paraiso, Indiana. 

Mr.  Dauberman  is  a  lifelong  Democrat, 
and  supports  the  men  and  measures  of  that 
party  in  all  general  elections,  but  on  local 
issues  gives  his  support  to  men  rather  than 
party.  His  business  interests  have  always 
been  such  as  to  demand  his  time  and  atten- 
tion, and  he  has  therefore  never  held  office, 
save  that  of  being  a  member  of  the  school 
board.  In  her  religious  faith,  Mrs.  Dauber- 
man is  a  Baptist,  holding  membership  in  the 
church  of  that  denomination  at  Kaneville. 

Coming  to  Kane  county  when  but  six 
years  of  age,  Mr.  Dauberman  has  here  spent 
almost  his  entire  life,  and  in  the  develop- 
ment .o.f..his  tow-nship  has  done  as  much  as 
almost  any  other'  man.  He  is  industrious 
and  energetic,  and  no  man*  stands  higher  in 
the  estimation  of  his  fellow  men. 


JOHN  W.  GOODALE,  who  is  engaged  in 
farming  on  section  30,  Aurora  town- 
ship, came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  in 
1844.  He  was  born  in  Washington  county, 
New  York,  June  28,  1822.  The  family  are 
of  English  descent  and  were  among  the 
early  settlers  of  Massachusetts,  of  which 
state  Josiah  Goodale,  the  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  was  born.  He  was  a  soldier  in 
the  Revolutionary  war,  and  fought  for  the 
American  independence.  From  Massa- 
chusetts he  moved  to  Vermont,  and  subse- 
quently to  Washington  county,  New  York, 
where  he  remained  some  years  engaged  in 
farming  and  later  returned  to  Vermont, 
where  his- death  occurred.  His  son,  David 
Goodale,  was  born  in  Vermont,  and  from 
there  went  to  Washington  county,  New 
York,  where  he  married  Betsy  Welsh,  a  na- 


642 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tive  of  Washington  county,  New  York,  and 
a  daughter  of  John  Welsh,  who  was  born 
in  Ireland,  and  came  to  the  new  world 
when  a  child  and  here  married  a  German 
lady.  David  Goodale  was  by  trade  a  mason, 
which  occupation  he  followed  in  New  York. 
After  his  family  were  grown,  and  some  of 
them  had  come  west,  he  also  followed  them 
and  located  on  the  farm  of  his  son  Josiah, 
in  Sugar  Grove  township,  where  his  iast 
days  were  spent.  Of  his  family  of  five  sons 
and  two  daughters,  all  grew  to  mature 
years.  Maria  married  Luke  Nichols,  one  of 
the  first  settlers  of  Aurora,  and  both  are 
now  deceased.  Josiah  came  to  Kane  coun- 
ty in  1844,  and  located  a  tract  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  in  Sugar  Grove  town- 
ship, where  he  engaged  in  farming  for  some 
years,  then  returned  to  New  York,  and  there 
died.  John  W.  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
Lockwood  resides  at  Bristol  Station,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  the  hotel  business.  Eliza- 
beth, the  widow  of  William  Yeldham,  re- 
sides in  Aurora.  George  is  a  farmer  resid- 
ing in  Oklahoma. 

John  W.  Goodale  was  reared  upon  the 
farm  in  Washington  county,  New  York, 
and  received  a  limited  education  in  its  pub- 
lic schools.  He  came  to  Kane  county  in 
1844,  and  here  joined  Mr.  Nichols,  his 
brother-in-law.  He  soon  purchased  a  small 
tract  of  land  in  Sugar  Grove  township, 
which  he  sold  at  an  advance,  and  then  en- 
tered eighty  acres  in  Big  Rock  township. 
On  that  tract  he  located  and  began  its  im- 
provement. From  time  to  time  he  bought 
and  sold  other  tracts  in  Big  Rock  township 
and  there  resided  a  number  of  years.  Sell- 
ing his  original  farm,  he  boughtone  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  in  De  Kalb  county,  and 
there  spent  the  winter;  selling  the  same 
at  one  thousand  dollars  advance,  he  re- 


turned to  Big  Rock  township  and  purchased 
the  old  Gardner  Mill  property,  which  in- 
cluded seventy  acres  of  land,  and  engaged 
in  milling,  continuing  in  that  business  for 
eight  or  ten  years.  During  that  time  he 
bought  the  place  where  he  now  resides, 
comprising  one  hundred  acres,  on  which 
some  improvements  had  been  made.  He 
has  since  built  a  good  residence,  large  barn,- 
and  made  other  valuable  improvements. 
Mr.  Goodale  was  united  in  marriage  in  Big 
Rock  township,  March  i,  1849,  with  Miss 
Elizabeth  Brackett,  a  native  of  Vermont, 
and  a  daughter  of  Cyrus  Brackett,  who  lo- 
cated in  Big  Rock  township  about  1847. 
By  this  union  there  are  ten  children,  six 
sons  and  four  daughters,  as  follows:  Frank, 
married  and  engaged  in  business  in  Aurora; 
Fred,  deceased;  Don,  married  and  engaged 
in  farming  in  Sugar  Grove  township;  Ella, 
wife  of  Orin  Robbins,  a  livery  man  of  Piano, 
Illinois;  Lizzie,  wife  of  George  F.  Hadden, 
of  Aurora;  Cyrus,  married  and  residing  near 
Fort  Scott,  Kansas;  Webb,  who  is  assisting 
in  carrying  on  the  home  farm;  Emma,  at 
home;  Katie,  residing  in  Aurora,  and  Bert, 
at  home. 

Mr.  Goodale  relates  some  hard  experi- 
ences of  pioneer  life.  During  the  first  years 
in  Kane  county,  he  suffered  very  much  with 
the  ague,  which  was  very  prevalent  at  that 
time.  He  has  seen  many  large  herds  of 
deer,  and  flocks  of  wild  pigeon,  and  other 
game.  Politically  Mr.  Goodale  is  a  life- 
long Republican,  and  his  sons  follow  in  his 
footsteps.  He  is  well  known  and  respected, 
having  many  friends  throughout  Kane  and 
adjoining  counties.  Coming  to  this  county 
a  poor  man,  by  his  industry  and  thrifty 
habits  he  has  acquired  a  valuable  property, 
and  has  contributed  his  full  share  toward 
the  development  of  Kane  county. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


643 


GAIL  BORDEN,  whose  fame  is  world- 
wide, stands  pre-eminent  as  one  of  the 
benefactors  of  mankind.  While  naturally 
of  a  modest  and  retiring  disposition,  his  in- 
ventions have  been  such  as  to  bring  him 
prominently  before  the  people,  and  those 
who  knew  him  best  in  this  life  hold  him  in 
the  highest  honor  and  esteem.  A  native  of 
New  York,  he  was  born  in  Norwich  Novem- 
ber 6,  1 80 1,  and  was  descended  from  New 
England  ancestry.  Being  the  eldest  of 
seven  children,  he  was  at  an  early  age  made 
to  realize  the  nature  and  necessity  of  hard 
work,  and  assisted  his  father  in  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  home.  farm.  His  educational 
advantages  were  limited,  but  he  profited  by 
those  within  his  reach,  and  by  self-study 
and  the  reading  of  the  better  class  of  liter- 
ature became  a  well-informed  man. 

In  December,  1814,  the  father  emigrated 
with  his  family  from  New  York  to  Coving- 
ton,  Kentucky,  and  upon  the  site  of  the 
present  city  hall  in  that  place  our  subject 
cultivated  a  field  of  corn.  In  the  spring  of 
1816  they  removed  to  the  territory  of  Indi- 
ana, locating  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio 
river,  ten  miles  below  Madison,  where  Mr. 
Borden  resided  until  1822.  On  account  of 
impaired  health,  he  then  went  to  Missis- 
sippi, where  he  engaged  in  teaching  school, 
and  also  filled  the  position  of  county  sur- 
veyor and  United  States  deputy  surveyor. 
In  1829  he  went  to  Texas,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  stock  raising.  His 
ability  was  soon  recognized  by  the  citizens 
of  that  country,  and  in  1833  he  was  elected 
a  delegate  from  the  Lavaca  district  to  the 
convention  in  San  Felipe  to  define  the  posi- 
tion of  the  colonies  and  to  petition  the 
Mexican  government  for  separation  from  the 
state  of  Coahuila.  He  was  also  in  charge 
of  the  official  survey  of  the  colony,  com- 


piling the  topographical  map  of  Texas,  and 
had  charge  of  the  land  office  at  San  Felipe 
up  to  the  time  of  the  Mexican  intervention. 

In  1835,  with  his  brother,  Thomas  H. 
Borden,  he  established  a  newspaper  called 
the  "Telegraph  and  Texas  Land  Register," 
•  at  San  Felipe,  which  was  later  transferred 
to  Houston,  and  was  the  first  and  only 
newspaper  issued  in  Texas  during  the  war 
for  the  independence  of  that  colony.  He 
had  its  chief  management  and  directed  his 
efforts  toward  resisting  the  establishment  of 
the  central  government  by  Santa  Anna. 
From  this  time  on  Mr.  Borden  was  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  history  of  the 
Lone  Star  state,  and  was  an  important  fac- 
tor in  its  development  and  progress.  Upon 
the  establishment  of  the  republic  of  Texas 
he  was  appointed  by  President  Houston  as 
the  first  collector  of  the  port  of  Galveston. 
This  was  in  1837  and  the  city  had  not  been 
laid  out,  and  the  first  surveys  were  made  by 
Mr.  Borden.  His  first  dwelling  there  was  a 
rough  board  structure  located  on  the  bay 
shore  and  erected  by  two  carpenters  in  half 
a  day,  and  his  office  was  in  a  room  in  what 
was  known  as  the  Mexican  custom  house. 

During  the  exciting  events  attending  the 
establishment  of  the  republic  of  Texas  and 
its  subsequent  annexation  as  one  of  the 
states  of  the  American  Union,  Mr.  Borden 
was  quietly  making  investigations  which  led 
to  one  of  the  most  important  and  beneficial 
discoveries  of  the  present  century  of  great 
discoveries.  In  1849  his  attention  was 
drawn  to  the  need  of  a  more  suitable  supply 
of  nourishment  for  emigrants  crossing  the 
plains,  which  then  required  several  months, 
and  after  some  experiments  produced  the 
pemmican,  which  Dr.  Kane  carried  with  him 
on  his  Arctic  expedition.  The  meat  biscuit, 
an  efficient  form  of  portable  concentrated 


644 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


food,  was  also  invented  by  him.  This  arti- 
cle gained  for  him  the  "great  council 
medal"  at  the  London  fair  in  1851,  and  he 
was  elected  an  honorary  member  of  the 
London  Society  of  Arts. 

In  the  manufacture  of  this  food  he  was 
unsuccessful,  in  consequence  of  the  opposi- 
tion of  army  contractors,  and  therefore  dis- 
continued its  production  in  1853,  having 
sacrificed  in  it  his  entire  fortune.  He  then 
removed  to  the  north  and  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  study  of  a  method  for  preserving 
milk.  The  result  of  his  investigation  and 
labors  is  known  in  the  condensed  milk  so 
widely  used  to-day.  He  applied  for  a  patent 
for  "producing  concentrated  sweet  milk  by 
evaporation  of  same,"  but  it  was  three  years 
after  his  application  was  first  made  before  it 
was  granted  him.  His  first  patent  bears 
date  of  August  18,  1856,  while  other  pat- 
ents were  granted  him  May  13,  1862;  Feb- 
ruary 10,  1863;  November  14,  1865,  and 
April  17,  1866. 

While  Mr.  Borden  was  aware  of  the  fact 
that  numerous  attempts  had  been  made  to 
preserve  and  solidify,  milk  as  well  as  to  find 
acceptable  substitutes  for  it,  he  believed 
that  all  had  proven  failures  more  or  less, 
and  he  certainly  found  no  products  which 
made  a  near  approach  to  such  excellence  as 
he  believed  to  be  attainable.  He  gave  the 
question  much  study  and  at  length  took  out 
seventy-five  per  cent,  of  the  water,  and 
with  the  milk  added  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
pure  granulated  sugar  to  preserve  it. 

The  first  works  for  the  condensing  of 
milk  were  established  at  Wolcottville,  Con- 
necticut, in  1856,  and  the  following  year  a 
factory  was  put  in  operation  at  Burrville. 
The  business  grew  rapidly  during  the  Civil 
war,  when  large  quantities  of  the  condensed 
milk,  preserved  with  refined  sugar,  were  re- 


quired by  the  Union  armies.  So  quickly 
did  it  develop  that  it  necessitated  the  es- 
tablishment of  two  other  factories,  one  at 
Livermore  Falls,  Maine,  and  the  other  at 
Winsted,  Connecticut.  The  Gail  Borden 
Eagle  brand  of  condensed  milk  soon  be- 
came widely  known,  and  has  continued  to 
grow  in  public  favor  with  every  nation.  In 
1 86 1  the  most  important  plant  of  the  New 
York  Condensed  Milk  Company  was  located 
at  Wassaic,  Dutchess  county,  New  York, 
while  another  factory  was  established  at 
Brewster,  New  York,  in  1863;  one  at  Wai- 
kill  in  1881;  one  at  Millerton  in  1892;  one 
at  Deposit  in  1894;  and  one  at  New  Berlin 
in  1895. 

In  1860,  in  Connecticut,  Mr.  Borden 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Emeline 
Eunice  Church,  nee  Eno,  and  widow  of 
Hiram  Church,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Kane  county.  On  the  death  of  her  first 
husband,  she  returned  to  her  old  home  in 
Connecticut,  where  she  formed  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Mr.  Borden,  which  resulted  in  their 
marriage.  From  his  wife  he  learned  of  the 
famous  Fox  river  valley,  and  was  not  long 
in  perceiving  that  this  region  offered  excep- 
tional facilities  for  the  extension  of  his  won- 
derful discovery.  After  making  one  or  two 
trips  of  investigation,  in  1865,  he  had 
erected  at  Elgin  a  modest  factory,  which 
from  time  to  time  has  been  rebuilt  and  ex- 
tensive additions  constructed,  until  it  is  now 
one  of  the  largest  and  most  complete  plants 
owned  by  the  New  York  Condensed  Milk 
Company,  known  as  the  Illinois  branch  of 
that  company.  Here  is  prepared  on  a  most 
extensive  scale  the  Gale  Borden  Eagle 
brand  of  condensed  milk,  of  which  millions 
of  cans  are  distributed  throughout  the  west- 
ern and  southern  sections  of  the  country. 

The  growth  of  the  western  business  of 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


645 


the  company  was  quite  rapid,  and  it  was 
soon  demonstrated  that  the  Elgin  factory 
would  not  be  able  to  supply  the  demand  for 
the  company's  product  in  the  west,  and  a 
plant  was,  therefore,  established  at  Carpen- 
tersville,  one  of  the  most  complete  factories 
operated  by  the  company.  Another  was 
later  established  at  Algonquin  and  one  at 
Belvidere.  The  offices  which  control  this 
immense  business  are  located -at  New  York 
City,  Jersey  City,  Newark  and  Chicago,  and 
each  place  has  one  or  more  branch  offices. 
The  extent  of  his  business  can  scarcely  be 
realized.  From  a  small  business  in  1856  it 
has  grown  to  be  one  of  the  most  important 
branches  of  the  dairy  industry.  Nearly  five 
hundred  million  pounds  of  milk  are  annually 
used  by  this  one  company  in  its  various  fac- 
tories, and  thousands  of  persons  are  inter- 
ested directly  andindirectly  in  the  feeding  of 
cattle,  care  of  milk  the  process  of  manufac- 
ture and  the  distribution  of  the  product.  That 
factories  at  Elgin  and  Carpentersville,  in  the 
Kane  county,  have  contributed  largely  to 
the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  county  is 
unquestionable.  The  stimulus  given  the 
milk  industry  by  the  establishment  of  the 
condensed  milk  factory  at  Elgin  has  been 
the  chief  instrument  in  the  development  of 
the  butter  trade,  and  to-day  Elgin  butter  is 
the  standard  throughout  the  entire  country. 
The  Gail  Borden  Eagle  brand  of  condensed 
milk  is  known  in  all  countries  and  is  the 
leading  brand  used  in  the  majority  of  them, 
having  stood  the  test  of  all  climates. 

Mr.  Borden  also  experimented  with  con- 
densed meat  juices,  and  produced  an  ex- 
tract of  beef  of  superior  quality,  which  was 
first  manufactured  in  Elgin,  but  later  an 
establishment  was  erected  especially  for  the 
purpose  in  Borden,  Texas,  where  the  indus- 
try was  continued  after  his  death.  Subse- 


quently he  produced  an  excellent  prepara- 
tion of  condensed  tea,  coffee  and  cocoa. 
In  1862  he  patented  the  process  by  means 
of  which  the  juice  of  fruits,  such  as  apples, 
currants  and  grapes,  could  be  reduced  to 
one-seventh  of  its  original  bulk.  His  labors 
were  conducted  with  the  utmost  care  and 
perseverance,  and  his  success  was  obtained 
only  through  long,  tedious  and  expensive 
experiments,  but  his  intense  energy,  un- 
yielding tenacity  and  great  ingenuity  enabled 
him  to  perfect  his  inventions,  which  have 
so  largely  contributed  to  the  good  of  hu- 
manity. While  Justus  Von  Liebig,  sur- 
rounded with  the  elaborate  apparatus  of  his 
well-appointed  laboratory  at  Giessen,  was  ex- 
perirnentingand  prosecuting  those  researches 
into  the  nature  of  flesh  and  animal  juices, 
which  culminated  many  years  later  in  the 
production  of  "Extractum  Camis,"  Gail 
Borden,  in  the  wilds  of  Texas,  was  inde- 
pendently investigating  the  same  problem 
without  scientific  apparatus,  and  his  labors 
resulted  in  bringing  him  the  great  council 
medal  at  the  London  fair  in  1851. 

Up  to  the  time  of  his  death  Mr.  Borden 
gave  personal  supervision  to  his  business, 
and  he  is  entitled  to  the  entire  credit  of  es- 
tablishing the  great  industry  of  condensed 
milk,  prepared  milk  and  pure  fluid  milk,  so 
invaluable  to  mankind.  In  the  fall  of  1873  he 
came  Elgin  and  purchased  an  elegant  home 
on  Division  street,  with  the  intention  of  here 
passing  the  remainder  of  his  life.  His 
health  being  somewhat  impaired,  he  went 
south  to  spend  the  winter,  and,  at  Colorado, 
Texas,  January  11,  1874,  was  called  to  the 
upper  and  better  world.  In  a  brief  period 
he  succeeded  in  amassing  an  immense  for- 
tune, but  it  was  ever  used  for  the  good  of 
humanity,  and  his  charity  and  liberality  were 
among  his  most  marked  traits.  He  pos- 


646 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


sessed  an  earnest  Christian  character  and  a 
noble  generosity  and  devotion  to  the  wel- 
fare of  others,  which  has  made  his  memory 
cherished  and  revered  by  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances. A  companionable  gentleman, 
broad-minded  and  sincere,  his  life  abounded 
in  kindness  and  courtesy  to  all,  and  in  active 
philanthropy  and  hearty  co-operation  in 
every  good  work. 


/">EORGE  A.  BEITH  is  a  prominent 
\~I  farmer  residing  on  section  28,  Camp- 
ton  township.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of 
St.  Charles,  Kane  county,  Illinois,  January 
7,  1848.  His  parents,  William  and  Mary 
(Allen)  Beith,  were  natives  of  Scotland, 
the  former  born  February  13,  1818,  in  the 
town  of  Large,  Ayrshire,  Scotland,  a  few 
miles  from  Greenock,  and  in  young  man- 
hood learned  the  trade  and  business  of  con- 
tracting and  building,  with  his  father,  Rob- 
ert Beith,  who  all  his  life  carried  on  that 
line  of  business  in  Scotland  and  in  Kane 
county,  Illinois.  Robert  Beith  and  his  wife, 
Margaret  (Fatten)  Beith,  with  their  family 
of  ten  children,  left  their  native  land  in 
1844,  settling  in  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  where 
they  passed  the  remainder  of  their  lives  as 
highly  respected  and  honored  citizens.  She 
died  in  1871,  while  he  survived  her  three 
years,  dying  in  1874.  Both  were  buried  in 
the  St.  Charles  cemetery. 

William  Beith  came  to  the  United  States 
one  year  previous  to  the  arrival  of  his  fa- 
ther's family,  and  his  first  contract  in  Amer- 
ica was  for  the  erection  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church  at  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  in 
1843.  He  subsequently  erected  many  of 
the  prominent  structures  at  that  place  and 
in  other  parts  of  the  county.  His  opera- 
tions also  extended  to  Chicago,  and  at  that 


time  and  for  many  years  after,  he  was  the 
most  prominent  contractor  and  builder  in 
Kane  county.  About  1863,  he  partially  re- 
tired and  has  since  resided  on  section  28, 
Campton  township,  and  occupied  his  time 
in  farming.  With  his  life  companion  he  is 
now  enjoying  the  rest  and  quietude  so  well 
earned  by  a  long  and  active  business  life, 
he  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years  and  she 
aged  seventy-seven  years.  He  was  largely 
interested  in  introducing  and  starting  the 
manufacture  of  tile  in  Aurora,  and  has 
been  active  in  all  enterprises  of  a  public  na- 
ture calculated  to  benefit  his  vicinity  or  the 
county  of  his  adoption.  In  early  life  he 
was  a  stanch  Abolitionist  and  has  always 
been  a  firm  believer  in  Christianity.  His 
marriage  with  Mary  Allen  was  celebrated 
at  Glasgow  in  1841.  She  was  born  at  Dil- 
ry,  near  his  native  place. 

Our  subject  received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  St.  Charles,  Illinois, 
which  was  supplemented  by  a  term  in  Bryant 
&  Stratton's  Commercial  College,  Chicago. 
He  assisted  his  father  on  the  home  farm 
from  the  age  of  fourteen  until  reaching  ma- 
turity, when  he  took  full  charge  and  worked 
it  on  shares  until  1884,  at  which  time  he 
purchased  the  entire  place,  consisting  of 
four  hundred  acres  of  arable  and  pasture 
land,  and  has  since  added  an  acreage  of 
seventy-two  acres.  He  almost  exclusively 
confines  his  attention  to  dairy  farming,  grow- 
ing only  a  sufficiency  of  oats  and  corn  for  the 
consumption  of  his  cows,  which  number 
about  one  hundred  and  which  he  replenishes 
annually  with  a  car  of  new  stock.  The 
milk  he  ships  direct  from  Elburn  to  Chi- 
cago. He  secures  bran  from  the  Minneapo- 
lis mills,  which  mixed  with  the  home  prod- 
ucts, corn  and  oats,  forms  the  staple  food 
of  his  cattle  during  the  year.  The  barns, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


647 


sheds  and  facilities  for  grinding  the  food 
for  the  cattle  are  all  one  might  expect  to 
find  on  one  of  the  finest  improved  and  best 
managed  farms  of  Kane  county. 

Mr.  Beith  was  married  September  28, 
1878,  to  Miss  Lucinda  Richmond,  daughter 
of  Almond  and  Hannah  (Smith)  Richmond, 
natives  of  Vermont,  who  came  to  Kane 
county  at  an  early  day  and  settled  in  Camp- 
ton  township,  where  they  resided  until  their 
deaths,  the  mother  dying  in  March,  1895, 
the  father  in  November,  1895.  Both  are 
buried  in  the  Garfield  cemetery,  of  Camp- 
ton  township.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beith  have 
been  born  a  family  of  six  children — Robert, 
Elizabeth,  Mary,  William  A.,  Rachel  and 
Lucinda,  twins.  The  last  named  died  when 
an  infant,  while  the  others  are  living  and 
all  receiving  good  educations. 

Our  subject  has  two  sisters.  Mrs.  Ra- 
chel Day  is  the  wife  of  Rev.  W.  F.  Day,  a 
minister  of  the  First  Congregational  church 
of  Los  Angeles,  California.  She  has  one 
son,  a  minister  of  the  same  denomination, 
located  at  Aurora,  Illinois.  He  is  a  gradu- 
ate of  Amherst  College,  Massachusetts,  and 
has  traveled  extensively  in  Europe.  The 
other  sister,  Priscilla,  married  Daniel  Wheat- 
on,  by  whom  she  has  two  children — Mary, 
wife  of  Adolphus  Moody,  of  Judsonia,  Ar- 
kansas, and  William,  who  lives  with  his 
mother.  Daniel  Wheaton  died  in  1896, 
and  Priscilla  is  now  the  wife  of  David  An- 
derson, of  St.  Charles,  where  she  now  re- 
sides. 

Since  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  Mr. 
Beith  has  held  the  office  of  school  director. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  With  his 
wife  and  three  eldest  children,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Congregational  church  of  Elburn, 
in  which  he  has  been  treasurer  and  trustee 
since  1891.  As  a  citizen  he  has  ever  shown 


a  willingness  to  do  his  part  in  advancing 
the  material  interest  of  township  and 
county. 

WARREN  S.  LEE,  justice  of  the  peace, 
Kaneville  township,  is  one  of  the 
best  known  men  in  the  township,  which  has 
been  his  home  during  his  entire  life.  He 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Kaneville,  March 
24,  1860,  and  traces  his  ancestry  back  to 
Elijah  Lee,  of  Connecticut,  who  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  serving 
under  General  Israel  Putnam.  His  son, 
Asahel  Lee,  was  also  a  native  of  Conecticut, 
as  was  his  grandson,  Russell  W.  Lee,  who 
was  born  in  Middletown,  that  state,  June  20, 
1822.  The  last  named  grew  to  manhood 
in  Middletown,  and  there  married  Sophronia 
Spencer,  also  a  native  of  Connecticut. 
They  were  the  parents  of  two  sons  and 
three  daughters,  as  follows:  Isadora,  who 
died  a  young  lady  of  eighteen;  Mary  A., 
who  died  when  about  twenty  years  old; 
Grace  R. ,  now  the  wife  of  T.  P.  Flanders, 
of  Kaneville  township;  Warren  S. ,  of  this 
review;  and  Brainard,  who  is  married,  and 
owns  and  operates  a  farm  in  Kaneville 
township. 

About  the  time  he  attained  his  majority, 
Russell  W.  Lee  came  to  Kane  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  located  in  Kaneville  township, 
where  he  entered  a  tract  of  land,  which  he 
fenced  and  at  once  began  its  cultivation. 
After  remaining  here  for  about  four  years, 
he  returned  to  his  old  home  in  Connecticut, 
where  his  marriage  was  solemnized.  Com- 
ing back  with  his  bride,  he  here  made  his 
home  until  his  death  in  April,  1896.  His 
wife  survives  him,  and  makes  her  home 
with  her  son,  Brainard.  Russell  W.  Lee 
was  a  man  of  good  education  and  was  one 
of  the  pioneer  teachers  of  Kane  county. 


648 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


By  teaching  in  winters,  and  working  on 
farms  by  the  month  the  remainder  of  each 
year,  he  secured  the  means  to  make  his 
first  purchase  of  land.  He  was  a  very 
active  and  enterprising  farmer,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  owned  two  farms,  one  of 
which  he  himself  improved.  He  was 
elected  and  served  in  various  positions  of 
trust  and  honor,  serving  as  supervisor,  as- 
sessor and  commissioner  of  highways.  His 
death  was  mourned  by  a  large  circle  of 
friends  throughout  the  county. 

Warren  S.  Lee  grew  to  manhood  on  the 
old  home  farm  in  Kaneville  township,  and 
was  educated  in  the  common-schools.  He 
remained  with  his  father,  assisting  in  farm 
work,  until  after  he  had  attained  his  ma- 
jority. After  the  death  of  his  father,  he 
succeeded  to  a  part  of  the  estate.  For 
some  years  he  was  actively  engaged  in 
farming,  and  later  rented  the  place,  since 
which  time  he  has  engaged  in  various  occu- 
pations. While  operating  the  farm  he  was 
also  engaged  in  buying  and  selling  stock 
and  .dealing  in  farm  lands,  his  operations 
extending  over  Illinois,  Iowa,  Nebraska, 
South  Dakota,  and  Wisconsin.  In  these 
operations  he  was  fairly  successful,  confin- 
ing himself  principally  to  unimproved  lands, 
which  he  held  for  an  advance.  He  has 
always  been  a  very  busy  man,  and  was  one 
of  the  original  stockholders  in  the  County 
Line  Creamery  Company. 

Politically,  Mr.  Lee  has  been  a  lifelong 
Democrat,  the  principles  of  which  party 
was  instilled  in  his  youth.  He  has  been 
quite  active  in  local  polities,  was  elected 
and  served  two  years  as  assessor,  and  in 
1897,  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace, 
which  office  he  is  now  filling  in  a  satisfac- 
tory manner.  In  the  conventions  of  his 
party,  he  usually  serves  as  a  delegate,  ex- 


erting a  good  influence  in  its  councils.  Fra- 
ternally, he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America  of  Kaneville,  and  is 
the  present  consul.  Religiously  he  is  a 
Baptist,  a  member  of  that  church  in  Kane- 
ville, where  he  has  served  in  the  choir  for  a 
number  of  years.  A  lifelong  resident  of 
the  county,  he  has  for  years  been  identified 
with  various  enterprises,  calculated  to  ad- 
vance its  material  interest,  and  is  widely 
and  favorably  known  throughout  Kane  and 
adjoining  counties. 


DAVID  ANDERSON,  who  is  now  living 
a  retired  life  on  his  farm  adjoining  the 
corporate  limits  of  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  was 
for  years  one  of  its  most  enterprising 
and  successful  farmers.  He  dates  his  resi- 
dence in  Illinois  since  1849,  and  in  Kane 
county  since  1860.  A  native  of  Scotland, 
he" was  bora.. a\.t Bell's  Hill,  near  Glasgow, 
May  6,  1823.  His  father,  John  Anderson, 
was  also  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  could 
trace  his  ancestry  back  through  a  long  line 
of  men  and  women  prominent  in  the  history 
of  Scotland.  John  Anderson  married  Isa- 
bella Bissett,  also  a  native  of  Scotland.  By 
occupation  he  was  a  farmer,  in  which  line 
he  continued  during  his  entire  life.  He 
never  left  his  native  country,  but  there 
reared  his  family  and  passed  to  his  reward. 
David  Anderson  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  land,  and  there  married  Elizabeth 
Ray,  also  a  native  of  Scotland.  In  1849, 
with  his  family,  he  emigrated  to  the  United 
States,  first  locating  in  Chicago,  where  he 
found  employment  as  a  stationary  engineer, 
running  an  engine  for  a  planing  mill,  and 
later  for  two  years  was  with  a  publishing 
company.  He  made  that  city  his  home  un- 
til 1860.  However,  in  1854,  he  came  to 


\ 


DAVID   ANDERSON. 


MRS.  DAVID  ANDERSON. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


653 


Kane  county  and  bought  a  tract  of  land, 
which  place  comprises  a  part  of  his  present 
homestead.  Locating  on  the  place  in  1860, 
he  at  once  began  its  further  improvement, 
making  it  a  pleasant  and  attractive  home. 
While  yet  residing  in  Chicago  he  purchased 
a  number  of  city  lots,  on  which  he  later 
built  several  residences,  and  which  he  owned 
for  a  number  of  years,  finally  disposing  of 
the  same  at  a  handsome  profit. 

After  locating  in  Kane  county,  Mr.  An- 
derson purchased  more  land  from  time  to 
time  until  he  now  owns  three  hundred 
acres,  lying  in  St.  Charles  and  Geneva 
townships,  but  all  adjacent  to  the  city  of 
St.  Charles.  This  property  is  finely  im- 
proved, having  on  it  a  substantial  stone 
residence,  fronting  the  river,  together  with 
large  barns  and  other  outbuildings.  In  this 
residence  he  makes  his  home,  but  has  an- 
other fine  house  on  the  west  part  of  the 
farm,  which  has  also  good  barns  and  other 
outbuildings.  A  part  of  the  place  he  some 
years  ago  sold,  and  the  same  was  platted 
as  an  addition  to  St.  Charles.  It  is  now 
covered  with  good  residences  and  comfort- 
able homes.  In  the  improvement  of  his 
adopted  city  he  has  done  very  much,  at  one 
time  deeding  to  it  eleven  acres  of  land,  a 
strip  one  hundred  feet  wide,  which  has  been 
converted  into  a  boulevard  from  Geneva  to 
St.  Charles.  He  also  gave  the  Electric 
Light  Company  one  acre  of  land,  on  which 
to  erect  its  power  house  and  other  necessary 
buildings.  He  has  been  connected  with  va- 
rious enterprises  which  were  supposed  to  be 
of  benefit  to  St.  Charles.  In  the  old  con- 
densing factory  he  took  shares  to  the 
amount  of  ten  thousand  dollars,  which  later 
he  lost,  as  the  factory  was  burned  and  never 
rebuilt.  He  was  also  connected  with  the 
West  side  Creamery.  During  all  the  years 


in  which  he  has  resided  in  Kane  county,  he 
has  been  engaged  in  the  dairy  business  in 
connection  with  general  farming.  He  be- 
gan the  dairy  business  while  yet  residing  in 
his  native  country,  for  two  years  engaging 
in  it  at  Glasgow.  Mr.  Anderson  lost  his 
first  wife  in  Chicago,  where  she  died  in 
1858.  She  was  the  mother  of  two  children, 
that  are  yet  living — David  R.,  of  the  firm 
of  Hack  &  Anderson,  publishers  of  Chicago; 
and  Jennie  S.,  wife  of  William  Hack,  senior 
member  of  the  firm  just  mentioned.  In 
1 86 1  Mr.  Anderson  was  united  in  marriage 
in  St.  Charles  with  Miss  Mary  Beith,  a  na- 
tive of  Scotland,  born  at  Larges,  and  a 
daughter  of  Robert  and  Margaret  Beith, 
both  natives-  of  'Scotland.  Robert  Beith 
and  his  son,  William;  -were  pioneers  of  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  locating  in  St.  Charles. 
They  were  stone  masons  by  trade,  and  many 
of  the  stone  buildings  in  and  near  St. 
Charles,  were  constructed  by  them.  Mrs. 
Mary  Anderson  died  April  13,  1896.  She 
was  the  mother  of  five  children,  four  of 
whom  are  yet  living.  Margaret  is  the  wife 
of  Frank  Hitchcock,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
livery  business  at  Dundee,  Illinois.  John 
J.  died  in  infancy.  Robert  is  unmarried, 
and  is  carrying  on  the  home  farm,  together 
with  the  dairy  business.  William  M.  and 
George  N.  are  business  men  residing  in 
Chicago. 

In  October,  1897,  in  Elburn,  Kane  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  Mr.  Anderson  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Mrs.  Priscilla  Wheaton, 
widow  of  Daniel  Wheaton,  and  a  daughter 
of  William  Beith,  of  Kane  county.  She 
was  reared  and  educated  in  St.  Charles, 
and  in  Blackberry  gave  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage to  Daniel  Wheaton,  January  5,  1869. 
They  settled  in  White  county,  Arkansas, 
where  Mr.  Wheaton  bought  several  large 


654 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


tracts  of  land,  and  where  he  was  success- 
fully engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  and 
business  until  his  death.  He  left  a  large 
estate  to  his  family.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wheaton 
were  the  parents  of  five  children,  two  of 
whom  are  now  living.  The  eldest,  Mary, 
is  now  the  wife  of  Alpheus  P.  Moody,  of 
Judsonia,  Arkansas,  whose  father,  Rev. 
Moody,  was  a  minister  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  at  Judsonia  for  some 
years,  the  family  being  among  the  most 
prominent  people  of  White  county.  They 
have  two  sons,  Julius  Clark  and  Powell 
Clayton.  William  Wheaton,  who  makes 
his  home  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson,  is  a 
student  in  the  schools  of  St.  Charles. 

Politically  Mr.  Anderson  is  a  stanch 
Republican,  a  firm  believer  in  the  princi- 
ples of  that  party.  He  has  never  desired, 
nor  would  he  ever  hold  office,  giving  his 
time  and  attention  to  his  extensive  business 
interests.  He  has  been  connected  with  the 
Congregational  church  at  St.  Charles  for 
many  years,  being  one  of  its  most  active 
official  members.  He  has  ever  contributed 
liberally  for  the  support  of  the  church  and 
has  given  much  to  other  benevolent  pur- 
poses. His  wife  is  a  devout  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  For  forty- 
nine  years  Mr.  Anderson  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Illinois,  thirty-eight  years  of  which 
time  he  has  resided  in  Kane  county.  On 
locating  in  Chicago  he  found  a  small  city, 
and  in  the  years  that  have  passed  has  wit- 
nessed its  growth,  until  it  is  to-day  the  sec- 
ond city  of  importance  on  this  continent. 
The  changes  in  Kane  county  have  been  no 
less  marvelous.  Few  men  are  better  known 
in  northern  Illinois  than  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  He  is  a  man  of  unblemished  char- 
acter, and  he  and  his  estimable  wife  are 
held  in  the  highest  esteem  wherever  known. 


JOHN  HENRY  RICHARDSON,  who  re- 
sides on  section  26,  Dundee  township, 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  best  farmers  in 
the  township.  His  father,  James  Richard- 
son, was  born  at  Springtown,  County  Don- 
egal, Ireland,  in  1828,  and  died  in  Dundee 
in  1873.  He  was  reared  in  his  native  coun- 
try, but  lived  fora  time  in  Scotland.  About 
1849  he  sailed  for  America,  and  settled  in 
Pennsylvania,  first  living  fora  time  in  Phila- 
delphia. He  lived  in  Pennsylvania  until 
1857,  when  he  came  to  Dundee,  where  the 
remainder  of  his  life  was  spent.  An  hon- 
est, industrious  laboring  man,  he  secured  a 
little  home  and  a  six-acre  tract  near  the 
village  of  Dundee,  where  he  reared  his  fam- 
ily. He  married  Katherine  Raser,  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  born  May  6,  1831,  by 
whom  he  had  nine  children — Mary  Ann, 
wife  of  John  Rose,  of  Dundee;  Robert  W.; 
John  Henry,  our  subject;  William  James, 
partner  of  our  subject,  residing  in  Chicago; 
Isabella,  living  with  her  mother  in  Dundee; 
Henrietta,  wife  of  Charles  Swyner,  an  em- 
ployee of  the  watch  factory  in  Elgin;  Ann, 
wife  of  Fred  Wolaver,  of  Chicago;  Anthony, 
a  milk  dealer  of  Chicago;  and  Kittie  May, 
with  her  mother  in  Dundee. 

James  Richardson  was  a  son  of  Anthony 
Richardson,  who  married  Isabella  Hilliard, 
and  who  owned  a  farm  in  Ireland,  which  is 
still  occupied  by  William  Richardson,  a  half 
brother  of  James.  The  mother  of  James 
died  when  he  was  three  years  old,  and  he 
was  reared  by  an  uncle  until  fourteen  years 
of  age.  He  then  worked  at  what  he  could 
find  to  do,  and  for  two  years  prior  to  com- 
ing to  America  worked  in  the  mines  near 
Glasgow,  Scotland. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in 
Manayunk,  Chester  county,  Pennsylvania, 
July  5,  1855,  ar>d  was  two  years  old  when 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


655 


his  parents  moved  to  Dundee.  Since  that 
time  he  has  moved  but  once,  when  he  came 
to  his  present  farm.  He  attended  school 
in  Dundee  until  fourteen  years  of  age,  and 
was  then  engaged  in  farm  work  for  others 
until  1875,  when  he  rented  for  three  years 
a  farm  on  shares.  He  next  rented  for  five 
years  for  cash  rent.  During  this  time  the 
farm  was  sold  and  at  the  expiration  of  his 
lease  in  December,  1882,  in  partnership 
with  his  brother,  he  purchased  his  present 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-eight 
acres,  lying  just  south  of  Dundee,  and  later 
began  the  milk  business  in  Chicago,  his 
brother,  William  J.,  taking  charge  of  the 
delivery  there  while  he  manages  the  farm. 
They  retail  from  six  to  seven  hundred  gal- 
lons of  milk  in  the  city  each  day. 

Mr.  Richardson  was  married  in  Dundee, 
August  21,  1882,  to  Miss  Ann  Maria  Rich- 
ardson, a  native  of  Omagh,  County  Tyrone, 
Ireland,  and  who  came  to  America  in  1880, 
followed  by  her  parents  two  years  later. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Johnson  Richardson,  a 
contractor  and  builder,  who  was  born  in 
Springtown,  County  Donegal,  Ireland,  in 
1832.  He  there  married  Ann  Jane  Robin- 
son, daughter  of  John  Alexander  Muldoon 
Robinson,  whose  wife  was  Miss  Maria  Beatty, 
her  mother's  maiden  name  being  Earl. 
John  James  Robinson,  brother  of  Ann  Jane 
Robinson,  served  through  the  Civil  war  and 
was  for  a  time  in  Libby  Prison,  from 
which  he  made  his  escape.  Johnson  Rich- 
ardson and  wife  were  the  parents  of  four 
children — Isabel  H.,  who  married  Will- 
iam A.  Bingham,  a  shipping  clerk  for  the 
Iron  and  Bolt  Works  at  Carpentersville; 
Annie  M.,  wife  of  our  subject;  John  James, 
deceased;  and  Jane  E.,  who  married  Charles 
Murray,  a  painter  of  Chicago. 

To  our  subject   and    wife    six    children 


have  been  born:  Ethel  Josephine,  William 
James,  Florence  Luella,  Stella  May,  Lil- 
lian Mildred,  and  John  Alexander.  The 
first  named  died  at  the  age  of  two  months. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richardson  are  members  of 
the  Episcopal  church,  and  fraternally, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Dundee  tent, 
No.  17,  K.  O.  T.  M.  Politically  he 
is  a  Democrat  and  has  served  as  highway 
commissioner  and  road  supervisor.  He  is 
an  excellent  farmer,  thrifty  and  energetic, 
and  keeps  his  place  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  Part  of  his  land  lies  in  the  river 
bottoms  while  the  remainder  is  on  high 
ground,  well  watered  and  well  drained. 


DORR  BROTHERS,  who  are  well- 
known  citizens  of  Sugar  Grove  town- 
ship, reside  on  a  fine  farm  comprising  about 
three  hundred  acres  on  section  8,  which  has 
been  in  the  family  for  nearly  sixty  years. 
Marshall  Dorr  was  born  June  10,  1839,  and 
his  brother,  Haskell  Dorr,  was  born  March 
22,  1844.  Sullivan  Dorr,  the  father  of 
Marshall  and  Haskell  Dorr,  was  a  native  of 
West  Moreland,  New  Hampshire,  born  in 
1809.  His  father,  Asel  Dorr,  was  a  native, 
of  New  England  and  died  when  Sullivan  was 
a  child.  The  latter  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  town  and  state,  and  there  mar- 
ried Elmira  Gurler,  who  was  born  in  Keene, 
New  Hampshire.  In  1837,  with  his  family 
he  came  to  Illinois  by  the  way  of  the  Erie 
canal  and  the  Great  Lakes  to  Chicago, 
which  was  then  but  a  small  village,  giving 
little  idea  of  the  prominence  which  it  has 
attained  in  the  years  that  have  passed.  He 
located  near  Ottawa,  in  La  Salle  county, 
where  he  remained  a  short  time  and  then 
came  to  Kane  county,  where  he  purchased 
the  place  in  Sugar  Grove  township,  on  which 


656 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


his  sons  and  one  daughter  yet  reside.  He 
first  entered  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  to  which  he  subsequently  added  other 
land.  Building  a  log  house  in  which  the 
family  could  live,  he  then  went  to  work  and 
fenced  the  claim  and  commenced  the  devel- 
opment of  the  farm.  For  many  years  he 
hauled  all  his  produce  to  Chicago,  where  he 
obtained  the  most  of  supplies  for  family  use 
and  also  purchased  lumber  for  building 
which  in  due  time  were  erected.  The  trip, 
which  was  with  ox  teams,  required  two  or 
three  days  going  and  coming.  On  this  farm 
Sullivan  Dorr  passed  the  remainder  of  his 
life,  dying  May  22,  1888,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-nine  years.  His  wife  passed  away 
in  January,  1887.  They  were  both  highly 
respected  people  and  he  was  regarded  as 
one  of  the  most  progressive  farmers  in  the 
township,  and  few  men  had  more  friends  in 
Kane  county. 

Marshall  Dorr  grew  to  manhood  on  the 
farm  and  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  the  neighborhood,  supplemented 
by  one  term  in  the  seminary  at  Aurora. 
When  the  war  for  the  Union  commenced  he 
had  just  attained  his  majority,  and  one  year 
later,  on  August  12,  1862,  he  enlisted  as  a 
member  of  Company  E. ,  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-fourth  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  with  which  he  went  south  into 
Kentucky  and  Tennessee.  During  his  term 
of  enlistment  he  participated  in  a  number  of 
prominent  engagements,  among  which  were 
Raymond,  Mississippi,  Jackson,  Tennessee, 
Baker's  Creek  and  the  siege  and  surrender 
of  Vicksburg.  In  the  vicinity  of  the  latter 
city  the  regiment  remained  about  one  year 
and  then  went  to  New  Orleans  and  Mobile 
Bay,  at  which  place  it  participated  in  the 
engagement.  From  Mobile  the  regiment 
was  sent  to  Montgomery,  Alabama,  where 


it  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war,  being 
mustered  out  at  Vicksburg,  August  16,  1865. 
From  Vicksburg  he  went  to  Chicago,  was 
there  paid  off  and  received  his  final  dis- 
charge. 

After  receiving  his  discharge,  Mr.  Dorr 
returned  to  his  home  in  Sugar  Grove  town- 
ship,  since  which  time  he  and  his  brother 
have  been  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
home  farm.  They  are  considered  good 
practical  farmers  and  have  been  fairly  suc- 
cessful in  life.  The  brothers  are  stanch 
Republicans  and  each  have  supported  the 
men  and  measures  of  that  party  since  attain- 
ing their  majority.  They  have  never  sought 
office  of  any  kind  and  care  nothing  for  offi- 
cial honors.  Marshall,  however,  was  elected 
and  served  one  term  as  township  collector. 
They  are  well  known  in  Aurora  and  other 
parts  of  the  county,  and  are  men  of  exem- 
plary habits  and  upright  character.  Their 
home  is  presided  over  by  their  sister,  Filissa. 
Another  sister,  Imogine,  is  now  the  wife  of 
William  Baker,  a  farmer  of  Sugar  Grove 
township.  One  sister,  Ellen,  grew  to  ma- 
ture years,  and  died  November  I,  1877,  at 
the  age  of  twenty-six  years. 


REV.  GEORGE  H.  WELLS,  pastor  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at 
Hampshire,  Illinois,  was  born  at  Fulton, 
Missouri,  May  18,  1839.  His  father,  Aaron 
Wells,  was  born  in  Nicholas  county,  Ken- 
tucky, at  Lower  Blue  Licks,  in  1805,  and 
died  in  1871,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years. 
Like  most  Kentuckians,  he  was  tall  and 
muscular.  The  old  farm  at  Lower  Blue 
Licks  comprises  eight  hundred  acres,  and  is 
now  owned  by  a  cousin  of  our  subject  who 
is  six  feet,  six  inches  in  heighth.  The 
family  are  long  lived,  the  mother  of  Aaron 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


657 


Wells  living  to  be  one  hundred  and  four 
years  old.  By  trade  Aaron  Wells  was  a 
blacksmith  in  early  life  and  for  some  years 
was  a  commission  merchant  at  Mexico, 
Missouri,  and  Sterling,  Illinois.  He  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Young,  a  daughter  of  Jacob 
Young.  She  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1799, 
and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years. 
They  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  three 
of  whom  are  now  living.  Three  of  their 
sons  served  in  the  Civil  war;  one  was  killed 
by  Quantrell's  men. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended 
school  at  Fulton,  Missouri,  and  colleges  at 
Fulton,  St.  Charles  and  Fayette,  all  in 
Missouri.  Later  he  attended  the  university 
at  Evanston,  Illinois.  He  began  teaching 
in  Missouri  and  spent  some  years  in  the 
schoolroom  as  a  teacher.  He  taught  in 
Missouri  country  schools  during  the  war. 
For  one  year  he  was  principal  of  the  school 
at  Praneville,  Illinois,  at  Augusta,  two  years, 
El  Paso,  one  year,  and  one  year  at  Ply- 
mouth, and  two  years  at  Dixon  seminary. 
He  began  theological  studies  when  he  began 
teaching,  and  pursued  a  four-years'  course 
after  he  entered  Rock  River  conference. 
He  was  licensed  as  a  local  preacher  in  1861, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1873  united  with  the  Rock 
River  conference.  His  first  charge  was  at 
La  Salle,  followed  by  Savanna,  Council  Hill, 
Dakota,  Scales  Mound,  New  Milford,  Rich- 
mond, Nunda,  Marengo,  Rock  Falls,  Malta, 
and  Hampshire,  being  appointed  to  the 
latter  place  in  October,  1895. 

Mr.  Wells  was  married  at  Morrison, 
Illinois,  March  30,  1868,  to  Miss  Lou  Sea- 
mon,  who  was  born  in  River  Phillips,  Nova 
Scotia,  and  was  a  daughtur  of  |:iiin-s  S.  and 
Cynthia  O.  (Johnson)  Seaman,  the  former 
a  native  of  Kings  county,  Nova  Scotia,  and 
the  latter  of  Cumberland  county,  Nova 


Scotia.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wells  have  two  sons 
—Rev.  George  A. ,  a  Methodist  Episcopal 
minister,  at  Stewart,  Illinois,  who  married 
Maude  Adell  Smith,  by  whom  he  has  one 
child,  Verna  Madge;  and  Harry  S. ,  who  is 
now  attending  the  Northwestern  University 
at  Evanston,  Illinois. 

In  politics  Mr.  Wells  is  a  Prohibitionist, 
but  was  formerly  a  Republican,  but  voted 
for  William  McKinley  and  Hopkins.  It  is 
as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  that  he  takes 
delight.  His  heart  is  in  the  work  and  his 
desire  in  life  is  to  do  good  to  his  fellow  men. 


JOEL  WAGNER  is  the  owner  of  two 
valuable  and  well-improved  farms  in 
Big  Rock  township,  but  is  now  living  a  re- 
tired life  in  the  village  of  Big  Rock.  He 
dates  his  residence  in  Kane  county  since 
1851.  A  native  of  New  York,  he  was  born 
in  Fort  Plains,  Montgomery  county,  Novem- 
ber 11,  1834,  and  is  the  son  of  Truman 
Wagner,  also  a  native  of  the  same  county 
and  state.  The  \Vagner  family  are  of  Ger- 
man ancestry,  and  trace  their  origin  to  Jo- 
seph Wagner,  who  came  with  his  parents 
to  the  new  world  when  a  lad  of  four  years. 
Charles  Wagner,  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  likewise  born  in  Montgomery 
county,  and  served  his  country  in  the  sec- 
ond war  with  Great  Britain,  in  which  he 
held  a  commission.  Some  of  the  members 
of  the  family  "served  in  the  Revolutionary 
war. 

Truman  Wagner  was  reared  in  Mont- 
gomery county,  New  York,  and  there  mar- 
ried Katy  Snyder,  a  native  of  the  same 
county  and  a  daughter  of  Lodowic  Snyder, 
of  German  extraction.  In  1837  Captain 
Charles  Wagner  came  with  his  family  to 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  located  on  a  por- 


658 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tion  of  the  present  site  of  Aurora,  and  took 
up  a  claim  and  later  entered  the  land.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  village, 
where  he  died  at  the  age  of  eighty  years. 
Truman  Wagner  engaged  in  fanning  in  St. 
Lawrence  county,  New  York,  and  also  in 
the  manufacture  of  lumber.  In  1851  he 
came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  bought 
land  in  Big  Rock  township,  his  first  pur- 
chase being  two  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
which  was  fairly  well  improved  with  a  log 
house,  a  log  stable  and  an  orchard  of  bear- 
ing trees.  He  at  once  commenced  the  fur- 
ther improvement  of  the  place,  erecting  a 
substantial  brick  house,  with  good  barns 
and  other  outbuildings.  He  was  a  success- 
ful farmer,  and  here  spent  his  last  years, 
dying  in  1871.  His  wife  survived  him  a 
number  of  years. 

Joel  Wagner  is  the  oldest  of  a  family  of 
three  sons  and  three  daughters  born  to  Tru- 
man and  Katy  Wagner.  All  grew  to  ma- 
ture years.  The  second  in  order  of  birth 
was  Hiram  D. ,  who  now  resides  in  the  vil-' 
lage  of  Hinckley,  De  Kalb  county,  where 
he  is  engaged  in  banking,  and  also  in  the 
grain  and  lumber  trade,  being  recognized  as 
one  of  the  most  prominent  men  of  the  town- 
ship. Kate  M.  is  now  the  wife  of  W.  H. 
Hall,  a  business  man  of  Springfield,  Illinois. 
Laura  is  the  wife  of  Archie  Miller,  now  liv- 
ing a  retired  life  in  the  village  of  Hinckley. 
Lydia  is  the  wife  of  J.  F.  Jackson,  a  farmer 
residing  near  Hinckley.  Charles,  who  was 
a  soldier  in  the  war  for  the  Union,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Fifty-second  Regiment,  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  was  taken  sick  and  re- 
moved to  the  St.  Louis  hospital,  and  there 
died. 

Joel  Wagner  came  to  Kane  county,  Illi- 
nois, when  sixteen  years  of  age.  In  his  na- 
tive state  he  had  good  educational  advan- 


tages, and  on  his  arrival  in  Kane  county,  he 
attended  school  at  Aurora,  and  also  at  the 
Batavia  Institute.  He  helped  his  father 
open  up  and  develop  the  farm  and  remained 
with  him  until  after  he  attained  his  major- 
ity. In  August,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany E,  Thirty-sixth  Regiment,  Illinois  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  with  which  he  went  to 
Rollo,  Missouri,  and  was  with  General 
Seigel  and  Curtis  through  Missouri.  The 
first  battle  in  which  he  participated  was  at 
Pea  Ridge;  leaving  Missouri,  the  regiment 
was  sent  into  Kentucky,  and  was  there  in 
the  engagement  at  Perryville.  In  the  battle 
of  Stony  River,  he  was  wounded,  being  shot 
through  the  face.  The  scar  yet  remains 
with  him,  a  reminder  of  the  time  in  which 
he  went  out  in  defense  of  the  old  flag.  He 
was  wounded  December  31,  1862,  and  was 
taken  to  the  hospital  at  Nashville,  and  was 
discharged  from  the  service  in  March,  1863. 
Returning  home,  he  suffered  from  the 
wound  tor  nearly  a  year,  and  after  his  recov- 
ery he  resumed  farming.  He  was  married 
in  April,  1865,  to  Miss  Anna  Leyson,  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania,  born  in  1841,  and  a 
daughter  of  Reese  Leyson,  who  came  to 
Kane  county  in  1852.  By  this  union  there 
were  two  sons,  Willard  S. ,  married  and  car- 
rying on  the  old  farm,  and  Arthur  Herbert, 
who  married  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
six  years,  leaving  a  wife  and  one  son,  Ira 
Glenn.  He  lost  one  daughter,  Anna,  who 
"died  at  the  age  of  seven  months. 

Soon  after  marriage,  Mr.  Wagner  set- 
tled on  a  farm  in  Big  Rock  township,  where 
he  remained  four  years,  and  then  removed 
to  Kaneville  township,  where  he  purchased 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  ac^s,  on 
which  he  resided  four  years.  About  two 
years  after  the  death  of  his  father,  he  pur- 
chased the  interests  of  the  other  heirs  to  the 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


659 


homestead,  which  comprised  three  hundred 
and  sixty-two  acres,  and  on  that  farm  he 
continued  for  twenty  years.  While  resid- 
ing there  he  purchased  another  farm  of  two 
hundred  andjorty  acres,  which  is  one  of  the 
finest  farms  in  Kane  county. 

While  residing  on  the  old  homestead, 
Mrs.  Anna  Wagner  departed  this  life,  June 
7,  1879,  and  Mr.  Wagner  married  in  De 
Kalb  county,  Illinois,  November  15,  1880, 
Miss  Elizabeth  Diedrich,  who  was  born  and 
reared  in  De  Kalb  county,  and  a  daughter 
of  Peter  Diedrich,  a  native  of  Germany, 
and  a  pioneer  of  De  Kalb  county.  By  this 
marriage  are  two  sons,  Frank  Leslie  and 
Clarence  F. ,  both  students  of  the  home 
school. 

In  1895  Mr.  Wagner  built  a  fine  resi- 
dence in  the  village  of  Big  Rock,  which  is 
one  of  the  neatest  and  best  furnished  resi- 
dences in  the  place.  There  the  family  now 
reside.  Mr.  Wagner  had  ever  been  a  pub- 
lic-spirited man,  lending  aid  to  various 
public  enterprises,  having  a  tendency  to 
build  up  his  town  and  county.  He  was  one 
of  the  original  stockholders,  and  assisted  in 
the  organization  of  the  Big  Rock  Creamery, 
of  which  he  was  the  first  president,  and 
manager  for  five  or  six  years. 

In  politics  Mr.  Wagner  is  independent, 
giving  his  support  to  the  men  he  considers 
best  qualified  for  the  place.  He  cast  his 
first  presidential  ballot  for  the  "little  gi- 
ant," Stephen  A.  Douglas.  He  also  voted 
three  times  for  Grover  Cleveland.  For  fif- 
teen years  he  served  as  road  commissioner, 
and  twelve  years  as  justice  of  the  peace,  the 
latter  office  he  declining  to  longer  fill.  He 
has  been  assessor  of  the  township,  trustee, 
and  treasurer  of  the  school  funds.  In  his 
religious  views  Mr.  Wagner  is  liberal,  be- 
lieving in  the  teaching  of  the  Golden  Rule. 


He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  for  some  years  was  quite  active  in  the 
lodge  at  Kaneville.  A  residence  of  forty- 
five  years  in  Kane  county  has  brought  him 
prominently  before  the  people,  and  he  is 
well  and  favorably  known  and  universally 
respected. 


/CHARLES  M.  CROUSE,  of  Big  Rock, 
*^f  Kane  county,  Illinois,  is  now  living  a 
retired  life.  He  was  born  in  Dutchess 
county,  New  York,  August  26,  1841.  His 
grandfather,  George  Grouse,  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  New  York,  a  well-to-do  and  respect- 
ed man,  who  for  many  years  was  engaged 
in  the  hotel  business  in  Dutchess  county, 
that  state.  His  son,  George  Grouse,  Jr., 
was  born  in  Dutchess  county,  in  1808.  He 
there  grew  to  manhood  and  married  Persis 
Emeline  Amnermon,  also  a  native  of 
Dutchess  county,  New  York.  He  was  by 
trade  a  tanner,  but  for  some  years  was  en- 
gaged in  the  butcher  business  prior  to  his 
coming  west.  In  1843  he  came  to  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  and,  after  residing  here  a 
few  months,  returned  to  his  native  state, 
driving  back  with  teams.  Three  times  did. 
he  make  the  trip  back  and  forth  in  that 
way.  After  coming  to  Kane  county  and 
remaining  a  while,  he  would  become  home- 
sick, return  to  New  York,  and  would  again 
come  to  the  Prairie  state.  He  finally  made 
a  permanent  settlement  in  Big  Rock  town- 
ship, first  purchasing  eighty  acres,  which  he 
improved,  and  to  which  he  later  added 
sixty-seven  acres,  which  he  converted  into 
a  fine  farm.  After  the  death  of  his  wife  in 
1857,  which  was  caused  by  being  thrown 
from  a  wagon,  the  team  running  away,  he 
sold  the  old  place  and  located  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  township,  where  he  pur- 


66o 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


chased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  one 
farm  and  forty  acres  of  timber.  On  the 
place  was  an  old  log  house,  which,  in  due 
time,  he  replaced  with  a  better  one,  and, 
improving  the  farm,  he  there  resided  until 
1885.  His  family  consisted  of  four  sons 
and  two  daughters,  of  whom  our  subject 
and  one  sister,  Ellen,  now  the  wife  of  Will- 
iam Knickerbocker,  of  Aurora,  are  the  only 
survivors.  One  daughter,  Julia,  married 
Elias  Carpenter,  and  located  in  Big  Rock, 
but  both  are  now  deceased,  leaving  nine 
children  and  a  fine  estate.  Egbert  grew  to 
manhood  and  married  Ellen  Seavey,  and 
died  in  1887.  For  some  years  he  lived 
with  our  subject,  the  two  being  in  partner- 
ship in  their  farming  operations,  but  finally 
dividing  the  estate,  each  taking  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres. 

Charles  M.  Grouse  came  to  Kane  coun- 
ty when  a  child,  and  here  grew  to  mature 
years,  receiving  very  limited  school  priv- 
ileges. From  the  time  he  was  old  enough 
to  hold  the  handles  of  a  plow,  he  engaged 
in  farm  work,  becoming  a  practical  farmer 
in  every  respect.  In  1868,  he  married 
Miss  Anna  Seavey,  a  daughter  of  Mark  Sea- 
vey, and  a  sister  of  the  wife  of  his  brother 
Egbert.  After  living  upon  the  farm  until 
1892,  he  rented  the  place,  built  a  large  and 
substantial  residence  in  the  village  of  Big 
Rock,  to  which  he  removed,  and  is  now  liv- 
ing a  retired  life.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grouse 
have  no  children,  their  first  born,  Freddie, 
dying  in  1884,  at  the  age  of  seven  years. 
They  also  lost  two  in  infancy. 

Politically,  Mr.  Grouse  is  a  Democrat, 
with  which  party  he  has  been  identified 
since  attaining  his  majority.  A  believer  in 
free  silver,  he  gave  his  support  to  William 
J.  Bryan  in  1896.  For  years  he  served  as 
school  director,  the  only  local  office  that  he 


would  ever  accept.  While  not  members  of 
any  church,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grouse  are  be- 
lievers in  Christianity  and  the  golden 
rule.  Both  are  well  known  and  are  highly 
respected  in  the  community  in  which  they 
reside,  and  are  hospitable,  generous  people. 


McCLELLAN  DAUBERMAN, deceased, 
was  a  well-known  citizen  of  Kaneville. 
The  following  sketch  was  prepared  by  an 
intimate  friend,  Mr.  F.  L.  Young,  who 
knew  him  well,  and  is  a  well-deserved, 
tribute  to  one  who  was  cut  off  in  the  prime 
of  life: 

"  McClellan  Dauberman  was  born  in 
Kaneville,  March  i,  1862,  and  died  at  that 
place,  which  had  always  been  his  home, 
October  10,  1896,  after  an  illness  of  less 
than  five  days'  duration,  of  acute  appendi- 
citis. He  was  not  married.  He  leaves 
three  brothers  and  one  sister  as  his  nearest 
relatives,  who  deeply  mourn  his  loss. 
His  parents  were  George  and  Matilda 
(Spangler)  Dauberman.  [See  sketch  of  J. 
S.  Dauberman  on  another  page  of  this 
work.  ] 

"  His  early  life  was  spent  on  his  father's 
farm,  which  aided  to  give  him  what  he 
possessed  in  a  remarkable  degree,  a  splen- 
did and  vigorous  physical  development,  sup- 
plemented by  fine  mental  >and  intellectual 
qualities.  Since  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business  in  Kaneville,  leaving  at  the  time 
of  his  death  a  comfortable  fortune,  largely 
the  result  of  his  business  sagacity. 

' '  He  was  a  man  of  great  business  ability, 
always  methodical  and  accurate,  whether 
doing  the  same  for  himself,  the  public  or 
his  neighbors.  In  his  death  they  all  suffer 


McCLELLAN    DAUBERMAN. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


663 


a  personal  loss,  which  is  widely  felt,  and 
not  easily  replaced.  At  the  time  of  his  de- 
cease he  was  the  treasurer  of  Kaneville 
township,  the  duties  of  which  office  he  al- 
ways performed  with  fidelity  and  accuracy. 
He  was  also  an  honored  member  of  the 
Waltonian  Club,  of  Elgin,  many  of  whose 
members  attended  his  funeral  at  Kaneville. 
"In  politics  he  was  an  ardent  Repub- 
lican, whose  influence  reached  and  was  felt 
beyond  his  own  town.  He  was  also  one  of 
a  trio  of  natives  of  Kaneville  serving  on  the 
Kane  County  Central  Committee  in  1896, 
where  his  counsels  were  valued  and  appre- 
ciated in  an  eminent  degree.  Beholding 
him  stricken  down  as  he  was  in  the  bright 
glow  of  his  manhood's  prime,  the  great 
truth  is  .again  brought  home  to  our  hearts 
that  we,  too,  are  'Passing  Away.' 


"  It  is  written  on  the  rose 

In  its  glory's  bright  array; 
Read  what  those  buds  disclose — 
'  Passing  away.' 

It  is  written  on  the  brow, 

Where  the  spirit's  ardent  ray 
Lives,  burns,  and  triumphs  now — 
'  Passing  away.'  " 


"His  fine  mental  qualities  shone 
strongly  forth  every  day  of  his  life.  He 
was  always  neat  in  person  and  apparel.. 
With  him  order  was  heaven's  first  law.  His 
large  store  was  always  kept  in  perfect  order, 
and  the  neatness  of  his  private  bachelor 
apartments  were  always  the  subject  of  ap- 
proving comment  by  .his  many  visiting 
friends.  His  funeral  was  one  of  the  largest 
ever  held  in  Kaneville.  Nearly  every  town 
in  the  county  was  represented,  showing  the 
high  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  outside 
his  own  town." 

32 


CHAMBERS  D.  CALHOUN,  M.  D.,  of 
Elburn,  Illinois,  is  a  physician  and 
surgeon  of  acknowledged  ability.  He  was 
born  in  Armstrong  county,  Pennsylvania, 
August  17,  1858,  and  is  the  son  of  Samuel 
S.  and  Hannah  (Sheridan)  Calhoun,  the 
former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  the 
latter  of  Ohio.  By  occupation  Samuel  S. 
Calhoun  was  a  farmer.  His  father,  John 
Calhoun,  took  up  several  sections  of  land  in 
Armstrong  county,  coming  in  possession  of 
it  at  an  early  day.  He  lived  to  be  ninety- 
one  years  of  age.  The  family  descended 
from  one  of. two  brothers  who  came  from 
Scotland,  but  who  were  really  North  of  Ire- 
land people. 

Samuel  S.  Calhoun  was  a  very  promi- 
dent  Democrat  in  his  native  state  and  was 
very  active  in  political  affairs,  taking  the 
stump  during  each  campaign  and  delivering 
many  speeches.  He  occupied  many  official 
positions  in  his  town  and  county,  and  in  his 
capacities  of  business  man,  citizen  and  pub- 
lic official,  his  actions  were  characterized  by 
uprightness  and  sincere  devotion  to  the  best 
interests  of  his  community,  and  he  enjoyed 
the  universal  esteem  of  his  fellow  men. 

During  the  dark  days  of  the  Civil  war, 
Samuel  S.  Calhoun  espoused  the  side  of  the 
Union,  and  organized  a  company  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  war,  but  on  account  of  the 
illness  of  his  wife  could  not  leave  home. 
About  the  close  of  the  war  another  company 
was  raised  of  which  he  was  elected  captain, 
and  with  which  he  started  for  the  front,  but 
only  got  as  far  as  Pittsburg,  when  he  was 
notified  that  the  services  of  the  company 
were  not  needed.  The  company  was  fully 
uniformed  and  ready  for  the  fray.  Later  he 
organized  two  companies  of  militia.  Few 
men  in  Armstrong  county  were  better  known. 
During  the  Grange  movement,  he  was  a 


664 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


high  official  in  that  order.  His  death  oc- 
curred the  day  before  Christmas,  1896,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  While  pre- 
paring an  address  for  the  Christian  Endeavor 
Society,  he  was  called  up  higher  and  never 
spoke  again  after  receiving  a  stroke  of 
paralysis.  For  many  years  he  was  an  elder 
in  the  Presbyterian  church,  of  which  he  and 
his  wife  had  been  lifelong  members.  She  is 
yet  living,  an  honored  resident  of  Pittsburg, 
living  with  her  son,  Rev.  Joseph  P.  Cal- 
houn,  a  noted  divine  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  whose  services  as  a  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Pittsburg  is  appreciated  by  all  his 
flock.  Of  their  ten  children,  nine  are  yet 
living:-  Rev.  Joseph  P.,  at  Pittsburg;  Rev. 
John,  a  Congregational  minister  at  Mande- 
ville,  Wyoming;  Doctor  Grier  O. ;  Doctor 
Chambers  D.,  our  subject;  Rev.  Harry,  a 
Presbyterian  minister,  residing  near  Wells- 
ville,  Ohio;  Doctor  William  J.,  residing  in 
St.  Charles,  Illinois;  Samuel  C.,  an  attorney 
in  Pennsylvania;  Cyrus  Pershing,  a  farmer 
of  Pennsylvania;  and  Herbert  Bruce,  a 
machinist  of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared 
on  a  farm  and  was  educated  in  the  district 
schools  and  finished  a  course  of  about  three 
years  at  the  Glade  Run  Academy  at  Day- 
ton, Pennsylvania.  He  remained  at  home 
and  assisted  in  the  cultivation  of  the  farm, 
also  taught  school  for  a  number  of  years  in 
Pennsylvania.  He  read  medicine  with  his 
cousin,  Dr.  Franklin  Calhoun,  of  Dayton, 
Pennsylvania,  then  attended  the  Jefferson 
Medical  College  in  Philadelphia,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1884.  Coming  west, 
he  located  at  Earlville,  Illinois,  and  com- 
menced the  practice  of  his  profession  with 
Dr.  Vosburg,  under  the  firm  name  of  Vos- 
burg  &  Calhoun.  This  partnership  contin- 
tinued  two  years  and  was  then  dissolved. 


Dr.  Calhoun  moving  to  Troy  Grove,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  remained  two  years,  and 
then  came  to  Elburn,  where  he  has  since 
continued  to  reside,  and  where  he  has  built 
up  a  large  practice  in  town  and  country. 

Dr.  Calhoun  was  married  June  2,  1887, 
the  same  day  on  which  President  Cleveland 
was  married.  He  wedded  Miss  Sophia  Mar- 
tin, a  native  of  New  York.  She  is  a  true 
Christian  woman,  and  is  especially  inter- 
ested in  the  work  of  the  Christian  Endeavor, 
being  one  of  its  officers  and  leaders,  in  the 
Congregational  church  of  Elburn,  of  which 
she  is  a  member.  The  Doctor  is  also  a 
member  of  that  church,  and  is  now  serving 
as  deacon  and  trustee.  Fraternally  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  order,  in  which  he 
has  filled  most  of  the  chairs.  In  politics  he 
is  independent,  choosing  the  man  rather 
than  favoring  the  party. 

Dr.  Calhoun  is  a  member  of  the  Fox 
River  Valley  Medical  Association,  and  for  a 
time  was  a  member  of  the  Central  Illinois 
Medical  Association.  At  present  he  is 
health  officer  of  Elburn,  and  is  examining 
physician  for  the^Etna  Insurance  Company, 
the  New  York  Life,  the  Union  Central,  of 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  the  Michigan  Central,  the 
Western  Mutual  Life,  of  Chicago,  and  sev- 
eral others.  He  is  a  public  spirited  and  pro- 
gressive citizen,  believes  in  keeping  abreast 
with  the  times,  and  takes  a  deep  interest  in 
the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which  he 
resides. 


JJ.  WILLIAMS,  an  enterprising  farmer, 
residing  on  section  18,  Kaneville  town- 
ship, where  he  operates  a  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred and  seventy-three  acres,  first  came  to 
Kane  county,  in  1866.  He  is  a  native  of 
Ohio,  born  in  Jackson  county,  July  15, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


665 


1840.  His  father,  James  Williams,  was  a 
native  of  Wales,  where  he  grew  to  manhood, 
and  married  Hannah  Thomas,  also  a  na- 
tive of  Wales.  In  1836  they  emigrated  to 
the  United  States,  locating  first  in  Jackson 
county,  Ohio,  where  they  remained  four 
years,  and  then  removed  to  Iowa  county, 
Wisconsin,  where  he  entered  land,  and  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  a 
prosperous  farmer,  but  was  cut  off  in  the 
prime  of  life,  dying  in  1848.  His  wife 
survived  him  but  one  year,  dying  in  1849. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to 
manhood  in  Iowa  county,  Wisconsin,  where 
he  had  very  limited  educational  advantages. 
His  parents  dying  when  he  was  a  mere 
lad,  he  had  to  make  his  own  way  in  the 
world.  In  1860  he  went  to  Idaho,  and 
there  spent  four  years  in  silver  mining, 
with  indifferent  success.  In  1864  he  re- 
turned to  Wisconsin,  where  he  remained 
but  a  very  short  time,  and  then  to  came  Big 
Rock  township,  Kane  county,  where  for  two 
years  he  worked  on  a  farm,  by  the  month. 
In  1867  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Louisa  Whildin,  a  daughter  of  Jere- 
miah Whildin,  now  deceased,  and  a  sister 
of  John  C.  Whildin,  whose  sketch  appears 
in  this  work.  She  was  a  native  of  New 
York,  and  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
with  her  parents,  when  a  mere  child.  By 
this  union  there  were  four  children,  Gertie 
Ann,  a  young  lady  at  home;  Eveline,  now 
the  wife  of  William  Johnson,  a  farmer 
of  Kaneville  township;  Leroy  and  Otis,  at 
home.  The  wife  and  mother  died  in  1882, 
mourned  by  family  and  a  large  circle  of 
friends. 

Immediately  after  marriage,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Williams  moved  to  Champaign  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  where  he  bought  a  farm  in  East 
Bend  township,  and  there  resided  two 


years.  He  then  sold  and  located  in  De- 
Kalb  county,  about  two  miles  from  Hinck- 
ley,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  for  six 
years,  then  sold  and  returned  to  Kane  coun- 
ty, and  purchased  the  farm  where  he  now 
resides.  Since  locating  here,  Mr.  Williams 
has  made  some  permanent  and  substantial 
improvements  on  the  place,  tilling  it  and 
making  it  a  most  valuable  farm.  Politically 
he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  while  tak- 
ing a  commendable  interest  in  political 
affairs,  has  never  sought  nor  desired  office. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  Master  Mason,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  blue  lodge  at  Elburn.  For 
thirty-two  years,  with  the  exception  of  a 
short  time  spent  in  Champaign  and  DeKalb 
counties,  Mr.  Williams  has  been  a  resident 
of  Kane  county,  and  by  its  people  is  held 
in  the  highest  respect.  Commencing  life 
with  but  little  means,  by  his  labor  and  en- 
terprise, he  has  become  the  possessor  of 
a  large  and  valuable  farm,  and  a  comfort- 
able home,  where  he  may  spend  his  declin- 
ing years. 


JOSEPH  INGHAM,  who  resides  on  sec- 
tion 14,  Sugar  Grove  township,  is  rec- 
ognized as  one  of  the  leading  farmers  in 
the  township.  He  is  a  native  of  Kane 
county,  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  re- 
sides, October  18,  1839.  His  father,  Colo- 
nel Samuel  S.  Ingham,  was  a  native  of 
Oneida  county,  New  York,  born  in  1801, 
while  his  grandfather,  Joseph  Ingham, 
was  born  on  the  West  India  Islands.  The 
latter  was  a  sailor,  and  was  master  of  a 
vessel  for  twenty-five  years.  Leaving  the 
sea,  he  settled  in  the  town  of  Steuben, 
Oneida  county,  New  York,  where  his  son 
Samuel,  was  born  and  reared. 

Samuel     S.     Ingham     married     Nancy 


666 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Owens,  also  a  native  of  Oneida  county, 
New  York,  and  whose  father  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Revolutionary  army.  In  1839,  with 
his  family  he  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
arriving  here  on  the  i/th  of  June,  making 
the  entire  trip  with  a  team.  On  arriving 
here,  he  purchased  a  claim  from  his  brother 
Joseph,  who  came  to  the  county  in  1835. 
The  claim  consisted  of  about  one  hundred 
and  thirty  acres,  on  which  Joseph  had  built 
a  small  shanty,  but  had  made  no  other  im- 
provements. Colonel  Ingham  at  once 
began  the  development  of  the  farm  and 
about  1858  erected  a  large  and  substantial 
brick  residence.  His  barns  and  other  out- 
buildings were  of  the  best,  and  all  improve- 
ments were  in  keeping  with  the  times.  As 
his  means  increased  he  bought  more  land 
until  his  farm  consisted  of  over  six  hundred 
acres.  In  the  early  day  he  kept  a  hotel, 
which  was  the  stopping  place  for  many 
prospectors  and  the  traveling  public  for  some 
years.  He  was  an  active,  enterprising  man, 
and  was  well  known  throughout  Kane  and 
adjoining  counties.  While  residing  in  New 
York  he  served  as  colonel  of  militia,  and 
the  title  continued  with  him  on  his  removal 
to  this  state.  His  death  occurred  on  the 
home  farm,  March  17,  1864,  while  his  wife 
survived  him  some  fifteen  years,  dying  in 
1879,  in  Aurora,  where  she  was  then  re- 
siding. 

Joseph  Ingham  is  the  oldest  of  a  family 
of  eight  children,  of  whom  three  are  yet 
living.  John,  who  owns  an  interest  in  the 
homestead,  resides  on  the  home  farm,  while 
his  sister,  Mrs.  Adeline  Spencer,  resides  in 
Aurora.  Joseph  spent  his  youth  on  the  old 
farm,  and  received  his  primary  education  in 
the  common  schools  and  for  two  years  was 
a  student  in  Lombard  University,  Gales- 
burg,  Illinois.  He  enlisted  September  20, 


1 86 1,  in  Company  A,  Thirty-sixth  Illinois 
Cavalry,  and  went  to  the  front,  participat- 
ing in  the  battles  of  Pea  Ridge,  luka,  Cor- 
inth, Black  River  Bridge,  the  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg,  and  with  Banks  on  the  Red  River 
expedition.  In  February  of  1864,  he  veter- 
anized, and  came  home  on  a  furlough,  after 
which  he  joined  his  regiment  and  continued 
in  the  service  until  August  of  1864,  when 
he  was  mustered  out  and  returned  home. 
Enlisting  as  a  private,  he  was  appointed 
corporal  and  later  quartermaster  sergeant. 
While  in  the  service  he  lost  no  time  by 
reason  of  sickness. 

After  his  discharge  Mr.  Ingham  returned 
home  and  took  charge  of  the  farm  in  1865. 
In  1869  he  married  Elizabeth  Sticklane,  a 
native  of  Kane  county,  born  in  the  town  of 
Aurora,  September  28,  1840,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Robert  Sticklane,  a  pioneer  settler  of 
the  county.  After  his  marriage  he  contin- 
ued the  cultivation  of  his  farm  until  1878, 
when  he  moved  to  Clay  county,  Illinois,  and 
operated  a  large  farm  for  two  years.  He 
then  returned  to  the  old  farm,  where  he  has 
since  continued  to  reside.  For  about  twelve 
years  he  engaged  in  the  dairy  business  in 
connection  with  his  farming  operations  and 
in  that  line  met  with  success.  For  about 
twenty  years  he  and  his  brother  John  have 
been  extensively  engaged  in  feeding  cattle. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ingham  have  three  chil- 
dren living:  the  oldest,  Samuel  S. ,  is  a  well- 
educated  young  man,  a  graduate  of  the  West 
Side  Aurora  High  School,  and  is  now  en- 
gaged with  his  father  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  farm.  Sarah  is  a  well-educated  young 
lady,  and  is  principal  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Avenue  School,  of  Aurora.  Millie  is  a  grad- 
uate of. the  West  Side  High  School,  Aurora, 
and  resides  at  home.  Two  of  their  children 
died  in  early  childhood. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


667 


Politically  Mr.  Ingham  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican, although  his  first  presidential  bal- 
lot was  cast  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas  in  1860. 
Since  that  time,  however,  he  has  been  an 
advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party.  For  nine  years  he  served  as  assessor 
of  his  township,  and  has  also  served  as  col- 
lector and  in  other  minor  official  positions. 
In  the  fall  of  1892  he  was  elected  county  re- 
corder of  Kane  county,  and  filled  the  office  in 
an  acceptable  manner,  the  term  of  four  years. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  Master  Mason,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  lodge  at  Aurora.  Religiously  Mrs. 
Ingham  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church 
of  Aurora.  For  fifty-nine  years,  with  the 
exception  of  a  short  time  spent  in  Clay 
county,  Mr.  Ingham  has  been  a  resident  of 
Kane  county,  and  is  well  known  throughout 
its  length  and  breadth  as  an  enterprising  man, 
one  willing  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  advance 
its  best  interests. 


JOSIAH  A.  FINK,  who  is  now  living  a 
retired  life  in  the  village  of  Kaneville, 
but  who  for  many  years  was  engaged  in  ag- 
ricultural pursuits,  and  who  is  the  owner  of 
a  well-improved  farm  of  two  hundred  acres 
adjoining  the  village  of  Kaneville,  came  to 
Kane  county  in  1851.  He  was  born  in 
Madison  county,  New  York,  November  16, 
1814.  His  father,  John  I.  Fink,  was  born 
in  Montgomery  county,  New  York,  as  was 
also  his  grandfather,  John  Fink,  while  his 
great-grandfather,  William  Fink,  was  a 
native  of  New  York,  but  of  German  parent- 
age. The  latter  was  in  the  French  and 
Indian  war  of  1755,  and  for  many  years 
there  was  in  the  family  a  sword  which  was 
carried  by  him  in  those  wars.  John  Fink 
was  a  minute  man  of  the  Revolution,  and 
was  in  the  battle  of  Oristany,  in  which  one 


of  his  brothers  was  also  engaged,  and  where 
he  was  wounded,  from  the  effects  of  which 
he  later  died. 

John  Fink,  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, moved  with  his  family  to  Madison 
county,  New  York,  in  1806,  and  was  among 
the  pioneers  of  that  county,  where  he  pur- 
chased land,  which  was  covered  by  heavy 
growth  of  timber,  and  which  he  cleared 
and  opened  up  a  farm.  His  son,  John  I. 
Fink,  there  married  Nancy  Anguish,  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  was  also  a 
pioneer  of  Madison  county,  where  she 
removed  with  her  parents.  They  became 
the  parents  of  four  sons  and  three  daughters, 
of  whom  our  subject  and  the  three  daugh- 
ters alone  survive.  After  engaging  in  farm- 
ing for  some  years  in  Madison  county,  John 
Fink  removed  with  his  family  to  Onondago 
county,  New  York,  and  located  on  the  Sen- 
eca river,  near  Baldwinsville,  where  he 
spent  the  last  years  of  his  life,  engaged  in 
agriculture.  His  wife  survived  him  a  num- 
ber of  years. 

Josiah  A.  Fink  grew  to  manhood  in 
Madison  county,  New  York,  where  he  re- 
ceived a  fair  common-school  education.  He 
remained  at  home  assisting  his  father  in 
carrying  on  the  home  farm  until  after  at- 
taining his  majority.  He  has  been  three 
times  married,  his  first  union  being  Nancy 
Norris,  who  died  in  Onondago  county,  New 
York,  leaving  two  children,  Marilda,  now 
the  wife  of  Azel  Howard,  of  De  Kalb 
county,  Illinois,  and  Nancy,  wife  of  Captain 
Wells,  of  Sabbona,  Illinois.  After  the  death 
of  his  first  wife  Mr.  Fink  returned  to  Madi- 
son county  and  married  Mary  Ann  Norris, 
who  was  his  first  wife's  sister.  She  came 
west  with  her  husband  and  died  in  Kane 
county.  By  that  union  there  were  two 
children,  one  of  whom  died  in  childhood. 


668 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


The  other,  Norrjs,  married,  and  resides  in 
Iowa,  where  he  is  engaged  in  farming.  In 
1859  Mr.  Fink  married  Miss  Louisa  Coy, 
who  was  born  in  Chenango  county,  New 
York,  where  she  was  reared  and  educated. 
She  was  a  successful  teacher  in  New  York, 
and  also  in  Kane  county,  before  her  mar- 
riage. By  this  union  there  are  two  living 
children — Frankie,  now  the  wife  of  William 
Frederick,  a  farmer  of  Kaneville  township, 
who  operates  the  old  Fink  homestead,  and 
Julia  M.,  who  was  educated  at  Sugar 
Grove  and  the  Dixon  Normal  School,  grad- 
uating from  the  latter  institution.  She  is 
now  a  successful  teacher  in  the  public 
schools.  One  daughter  died  in  childhood. 
In  1851  Mr.  Fink  sold  his  farm  in  New 
York  and  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  joined  his  wife's  father.  He  here 
bought  a,  farm  of  two  hundred  acres,  the 
present  homestead,  of  which  about  one 
hundred  acres  was  under  cultivation,  and  on 
which  was  a  small  frame  house.  He  at 
once  began  the  improvement  of  the  place, 
and  has  since  built  a  good  and  substantial 
residence,  good  barns  and  other  outbuild- 
ings. On  that  farm  he  continued  to  reside 
for  thirty-two  years,  when  he  rented  the 
place  and  moved  to  the  village  of  Kaneville, 
where  he  purchased  residence  property, 
which  he  later  repaired  and  remodeled, 
making  a  very  comfortable  home,  and  where 
he  has  since  continued  to  reside.  A  life  of 
industry  and  toil  has  enabled  him  to  spend 
his  declining  days  in  ease  and  comfort. 
.  Politically,  Mr.  Fink  was  originally  a 
Democrat,  but  on  account  of  his  liberty-lov- 
ing views  he  united  with  the  Republican 
party  on  its  organization,  voting  for  its  first 
presidential  candidate,  John  C.  Fremont. 
He  was  elected  and  served  one  term  as  su- 
pervisor, and  also  served  four  years  as  one 


of  the  township  trustees.  He  was  once 
elected  justice  of  the  peace,  but  would  not 
qualify.  In  the  various  conventions  of  his 
party  he  has  often  served  as  a  delegate. 
For  years  Mr.  Fink  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  church,  while  his  wife  is  of  the 
Congregational  faith.  His  residence  of  for- 
ty-seven years  in  Kane  county  has  brought 
him  prominently  before  the  people,  and  he 
is  well  and  favorably  known  throughout  the 
county. 


JOHN  F.  JANECKE,  JR.,  dealer  in  hard- 
ware and  tinware,  Hampshire,  Illinois, 
was  born  in  Hanover  township,  Cook  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  near  the  city  of  Elgin,  Septem- 
ber 4,  1874,  and  is  the  youngest  of  four  chil- 
dren born  to  John  F.  Janecke,  who  was  born 
in  the  city  of  Lenzen,  province  of  West 
Preugnitz,  Prussia,  November  4,  1830,  and 
who  came  to  America  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
one  years.  He  was  the  son  of  John  G.  and 
Elizabeth  Janecke,  both  of  whom  were  also 
natives  of  the  same  province. 

John  F.  Janecke,  Sr. ,  sailed  from  Ham- 
burg, January  i,  1852,  on  the  English  sail- 
ing vessel,  Charles  Clark,  and  was  eight 
weeks  in  making  the  voyage  across  the  At- 
lantic. The  ship  was  wrecked  on  the  coast 
of  Newfoundland,  and  the  passengers  and 
crew  were  three  days  and  nights  without 
food  or  shelter  on  a  bleak  coast.  He  saw  a 
friend  and  companion  engulfed  in  the  icy 
waves.  The  wreck  was  in  daylight  or  all 
would  have  been  lost.  There  was  a  heavy 
fog  and  land  was  not  discovered  until  the 
ship  was  nearly  on  the  rock.  Fishermen 
from  St.  John  came  to  their  rescue,  and 
they  were  taken  to  that  city  where  they  re- 
mained three  days.  From  there  they  were 
sent  to  Quebec,  and  everything  having  been 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


669 


lost,  free  transportation  was  provided  to 
Chicago  for  those  desiring  it.  On  his  arri- 
val Mr.  Janecke  secured  work  on  the  rail- 
road, at  which  he  was  employed  for  two 
years.  He  then  engaged  with  an  ice  com- 
pany in  Chicago,  with  whom  he  remained 
ten  years.  In  1864,  he  went  to  Hanover 
township,  Cook  county,  and  purchased  sixty 
acres  of  land,  to  which  he  added  from  time 
to  time  until  his  farm  comprised  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres.  Success  crowned  his 
efforts  and  to-day,  in  addition  to  his  farm 
property,  he  owns  several  business  buildings 
in  Elgin  and  also  in  the  town  of  Hampshire. 

John  F.  Janecke  Jr.,  was  reared  on  the 
farm  in  Hanover  township  and  attended  the 
district  school,  and  also  took  a  short  course 
in  Drew's  Business  College,  at  Elgin.  At 
the  age  of  seventeen  he  left  home  and  began 
life  for  himself.  He  first  secured  a  position 
in  the  tinshop  of  W.  J.  Meachem,  in  Elgin, 
where  he  remained  eight  months  and  then 
went  to  Hampshire,  working  for  Chapman 
&  Reid  eight  months.  On  the  ist  of  Octo- 
ber, 1891,  he  purchased  the  interest  of  Mr. 
Reid  and  in  February,  1896,  bought  Mr. 
Chapman's  interest  and  is  now  sole  propri- 
etor of  the  store.  He  keeps  a  large  stock 
of  general  shelf  and  heavy  hardware,  farm- 
ing implements  and  machinery,  barbed  wire 
and  wire  fencing  of  various  kinds,  and  has  a 
large  trade  in  a  special  pattern  of  milk  cans, 
disposing  of  twelve  hundred  per  year.  He 
keeps  two  tinners  busy  the  greater  part  of 
the  year.  His  rapid  increase  in  business 
has  been  such  as  to  require  additional  room, 
and  he  now  occupies  a  store  building  28  x  125 
feet,  two  stories  in  height.  The  building  is 
owned  by  his  father. 

Mr.  Janecke  married  Mary  Melms,  a 
daughter  of  Charles  and  Christina  (Richter) 
Melms,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere 


in  this  book.  One  child,  Lavoy,  has  been 
born  to  them.  Fraternally  Mr.  Janecke  is 
a  member  of  Hampshire  lodge,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.,  and  of  Elgin  chapter,  R.  A.  M.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  and  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  As  a  busi- 
ness man  he  is  energetic  and  enterprising, 
and  as  a  citizen  is  ever  willing  to  do  his  part 
in  building  up  and  advancing  the  interest  of 
his  adopted  city  and  county. 


RANDALL  CASSEM.— It  is  said  that 
the  poet  is  born,  not  made;  but  the 
successful  lawyer  has  to  be  both  born  and 
made — made  by  close  application,  earnest 
effort,  by  perseverance  and  resolute  purpose. 
The  abilities  with  which  nature  has  endowed 
him  must  be  strengthened  and  developed  by 
use.  Only  by  merit  can  the  lawyer  gain  a 
pre-eminent  position.  One  of  the  success- 
ful lawyers  of  Kane  county,  whose  name 
heads  this  sketch,  resides  at  No.  75  South 
Fourth  street,  with  an  office  in  the  Evans 
building,  Aurora.  He  was  born  January  2, 
1852,  on  his  father's  farm,  four  miles  north- 
west of  Newark,  in  Fox  township,  Kendall 
county,  Illinois,  and  is  the  son  of  NelsO.  and 
Margaret  (Fritz)  Cassem,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  Norway,  born  June  5,  1829,  and  the 
latter  of  Grundy  county,  Illinois. 

When  a  youth  of  seventeen,  Nels  O. 
Cassem  left  his  native  land  for  America,  ac- 
companied by  some  friends,  and  reached 
the  point  of  his  destination,  Kendall  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  a  few  weeks  later.  He  soon 
found  employment,  and  on  reaching  ma- 
turity entered  into  contracts  for  grading  the 
bed  of  the  Rock  Island  railroad,  then  in 
course  of  construction  from  Morris  to  Sen- 
eca. He  was  entirely  self  educated,  never 


670 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


having  attended  school,  but  was  possessed 
of  strong  common  sense  and  natural  ability. 
He  had  a  strong  body,  possessed  great  power 
of  physicial  endurance  and  knew  how  to 
work.  He  soon  made  money,  and  upon 
the  completion  of  his  contracts  was  enabled 
to  purchase  twelve  hundred  acres  of  land 
in  Kendall  county,  for  which  he  paid  the 
government  price  of  one  dollar  and  twenty- 
five  cents  per  acre.  To  this  he  has  added 
from  time  to  time,  and  is  now  the  possessor 
of  estates  in  Kendall,  Grundy,  LaSalle  and 
Livingston  counties,  aggregating  more  than 
four  thousand  acres.  All  these  farms  are 
well  improved  and  rank  among  the  best  in 
the  state.  He  has  given  great  attention  to 
stock  raising  for  the  markets,  and  is  still 
residing  on  the  old  homestead,  where  he  has 
lived  for  more  than  half  a  century.  Pos- 
sessed of  keen  business  instincts  and  in- 
domitable perseverance,  he  has  accumulated 
great  wealth. 

The  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
died  August  28,  1872,  aged  forty-five  years, 
eight  months  and  five  days,  when  Randall 
Cassem  was  twenty  years  of  age.  As  a 
slight  token  of  the  love  and  affection  which 
he  bore  to  his  dearly  beloved  mother,  and 
of  his  reverence  for  all  her  virtues  as  a 
mother  and  friend,  he  directs  a  special  men- 
tion of  her  here.  In  remembrance  of  all 
the  unbounded  kindness  to  him  in  his  younger 
days  by  his  mother,  he  thinks  of  her  and 
requests  that  space  be  given  for  this  to  be 
said  in  her  behalf.  Mr.  Cassem  of  his 
mother  said:  "  She  left  to  me  the  memory 
of  her  love.  She  is  the  gentlest  memory  of 
our  family.  The  memory  of  our  mother  is 
the  strongest,  tenderest  tie  that  binds  our 
hearts  together. " 

The  family  of  Nels  and  Margaret  Cassem 
consists  of  five  children,  as  follows:  Ran- 


dall, the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Olive  Jane, 
born  September  10,  1853,  the  wife  of  O.  E. 
Osmondsen,  a  stock-raiser  and  farmer  of 
Seward  township,  Kendall  county,  Illinois, 
by  whom  she  has  two  children  now  living — 
Emily,  born  September  27,  1888,  and  Enor 
Nesley,  born  January  11,  1891;  Margaret, 
born  March  16, 1859, the  wife  of  O.  M.Olson, 
a  capitalist  of  Aurora,  by  whom  she  has  two 
children — Mabel  Edith,  born  October  12, 
1887,  and  Hazel,  born  February  18,  1891; 
Margaret  was  named  after  her  mother,  and 
bears  her  name  in  token  of  her.  One  of  the 
finest  houses  in  Aurora,  Illinois,  now  in  the 
course  of  construction  at  127  South  Lake 
street,  at  this  date,  June  i,  1898,  will  be 
the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Olson  when  com- 
pleted. 

Oscar  Edwin,  another  son,  was  born 
March  18,  1857.  He  owns  an  extensive 
stock  ranch  of  twelve  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  acres  on  the  James  river,  three  miles 
northeast  of  Mitchell,  South  Dakota.  He 
married  Dora  Krom,  of  Ossian,  Winne- 
shiek  county,  Iowa,  who  was  born  October 
23,  1867,  and  they  have  three  children. 
The  oldest,  a  boy  named  Randall  Nelson, 
who  was  named  after  and  in  memory  of  his 
uncle  and  grandfather,  was  born  September 
3,  1886.  The  next  younger,  a  boy  named 
Loren  Clement,  was  born  July  17,  1891. 
The  youngest,  a  little  girl  named  Thelma 
Dorine,  was  born  October  13,  1897.  All 
are  living  at  home  with  their  parents  and  at- 
tending the  public  schools  of  Mitchell.  Anna, 
another  daughter  of  N.  O.  Cassem,  resides 
in  Chicago,  Illinois. 

Randall  Cassem  spent  his  childhood  and 
early  youth  working  on  the  farm  from  the 
time  he  was  able  to  handle  an  axe  or  hold 
the  plow,  and  in  the  winter  gathering  what 
instruction  the  rude  district  school  of  the 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


671 


period  could  afford,  until  he  was  fifteen 
years  of  age,  then  attended  Fowler's  Insti- 
tute, an  academy  at  Newark,  Illinois,  re- 
maining there  two  years.  Professor  A.  J. 
Anderson  was  principal  of  the  school  at  first, 
and  later  Professor  J.  R.  Burns.  He  then 
attended  the  State  Normal  School  at  Nor- 
mal, Illinois,  for  one  year,  to  which  he  was 
appointed  through  the  influence  of  W.  S. 
Coy,  then  county  superintendent  of  schools 
of  Kendall  county.  He  taught  school  in 
this  county  for  one  year,  then  entered  the 
law  department  of  Michigan  University,  at 
Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  remaining  there  over 
two  years,  graduating  March  25,  1874. 
Subsequently  he  passed  a  rigid  examination 
at  Detroit,  Michigan,  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  March  26,  1874,  and  was  licensed  to 
practice  law  in  that  state.  He  afterward 
read  law  in  the  office  of  John  A.  Gilliatn,  at 
Yorkville,  Kendall  county,  Illinois,  where 
he  continued  until  he  secured  a  license  from 
the  supreme  court  of  Illinois  to  practice  law 
in  this  state.  This  he  obtained  September 
10,  1874.  September  22,  1874,  he  settled 
down  to  practice  his  profession  at  Yorkville, 
Illinois,  and  carried  on  a  general  law  prac- 
tice there  most  successfully  until  April,  1 887. 
Removing  to  Aurora  the  same  month, 
Mr.  Cassem  purchased  his  present  elegant 
home,  at  No.  75  South  Fourth  street,  and 
established  a  law  office  in  the  Schoeberlein 
Block.  He  afterwards  removed  to  the 
Mercantile  Block  and  became  the  law  part- 
ner of  Senator  George  E.  Bacon,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Bacon  &  Cassem.  This  part- 
nership was  continued  until  failing  health 
caused  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Bacon,  who 
shortly  afterwards  died.  Mr.  Cassem  then 
removed  his  office  to  the  Evans  Building, 
where  he  has  since  continued  his  practice 
alone.  He  practices  in  all  the  courts  of 


the  state — circuit,  appellate  and  supreme— 
and  during  all  the  years  of  his  practice  he 
has  held  the  governor's  commission  as  a 
notary  public.  While  a  resident  of  York- 
ville he  was  city  attorney  three  years,  but 
apart  from  this  he  has  neither  held  nor 
sought  public  office,  his  law  and  large  prop- 
erty interests,  including  the  legal  manage- 
ment of  his  father's  extensive  estates,  re- 
quiring all  his  attention. 

Mr.  Cassem  was  married  April  n,  1882, 
to  Miss  Maggie  Adelia  Casler,  daughter  of 
Robert  and  Jeannette  Ca?ler,  her  father 
then  being  an  extensive  farmer  near  Piano, 
Kendall  county,  Illinois.  Both  parents  are 
now  deceased.  Our  subject  and  wife  are 
attendants  of  the  People's  church,  Aurora. 
In  social  circles  they  occupy  a  high  posi- 
tion, and  both  are  held  in  the  highest  es- 
teem in  the  community.  In  all  matters 
calculated  to  advance  the  best  interests  of 
his  adopted  city,  Mr.  Cassem  is  always 
found  at  the  front.  Politically,  he  is  like 
all  the  members  of  his  family,  a  stanch 
Republican,  but  is  an  independent  thinker 
on  all  public  questions,  forming  opinions  of 
his  own,  which,  as  a  rule,  coincide  with  the 
party  to  which  he  has  attached  himself. 


/CHARLES  AMES,  Kaneville,  Illinois, 
v_J  who,  after  a  long  and  busy  life,  is  now 
living  in  retirement,  has  been  a  resident  of 
Kane  county  since  1855.  He  was  born  in 
West  Rutland,  Vermont,  May  n,  1819, 
and  comes  of  good  old  Revolutionary  stock, 
his  grandfather,  Elijah  Ames,  a  native  of 
Connecticut,  being  a  soldier  in  the  war  for 
independence.  He  removed  to  Massachu- 
setts, where  Avery  Ames,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  was  born.  From  Massachusetts 
the  family  moved  to  Vermont  when  Avery 


672 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Ames  was  a  child  of  eight  years.  He  there 
grew  to  manhood,  and  succeeded  to  the  old 
homestead,  which  comprised  over  four  hun- 
dred acres  of  land.  In  due  time  he  married 
Annie  Ames,  a  daughter  of  Elijah  Ames, 
who  was  also  a  pioneer  of  Vermont.  Of 
their  family  of  four  sons  and  two  daughters, 
who  grew  to  mature  years,  Charles  and  his 
brother  Avery  are  the  only  survivors.  On 
the  old  farm  he  reared  his  family,  and  there 
remained  until  his  death,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-eight  years.  His  wife  survived  him 
about  ten  years,  and  passed  away  about  her 
ninetieth  year. 

Charles  Ames  was  fifth  in  order  of  birth, 
and  grew  to  manhood  on  his  father's  farm, 
receiving  a  good  common-school  education. 
He  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until 
he  attained  his  majority,  when  he  began 
life  for  himself.  He  was  married  in  Castle- 
ton,  Rutland  county,  Vermont,  March  8, 
1843,  to  Adelia  Ward,  a  native  of  Fair- 
haven,  Rutland  county,  Vermont,  and  a 
daughter  of  Rev.  Chauncey  Ward,  a  minis- 
ter of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and 
also  a  pioneer  of  the  Green  Mountain  state. 
Mrs.  Ames  was  educated  at  Castleton  Sem- 
inary, and  was  a  teacher  before  her  mar- 
riage. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ames  commenced  their 
domestic  life  on  the  homestead  of  his 
father,  and  there  remained  for  ten  years. 
In  1855  they  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
where  some  of  their  Vermont  friends  had 
preceded  them.  Soon  after  coming  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  two  miles 
north  of  the  village  of  Kaneville,  on  which 
there  was  a  small  house,  and  about  forty 
acres  of  the  land  having  been  broken.  To 
the  improvement  of  the  place  he  bent  his 
entire  energies,  and  after  a  short  time  pur- 
chased forty  acres  adjoining.  The  old 


house  in  due  time  was  remodeled  by  addi- 
tions, and  became  a  modern  building,  and 
good  barns  and  other  outbuildings  were 
erected.  On  the  place  he  continued  to  re- 
side for  twenty-six  years,  and  was  reputed 
one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  successful 
farmers  of  the  township.  In  1882  he  rent- 
ed the  farm  and  moved  into  the  village, 
where  he  purchased  residence  property,  and 
has  since  continued  to  reside. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ames  have  five  children. 
Annette  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  H.  B.  Osborn,  of 
Kalamazoo,  Michigan.  Daniel  C.  was  mar- 
ried and  resides  in  Homer,  Nebraska,  where 
he  is  engaged  in  farming.  Edward  is  a 
practicing  physician  and  surgeon  and  resides 
in  Kalamazoo,  Michigan.  Charles  S.  is  a 
successful  business  man  residing  in  Iowa. 
Avery  M.  resides  in  De  Kalb  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  is  engaged  in  farming.  The 
mother  of  these  children  passed  away  July 
12,  1896.  She  was  a  noble  Christian  wo- 
man, a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  died  in  the  full  assurance  of 
faith.  The  family  were  patriotic  during 
the  war  for  the  union.  The  son,  Daniel 
C. ,  served  as-a  soldier  in  the  Fifty-second 
Regiment,  Illinois  Volunter  Infantry;  Dr. 
Osborne  was  a  surgeon  in  the  army,  and 
served  as  post  surgeon  at  Vicksburg  for  one 
year  after  the  close  of  the  war;  Avery  Ames, 
a  brother  of  our  subject,  served  in  a  New 
York  regiment. 

Politically  Mr.  Ames  was  originally  a 
Whig,  casting  his  first  presidential  ballot  in 
1840  for  William  Henry  Harrison,  and  con- 
tinuing to  act  with  that  party  until  its  final 
dissolution,  after  the  campaign  of  1852.  He 
then  united  with  the  Republican  party,  vot- 
ing for  Fremont  in  1856  and  for  every  pres- 
idential nominee  of  the  party,  up  to  and 
including  William  McKinley.  The  only 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


673 


offices  ever  held  by  him  were  those  of  high- 
way commissioner  and  a  member  of  the 
school  board.  He  was  formerly  a  member 
of  the  Congregational  church  and  later  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
in  which  he  was  an  active  worker  for  many 
years,  serving  as  trustee  and  steward,  and 
was  also  active  in  Sunday-school  work. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  Master  Mason,  and  was 
connected  with  the  lodge  at  Kaneville  until 
its  surrender  of  its  charter,  after  the  de- 
struction of  the  lodge-room  by  fire,  when  he 
united  with  Blackberry  lodge  at  Elburn. 
A  resident  of  Kane  county  for  forty-three 
years,  Mr.  Ames  is  well  and  favorably- 
known  throughout  its  length  and  breadth. 
In  the  many  changes  that  have  been  made 
he  has  given  material  assistance,  and  has 
lived  to  see  the  day  when  Kane  county  is 
ranked  among  the  best  in  the  entire  state. 
He  is  respected  by  all  who  know  him,  and 
is  one  of  the  best  citizens  of  his  township 
and  county. 

WILLIAM  L.  WHITE,  a  contractor 
and  builder,  of  Aurora,  Illinois,  has 
been  a  resident  of  the  city  for  almost  half  a 
century,  dating  his  residence  here  since 
April  29,  1853.  He  is  a  native  of  New  Jer- 
sey, born  near  Milford,  Hunterdon  county, 
June  14,  1830.  His  father,  Alvin  White, 
was  also  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  there 
married  Ann  Sinclair,  a  native  of  the  same 
state,  and  a  daughter  of  William  Sinclair. 
Alvin  White  was  a  farmer  and  mechanic, 
and  spent  his  entire  life  in  his  native  state, 
where  he  died  September  28,  1867.  His 
wife  died  somt  years  previous.  In  their 
family  were  six  ,;ons  and  six  daughters,  all 
of  whom  grew  to  mature  years,  and  of 
which  four  sons  and  two  daughters  are 
living. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  man- 
hood in  his  native  state,  and  in  early  life 
learned  the  mason's  trade,  serving  an  appren- 
ticeship of  three  years.  He  then  worked  at 
his  trade  as  a  journeyman,  and  also  took  a 
few  contracts.  In  1853,  he  came  to  Aurora, 
then  a  town  of  about  two  thousand  inhabit- 
ants and  the  end  of  the  railroad.  He  soon 
began  contracting  and  building,  and  actively 
engaged  in  the  work  here  for  over  forty-five 
years.  All  over  the  city  are  found  public 
and  private  buildings,  the  erection  of  which 
was  superintended  by  Mr.  White.  In  that 
time  he  built  a  number  of  residences  for 
himself,  which  were  disposed  of  from  time 
to  time. 

Mr.  White  was  married  in  Aurora,  in 
1854,  to  Miss  Francis  Maria  Harwood,  born 
in  the  city  of  London,  England,  and  who 
came  to  the  United  States  when  but  fifteen 
years  of  age,  in  company  with  her  father,  J. 
E.  Harwood,  who  settled  in  Aurora,  about 
1853.  In  the  spring  of  1855,  Mr.  White 
moved  to  Davenport,  Iowa,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  business  for  some  fifteen  months, 
and  then  returned  to  Aurora,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  Eight  children  have  been 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White,  of  whom  one 
is  deceased.  The  living  are  Anna,  wife  of 
L.  L.  Rickard,  of  Kendall  county,  Illinois; 
Clara  E.,  wife  of  C.  G.  Pearce,  of  Joliet, 
Illinois;  George  W.,  a  business  man  of 
Beardstown,  Illinois;  William  H.,  married 
and  residing  in  Chicago;  L.  R. ,  a  traveling 
salesman;  H.  S.,  with  the  Joliet  Steel  Wire 
Works;  E.  B.,  bookkeeper  for  the  Standard 
Oil  Company,  at  Geneva.  The  deceased 
was  Charles,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eleven 
years. 

Politically  Mr.  White  is  independent. 
Religiously  he  is  a  member  of  the  People's 
church.  His  forty-five  years'  residence  in 


674 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Aurora,  has  brought  him  prominently  before 
the  people,  and  he  is  well  known  in  city 
and  county,  and  his  friends  are  many. 


JOHN  S.  MILLER,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
general  merchandise  business  at  Sugar 
Grove,  Illinois,  is  an  enterprising  man  of 
strict  integrity,  one  who  is  helpful  in  any 
community  where  he  may  reside.  He  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Beckett,  Hamlin  county, 
Massachusetts,  March  20,  1849,  and  is  the 
son  of  Frank  and  Frances  (Hughes)  Miller, 
both  of  whom  are  natives  of  the  same  state. 
The  father  died  when  our  subject  was  but 
two  years  old  and  his  mother-  passed  to 
her  reward  when  he  was  but  six  years  old. 
After  his  mother's  death  he  was  taken  by 
Benjamin  Bracket,  and  was  reared  on  his 
farm  in  Massachusetts.  He  was  given  fair 
school  advantages,  attending  first  the  com- 
mon schools  and  for  two  years  was  a  student 
in  the  Suffield  Connecticut  Seminary. . 

After  arriving  at  mature  years,  Mr.  Mil- 
ler was  engaged  in  market  gardening  at 
South  Hadley  Falls  for  two  years,  after 
which  he  began  the  mercantile  business  at 
the  same  place,  and  later  was  engaged  in 
the  ice  business  in  connection.  He  contin- 
ued in  business  at  that  place  for  four  years, 
building  up  a  good  trade.  Selling  out,  he 
engaged  in  the  real  estate  business,  and  was 
also  shipping  clerk  in  a  paper  mill  up  to 
1876.  He  owned  a  fine  business  block  at 
South  Hadley  Falls,  which  was  burned  in 
1891,  entailing  a  loss  of  six  thousand  dol- 
lars. 

In  1876,  Mr.  Miller  came  to  Kane  coun- 
ty and  located  at  Sugar  Grove,  where  in 
connection  with  "Uncle"  Thomas  Judd, 
he  erected  a  building  for  school  and  mer- 
tantile  purposes.  The  building,  which  was 


called  "Uncle  Tom's  Cabin",  was  a  three 
story  structure,  costing  nearly  ten  thousand 
dollars.  It  was  burned  down  in  1878.  On 
the  completion  of  the  building  they  put 
in  a  stock  of  general  merchandise,  which 
was  the  first  in  the  town.  A  large  trade 
has  been  built  up  by  Mr.  Miller,  who  has  a 
reputation  for  fair  dealing.  In  addition 
to  his  mercantile  trade  he  is  connected  with 
a  creamery  company,  and  yet  owns  a  good 
share  of  its  stock.  For  some  years  he  was 
also  engaged  in  the  lumber  and  coal  trade, 
but  in  1897  disposed  of  this  part  of  his 
business.  In  1894,  in  partnership  with 
Frank  Catlin,  he  engaged  in  buying  and 
feeding  sheep,  usually  having  in  hand  about 
two  thousand  five  hundred  head.  They 
rent  a  large  farm,  which  is  used  in  con- 
nection with  the  sheep  business.  In  the 
fall  of  1897,  they  bought  and  sold  over  fif- 
teen thousand  sheep. 

At  South  Deerfield,  Massachusetts,  in 
November,  1875,  Mr.  Miller  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Mary  E.  Hale,  a  native 
of  that  town  and  state,  and  a  daughter  of 
Stephen  B.  Hale,  also  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts. Previous  to  her  marriage  she  was 
engaged  as  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  five  children  have 
been  born  as  follows:  Annie  is  now  the 
wife  of  George  O.  Lye,  of  Sugar  Grove; 
Hattie,  who  has  been  employed  as  a  teach- 
er in  the  schools  of  Jericho,  Illinois,  for 
three  years;  Stephen  B. ,  John  E.,  and 
Frank,  at  home. 

Politically,  Mr.  Miller  has  been  a  Re- 
publican from  his  youth  up.  For  two  terms 
he  served  as  postmaster  of  Sugar  Grove  and 
for  one  term  was  assistant  postmaster.  For 
many  years  he  served  as  school  trustee  of 
his  township,  and  has  always  been  interest- 
ed in  the  public  schools.  Fraternally,  he  is 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


675 


a  Master  Mason  and  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  For  twenty-one 
years  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Sugar  Grove 
and  has  always  shown  himself  a  worthy 
citizen,  giving  liberally  of  his  time  and 
means  in  aid  of  every  public  enterprise. 
In  the  erection  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  he  gave  a  generous  donation,  and 
has  always  assisted  in  maintaining  its  serv- 
ices. While  not  classed  as  an  old  settler, 
he  is  yet  widely  known  throughout  the  coun- 
ty and  is  respected  for  his  genuine  worth. 


RICHARD  C.  TAYLOR,  M.  D.,  of  El- 
burn,  Illinois,  was  born  in  Crawford 
county,  Ohio,  November  16,  1860,  and  is 
the  son  of  James  and  Mary  (Gaut)  Taylor, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania, 
where  they  were  married,  and  both  are  now 
living  in  Marshall  county,  Indiana.  For 
many  years  the  father  was  an  extensive 
farmer.  He  was  born  December  10,  1811, 
in  Mercer  county,  Pennsylvania,  from  which 
place  he  moved  to  Crawford  county,  Ohio, 
about  1830.  His  marriage  with  Mary  Gaut 
was  solemnized  August  31,  1837,  and  they 
celebrated  their  sixtieth  anniversary  August, 
1897,  at  which  time  there  were  present  their 
family  of  six  children,  with  the  exception  of 
one  daughter,  Margaret.  There  were  nine 
grandchildren  present,  and  a  good  time  was 
had  by  all.  In  early  life  Mrs.  Taylor  was  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and 
later  of  the  Baptist  church.  She  is  a  de- 
vout Christian  and  an  excellent  good  woman, 
widely  known  and  frequently  spoken  of  for 
her  many  admirable  qualities  of  head  and 
heart.  They  were  the  parents  of  eleven 
children,  of  whom  two  died  in  infancy  and 


three  in  early  childhood.  Of  the  six  living, 
Margaret  is  the  widow  of  James  Sprout,  and 
resides  on  a  farm  in  Ashland  county,  Ohio; 
Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Peter  W.  Blue,  and 
they  reside  at  Mentone,  Indiana;  Sarah  J. 
is  the  widow  of  J.  T.  Bloomer,  and  resides 
on  a  farm  in  Fayette  county,  Ohio;  Jerome 
B.  is  a  farmer  residing  in  Kosciusko  county, 
Indiana;  Richard  C. ,  our  subject;  and 
Amanda  K.,  wife  of  Jesse  Taylor,  a  farmer 
of  Marshall  county,  Indiana.  James  Tay- 
lor was  quite  a  prominent  man  in  the  county 
of  his  adoption,  well  educated,  and  with 
many  friends  throughout  the  county,  .Dur- 
ing the  war  for  the  Union  he  advocated  its 
vigorous  prosecution. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in 
Kosciusko  county,  Indiana,  where  he  was 
taken  by  his  parents  when  one  year  old. 
He  attended  the  district  schools  of  that 
county,  and  remained  upon  his  father's  farm 
until  1879,  when  he  commenced  learning 
the  carpenter's  trade,  at  which  he  worked 
eleven  years.  While  working  at  his  trade 
he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine,  and 
in  1890  commenced  reading  with  Dr.  J.  W. 
Heffly,  of  Mentone,  Indiana,  and  later  at- 
tended the  Bennett  Medical  College,  of  Chi- 
cago, Illinois,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
in  the  class  of  '93.  On  receiving  his  diploma 
he  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession 
in  Chicago,  and  there  remained  until  Janu- 
ary, 1895,  when  he  removed  to  Elburn, 
where  he  has  since  continued  in  practice 
with  gratifying  success.  Dr.  Taylor  was 
married  August  4,  1886,  to  Miss  Elvina 
Nellans,  daughter  of  Moses  and  Lucinda 
Nellans,  of  Fulton  county,  Indiana,  of  which 
county  she  is  a  native.  By  this  union  they 
have  two  children — Katie  E.  and  Mary  E. , 
both  of  whom  are  attending  the  schools  of 
Elburn.  Mrs.  Taylor  is  a  member  of  the 


6;6 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Baptist  church,  in  the  work  of  which  she  is 
greatly  interested. 

In  politics  Dr.  Taylor  is  a  Democrat, 
but  takes  little  interest  in  political  affairs  as 
such,  voting  for  the  men  rather  than  the 
party.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  has 
hejd  all  the  offices  in  both  the  subordinate 
lodge  and  the  encampment.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Forresters  and  an  officer  in  the 
same,  and  of  the  Court  of  Honor,  of  which 
he  is  examining  physician.  He  is  also  med- 
ical examiner  for  several  of  the  insurance 
companies.  The  Doctor,  who  is  yet  in  the 
prime  of  life,  is  highly  esteemed  by  all  who 
know  him,  and  stands  well  among  the  mem- 
bers of  his  profession.  He  is  energetic, 
enterprising  and  enthusiastic,  just  such  a 
citizen  as  gives  character  to  a  community. 


EDWARD  C.  WHILDIN,  who  resides 
on  section  4,  Big  Rock  township,  where 
he  owns  and  operates  a  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty-five  acres,  is  a  native  of 
Kane  county,  born  in  Sugar  Grove  town- 
ship, December  26,  1844.  He  is  the  son 
of  Richard  Whildin,  a  native  of  Wales,  who 
came  to  the  United  States  a  young  man, 
and  first  located  in  New  York,  and  there 
married  Louisa  Benjamin,  a  sister  of  Leon- 
ard Benjamin,  who  came  with  them  to 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  about  1838.  Locating 
in  Sugar  Grove  township,  he  entered  a  tract 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  opened 
up  and  developed  the  farm,  there  raised  his 
family,  and  there  died  in  May,  1875,  at  the 
at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  His  wife 
died  some  seven  years  previously,  passing 
away  in  1868.  Of  their  family  of  four  chil- 
dren, Mary  is  the  wife  of  H.  P.  Swan,  of 
Livingston  county,  Illinois;  Mrs.  Harriet  A. 


Taylor  resides  in  Big  Rock  township;  Ed- 
ward C.  is  our  subject;  and  George  F. 
owns  and  operates  the  old  home  farm. 
After  spending  his  boyhood  and  youth  upon 
the  farm  in  Sugar  Grove  township,  and  at- 
tending its  public  schools,  our  subject  con- 
tinued to  assist  his  father  in  operating  the 
farm,  until  his  marriage,  May  28,  1873,  to 
Miss  Mary  G.  Taylor,  who  was  born  and 
reared  on  the  farm  where  she  now  resides, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Percy  Taylor,  a  na- 
tive of  Vermont,  who  in  early  life  moved  to 
New  York,  and  there  married  Rebecca 
Lawrence,  moving  west  to  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  in  1837,  where  he  entered  the  land 
now  owned  and  occupied  by  our  subject. 

After  marriage,  Mr.  Whildin  rented  a 
farm  for  several  years,  and  then  bought  out 
the  heirs  to  the  old  Taylor  homestead,  on 
which  he  located,  and  has  resided  since 
March,  1880.  He  has  since  built  a  large 
residence,  two  barns,  tiled  much  of  the  land 
and  otherwise  improved  the  place.  He  has 
always  been  somewhat  interested  in  polit- 
ical affairs,  and  since  casting  his  first  presi- 
dential ballot  in  1868,  for  General  U.  S. 
Grant,  he  has  advocated  the  principles  of 
the  Republican  party.  His  ability  has 
been  recognized  by  his  fellow  citizens,  and 
for  four  years  he  served  as  assessor  of  his 
township,  and  for  eleven  consecutive  years 
has  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of 
supervisors.  On  the  board  he  has  been 
quite  active,  serving  as  chairman  of  the 
equalization  committee,  and  of  the  miscel- 
laneous committee,  and  also  as  a  member 
of  various  other  committees.  As  a  delegate 
to  numerous  county,  congressional  and  state 
conventions,  he  has  exerted  a  good  influ- 
ence. In  every  position  called  upon  to  fill 
he  has  discharged  the  duties,  faithfully  and 
well,  and  in  a  most  satisfactory  manner. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


677 


A  lifelong  resident  of  Kane  county,  he  is 
well  known  throughout  its  length  and 
breadth,  and  where  best  known,  is  held  in 
the  highest  esteem. 


WILLIAM  WALLACE  FRASER,  pro- 
prietor of  the  creamery  and  feed  mill 
at  East  Plato,  was  born  in  Cattaraugus 
county,  New  York,  August  i,  1860,  and  is 
the  son  of  Robert  and  Eliza  J.  (Dales)  Fra- 
ser,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Livingston 
county.  New  York,  the  former  May  15, 
1816,  and  the  latter  in  1824. 

Robert  Fraser  was  the  son  of  Alexander 
Fraser,  a  native  of  Scotland,  who  came  to 
this  country  at  an  early  day,  and  was  mur- 
dered for  his  money  at  his  home  in  Living- 
ston county,  New  York,  in  1864,  when  eighty 
years  of  age.  Five  men  came  to  his  home 
at  midnight,  who  knew  of  his  habit  of  aris- 
ing at  that  hour  to  read.  His  wife  climbed 
out  of  the  window,  alarmed  the  neighbors, 
who  found  the  villains  in  a  school  house 
dividing  the  money.  They  were  captured, 
tried  and  all  given  life  sentences.  When  a 
young  man  Robert  Fraser  for  a  time  was 
engaged  in  teaching  singing  school,  but  after 
his  marriage  he  engaged  in  merchandising 
in  Cuba,  New  York,  and  also  owned  a  farm. 
In  1862  he  sold  out,  came  west,  and  bought 
six  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Elgin  town- 
ship, and  engaged  in  farming.  In  1878  he 
sold  the  farm  and  moved  into  Elgin,  where 
he  lived  a  retired  life  until  his  death  in  1888, 
at  the  age  seventy-two  years.  His  widow 
yet  resides  in  Elgin.  They  were  the  parents 
of  seven  children:  Donald  B.,  deceased; 
Maggie,  wife  of  Frank  S.  Heath,  of  Elgin; 
Robert,  deceased;  Melvin,  a  missionary  in 
Africa;  William  Wallace,  our  subject;  John, 
deceased;  and  Charles. 


Our  subject  was  but  two  years  of  age 
when  his  parents  moved  to  Kane"  county. 
On  his  father's  farm  was  spent  his  boyhood 
and  youth,  and  in  the  public  schools  of  the 
township  and  at  Elgin  and  Milwaukee  re- 
ceived his  education.  When  sixteen  years 
of  age  he  began  working  in  the  butter  fac- 
tory which  he  now  owns.  He  remained 
there  two  years,  and  then  secured  a  place 
at  Lily  Lake,  Campton  township,  where  he 
also  remained  two  years,  going  to  Holstein 
for  one  year  and  to  Gray  Willow  one  year, 
returning  to  Lily  Lake,  where  he  spent  two 
years.  Moving  to  Elgin,  he  ran  an  engine 
two  winters  for  an  ice  company,  and  then 
spent  eight  years  in  the  gilding  department 
of  the  Watch  Factory.  Leaving  that 
employ  he  went  into  a  lumber  and  coal 
business,  but  soon  sold  his  lumber  interest, 
continuing  in  the  coal  office  two  and  a  half 
years.  In  June,  1897,  he  purchased  his 
present  place  of  business  at  East  Plato. 

Mr.  Fraser  has  been  twice  married,  his 
first  union  being  with  Miss  May  Lathrop, 
daughter  of  Alvin  Lathrop,  who  now  resides 
in  Dakota.  Alvin  Lathrop  was  the  son  of 
Elijah  and  Eunice  (Philbrick)  Lathrop.  By 
this  union  there  was  one  son,  Donald  B., 
born  July  23,  1881.  His  wife  dying,  Mr. 
Fraser,  on  the  2 5th  of  May,  1893,  married 
Mabel  Bishop,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Annie 
(Elmore)  Bishop,  the  latter  being  a  daugh- 
ter of  David  Elmore,  born  in  Massachusetts 
in  1800,  and  who  came  to  Kane  county  in 
1836  and  died  in  1854.  He  was  the  son  of 
William  Howard  Elmore,  a  descendant  of 
Elmer  Elmore,  who  came  over  in  the  May- 
flower. David  Elmore  married  Mary  Hum- 
phrey, a  daughter  of  Rev.  Humphrey,  who 
married  a  Miss  Curtis.  Henry  Bishop  was 
the  son  of  Nathaniel  Bishop.  He  was  born 
in  St.  Mary's  parish,  Devonshire,  England, 


6;8 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and,  coming  to  America,  first  settled  on  St. 
John's  river,  New  Brunswick,  coming  to 
Kane  county,  about  1851.  He  bought  a 
farm  on  section  28,  Elgin  township,  where 
his  death  occurred.  By  his  second  marriage 
Mr.  Eraser  has  one  daughter,  Hazel  Mabel. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eraser  are  members  of  the 
First  Baptist  church  of  Elgin.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  member  of  Silver  Leaf  camp,  No. 
60,  M.  W.  A.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 


WILLIAM  M.  PRICE,  of  Sugar  Grove 
township,  is  now  living  a  retired  life 
on  his  farm  on  section  5,  comprising  four 
hundred  and  twenty-six  acres  of  well-im-- 
proved  land.  He  is  numbered  among  the 
settlers  of  1841  and  relates  many  amusing 
incidents  of  pioneer  life,  incidents  which 
were  not  so  amusing  at  the  time,  but  by  the 
lapse  of  years  show  the  ludicrous  side.  Mr. 
Price  was  born  in  the  county  of  West  Mathe, 
Ireland,  July  4,  1816,  and  when  but  fifteen 
years  of  age  came  to  America  with  an  older 
brother,  and  for  a  few  weeks  lived  in  Can- 
ada, then  went  to  Burlington,  Vermont,  and 
on  July  5,  1831,  at  Strafford  Hollow,  hired 
out  to  a  farmer  and  butcher,  worked  for  a 
month,  loaned  his  employer  thirty  dollars 
and  lost  both  that  and  the  month's  salary. 
He  then  hired  to  Judge  Jedediah  Harris,  and 
was  employed  by  him  on  his  farm  for  six 
years  and  nine  months.  The  Judge  proved 
a  good  friend  to  the  poor  Irish  boy,  and  he 
and  his  wife  were  like  a  father  and  mother 
to  him.  For  the  next  two  years  he  was 
engaged  with  another  party,  but  in  May,  1 84 1 , 
came  west  to  Illinois,  by  way  of  the  Erie 
canal  to  Buffalo  and  then  across  the  lakes 
to  Chicago.  From  that  place  he  came  to 
Sugar  Grove  township,  Kane  county,  and 
here  joined  Mr.  Bliss,  who  had  located 


here  some  three  years  previously.  He 
bought  a  claim  of  Mr.  Bliss  comprising  a 
tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  paying 
five  hundred  dollars  for  the  claim.  The  land 
was  unimproved,  although  the  frame  of  a 
house  had  been  built,  which  Mr.  Price 
enclosed,  and  taking  a  family  boarded  with 
them  while  improving  the  place.  On  the 
4th  of  January,  1843,  Mr.  Price  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Smith,  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania  and  a  daughter  of  James 
Smith,  a  pioneer  settler  of  1836.  By  this 
union  eleven  children  were  born,  three  of 
whom  died  in  early  childhood.  The  living 
are  Olive  M.,  at  home;  Janet,  wife  of 
Charles  Benton,  a  substantial  farmer  of 
Kaneville  township;  Hugh,  married  and  re- 
siding in  Hinckley,  Illinois;  Minnie,  at 
home;  George  W.,  at  home;  Nancy  E., 
wife  of  Richard  Berry,  a  farmer  of  Sugar 
Grove  township;  William  W.  and  George 
W. ,  who  carry  on  the  farm;  and  Jessie,  wife 
of  Cornelius  Cornell,  a  farmer  of  Yorkville, 
Illinois. 

After  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Price  com- 
menced their  domestic  life  on  the  farm 
where  they  now  reside,  and  which  has  been 
their  home  for  fifty-nine  long  years.  In 
the  early  day,  and  for  about  twelve  years, 
he  hauled  all  his  grain  and  produce  to  Chi- 
cago, and  there  purchased  all  the  neces- 
saries of  life  and  lumber  for  his  house. 
For  about  twelve  months  he  suffered  with 
the  fever  and  ague,  which  was  quite  preva- 
lent in  early  times.  But  he  was  always 
cheerful  and  it  mattered  not  what  trouble 
came  upon  him  he  endured  them  in  a  phil- 
osophical manner.  For  some  years  he  has 
been  afflicted  with  rheumatism  and  requires 
the  use  of  crutches,  but  he  is  the  most 
cheerful  and  most  pleasant  companion,  with 
mind  clear  and  memory  good.  Mrs.  Price 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


679 


has  also  for  some  years  suffered  with  the 
rheumatism,  but  never  complains  and  is 
ever  cheerful  and  busy  with  her  needle. 

Mr.  Price  came  to  the  United  States 
with  but  sixty  dollars  in  his  pocket,  but  he 
came  with  a  stout  heart  and  willing  hands 
and  a  determination  to  succeed.  By  his 
own  labor  and  enterprise,  assisted  by  his 
good  wife,  he  has  secured  a  competency, 
and  in  old  age  is  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his 
former  toil.  During  the  fifty-seven  years 
of  his  residence  in  Kane  county,  he  has 
scarcely  been  from  the  farm  more  than  one 
night  at  a  time,  save  on  one  occasion,  when 
he  spent  four  weeks  in  visiting  with  a 
brother.  Politically,  "  Uncle  Billy,"  as  he 
is  familiarly  called,  has  been  a  life-long 
Democrat,  the  principles  of  the  party  be- 
ing dear  to  his  heart.  Office  holding  has 
had  no  charms  for  him  and  he  would  accept 
none,  save  that  of  school  director,  in  which 
he  served  for  some  ten  or  twelve  years,  and 
also  that  of  road  commissioner,  in  which 
he  served  for  some  years.  He  has  always 
been  an  advocate  of  good  roads,  and  hauled 
the  first  load  of  gravel  used  on  the  roads 
of  Sugar  Grove  township.  Few  men  are 
better  known  in  Kane  county,  and  the 
house  of  Uncle  Billy  Price  is  the  abode  of 
true  hospitality,  and  there  the  ' '  latch  string 
always  hangs  out." 


HENRY  SEAVEY,  now  living  a  retired 
life  in  the  village  of  Big  Rock,  was  for 
many  years  numbered  among  the  most  en- 
terprising of  the  farmers  of  Kane  county. 
He  was  born  in  Wyoming  county,  New  York, 
January  5,  1841.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
Mark  Seavey,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  Vermont, 
who,  in  young  manhood,  removed  to  Wy- 
oming county,  New  York,  and  later  coming 

33 


to  Illinois,  and  in  Kane  county  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  His  son,  also  named 
Mark,  is  the  father  of  our  subject.  The 
latter  grew  to  manhood  in  Wyoming  coun- 
ty, New  York,  and  there  married  Lucy  Ann 
Campbell,  a  native  of  the  same  county  and 
state.  While  residing  in  Wyoming  county, 
Mr.  Seavey  engaged  in  the  milling  business, 
owning  and  operating  a  saw  and  grist  mill. 
In  1844  he  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
and  located  in  Sugar  Grove  township,  where 
he  bought  a  claim,  on  which  he  re- 
sided for  two  years.  In  1846  he  moved 
to  Big  Rock  township,  purchased  a  partially 
improved  place,  having  on  it  a  log  house 
and  log  stable.  He  at  once  began  the  fur- 
ther improvement  of  the  place,  and  there 
resided  until  his  death,  January  i,  1852,  at 
about  the  age  of  forty-four  years.  His 
widow  remained  on  the  farm,  reared  her 
family,  and  now  resides  with  her  children  in 
Big  Rock,  a  well-preserved  woman  of  sev- 
enty-seven years.  Of  their  two  sons  and 
four  daughters,  all  are  yet  living.  Henry 
is  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Aaron  M.  is  a 
farmer  of  Sugar  Grove  township;  Wealthy 
is  the  wife  of  W.  H.  Chapman,  of  Aurora; 
Ellen  is  the  wife  of  D.  J.  Myers,  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Big  Rock;  Merselia  is  the  wife  of 
Charles  Weed,  also  of  Big  Rock;  and  Anna 
is  the  wife  of  C.  A.  Grouse,  whose  sketch 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Henry  Seavey  came  to  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  when  but  four  years  of  age.  In  its 
public  schools  he  received  his  education,  at- 
tending the  same  during  the  winter  months, 
and  assisting  on  the  farm  in  the  summer, 
until  fifteen  years  of  age.  He  then  left 
home  and  commenced  working  by  the 
month,  on  various  farms,  some  seven  or 
eight  years,  when  he  purchased  a  place  of 
one  hundred  acres,  which  was  partly  fenced 


68o 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  broken,  and  on  which  were  some  very 
inferior  buildings.  With  commendable  en- 
ergy, he  began  the  further  improvement  of 
the  place,  and  feeling  the  necessity  of  a 
helpmeet,  he  was  married  in  Kane  county, 
January  5,  1868,  to  Nancy  Chapman,  a  na- 
tive of  southern  Illinois,  but  who  was  reared 
in  Kane  county,  and  a  daughter  of  J.  H. 
Chapman.  After  marriage,  he  lived  on  the 
old  family  homestead  and  operated  that  and 
his  own  place  adjoining  for  three  years. 
His  wife  dying  in  April,  1871,  he  sold  his 
farm  and  commenced  dealing  in  stock  at 
Big  Rock  and  Hinckley,  for  two  years.  He 
then  went  to  Piano,  Kendall  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  worked  for  Stewart  &  Hemming 
Breeding  Association,  breeders  of  fine  stock, 
and  remained  there  three  years. 

On  the  2nd  of  March,  1880,  Mr.  Seavey 
was  married  in  Piano,  to  Miss  Eliza  M. 
Craig,  a  native  of  Kendall  county,  Illinois, 
and  a  daughter  of  George  Craig.  Her 
mother  dying  when  she  was  a  child,  she 
was  taken  to  New  York,  where  she  grew  to 
womanhood,  and  then  returned  to  her  home 
in  Kendall  county.  After  their  marriage, 
he  located  on  a  farm  in  Kendall  county,  on 
the  line  dividing  it  from  Kane  county,  where 
he  purchased  eighty  acres,  and  later  bought 
eighty  acres  more,  adjoining,  and  improved 
and  developed  both  places.  Tiling  the 
land,  and  erecting  various  buildings,  he 
there  resided  some  thirteen  years.  In  1890 
he  purchased  about  seven  acres  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Big  Rock,  and  erected  one  of  the 
neatest  residences  in  the  village.  Renting 
his  farm  he  removed  to  Big  Rock,  where  he 
has  since  lived  a  retired  life,  enjoying  a  well- 
earned  rest.  Since  coming  to  the  village, 
however,  he  has  engaged  more  or  less  in 
the  real  estate  business,  having  purchased 
and  sold  several  well-improved  farms. 


Politically  Mr.  Seavey  is  a  Democrat  on 
national  issue,  but  on  local  issues  he  is  in- 
dependent, supporting  the  men  he  considers 
best  qualified  for  the  office.  His  father 
and  grandfather  were  Republicans  in  their 
political  faith.  Mr.  Seavey  never  sought, 
nor  would  he  accept,  office,  until  after  his 
removal  to  the  village,  when  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  school, "board.  He  united 
with  the  Masonic  lodge  at  Kaneville,  with 
which  he  retained  membership  >until  it 
ceased  to  exist  in  consequence  of  their  lodge 
building  being  destroyed  by  fire.  The  fifty- 
four  years  that  he  has  spent  in  Kane  coun- 
ty have  been  eventful  ones.  In  the  great 
changes  that  have  been  made  he  has  done 
his  part  and  is  certainly  entitled  to  the  rest 
which  he  now  enjoys.- 


EVELYN  L.  STARKS,  who  resides  on 
section  30,  Rutland  township,  is  the 
son  of  the  first  settler  of  that  township, 
and  is  descended  from  one  of  the  oldest 
New  England  families.  His  grandfather, 
Stephen  Starks,  was  a  near  relative  of  the 
famous  Revolutionary  general.  Stephen 
Starks  moved  from  Williamstown,  Massa- 
chusetts, to  Rutland  county,  Vermont, 
shortly  after  the  Revolutionary  war.  He 
died  at  the  age  of  about  sixty  years  in  San- 
gamon  county,  Illinois.  He  married  Abigail 
Rich,  who  came  west  with  her  son,  and 
died  in  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  in  1845, 
at  an  advanced  age. 

Evelyn  R.  Starks,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  the  son  of  Stephen  and  Abigail 
(Rich)  Starks.  He  was  born  at  Williams- 
town,  Massachusetts,  March  19,  1813,  and 
with  his  parents  moved  to  Rutland  county, 
Vermont,  when  he  was  a  child,  and  there  he 
was  reared.  He  worked  on  the  lakes  in 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


68 1 


connection  with  farming  until  the  age  of 
twenty-two,  when  he  came  west  in  the  fall 
of  1835,  and  entered  a  tract  of  wild  land, 
on  section  30,  Rutland  township,  Kane 
county,  becoming  the  first  settler  of  that 
township.  When  the  township  was  or- 
ganized, he  was  elected  its  first  supervisor 
and  named  it  for  his  old  county  in  Vermont. 
Locating  on  section  30,  he  staked  his  claim 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  then 
went  to  spent  the  winter  with  a  friend  from 
Vermont,  living  two  miles  from  where  Na- 
perville  now  stands.  In  the  spring  of  1836, 
he  was  joined  by  his  uncle,  Elijah  Rich, 
who  took  up  a  claim  on  sections  30  and  31. 
The  two  kept  "bach"  one  year,  and  Mr. 
Starks  being  the  younger,  acted  as  cook  and 
housekeeper.  The  year  following  Mr.  Rich 
returned  to  Vermont  for  his  family,  and,  on 
their  arrival  Mr.  Starks  gave  over  cooking 
ing  and  housekeeping.  In  1838,  he  him- 
self went  back  to  Vermont  for  a  wife,  and 
there  married  Esther  Doty,  a  native  of  New 
York.  Their  happiness,  however,  was  short 
lived,  Mrs.  Starks  dying  in  1840.  On  the 
6th  of  December,  1845,  Mr.  Slarks  married 
in  Rutland  township,  Miss  Saloma  Gage,  a 
native  of  Arcadia,  Wyoming  county,  New 
York,  born  -June  4,  1819,  and  who  died 
April  24,  1890.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
Solomon  Gage,  Sr. ,  who  located  in  Hamp- 
shire township,  section  32.  For  ten  years 
prior  to  coming  west,  she  had  been  a  teach- 
er in  the  schools  of  New  York  state,  and, 
after  coming  here  with  her  brothers  in  1844, 
she  taught  one  year  in  a  log  school  house, 
where  the  village  of  Hampshire  now  stands. 
Her  father,  Solomon  Gage,  Sr. ,  was  born  in 
New  Hampshire,  in  1788,  and  died  on  the 
farm  in  Hampshire  township,  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  October  21,  1851.  He  married 
Miriam  Guernsey,  born  in  New  Hampshire, 


in  1786,  and  a  daughter  of  Cyril  Guernsey. 
She  died  December  17,  1866.  To  Evelyn 
R.  and  Saloma  Starks,  six  children  were 
born  as  follows:  Evelyn  L. ,  our  subject; 
Milton  J.,  who  resides  on  a  fine  farm  in  Mc- 
Henry  county,  Illinois;  Frank  A.,  John  W. , 
and  William  H.,  deceased;  and  Willie  H., 
who  resides  in  the  village  of  Hampshire, 
and  is  serving  as  justice  of  the  peace. 

Evelyn  R.  Starks  was  a  man  of  unusual 
prominence,  and  was  the  first  supervisor  of 
Rutland  township.  He  participated  in  all 
movements  for  the  advancement  of  public 
good.  A  hard  worker,  he  gave  too  little  time 
to  recreation  and  rest  in  his  early  life,  and 
for  twenty-five  years  endured  the  misery  of 
broken  health.  By  his  industry  he  acquired 
eight  hundred  acres  of  land,  to  which  he 
gave  almost  his  undivided  attention.  His 
death  occurred  in  1880.  Religiously,  he 
was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  in  politics  he  was  a  stanch  Re- 
publican. An  abolitionist  in  sentiment, 
prior  to  the  war  he  was  interested  in  free- 
ing slaves.  When  the  railroad  was  built,  in 
1874,  which  passes  through  his  old  farm, 
Starks  Station  was  named  in  honor. 

Evelyn  L.  Starks,  our  subject,  was  born 
February  2,  1847,  on  tne  farm  where  he 
has  always  resided.  He  attended  the  dis- 
trict schools  until  the  age  of  sixteen,  and 
worked  for  his  father  until  of  legal  age, 
when,  on  attaining  his  majority,  he  worked 
for  him  one  year  for  wages,  then  rented  a 
part  of  the  farm,  and  began  life  for  himself. 
After  the  death  of  his  father,  his  mother 
made  her  home  with  him  until  her  death. 

Mr.  Starks  has  been  twice  married,  his 
first  marriage  being  solemnized  in  Elgin, 
December  3,  1868,  when  he  wedded  Helen 
M.  Weed,  daughter  of  Elijah  Weed,  of 
whom  a  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this 


682 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


book.  Two  children  were  born  to  this 
union — Mabel  A.  and  Eveline  E.,  the  latter 
being  deceased.  Mr.  Starks  was  again  mar- 
ried September  25,  1889,  atEdinburg,  John- 
son county,  Indiana,  with  Miss  Magdelene 
Hartman,  a  native  of  that  place,  and  a 
daughter  of  Michael  and  Julia  A.  (Pickens) 
Hartman.  By  this  union  one  child  was 
born  which  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Starks  has  never  had  any  desire  to 
leave  the  farm.  While  others  flock  to  cities 
and  villages  when  sufficiently  well-to-do,  to 
retire,  he  prefers  the  wholesome  life'  of  the 
farm.  He  has  five  hundred  acres  of  as  fine 
land  as  lies  in  Kane  county,  and  runs  a  dairy 
farm,  milking  about  ninety  cows  and  ship- 
ping to  Chicago.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  Mas- 
ter Mason  and  a  member  of  the  lodge  at 
Hampshire.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 
From  the  time  he  attained  his  majority  he 
has  served  as  school  director  or  road  com- 
missioner. Prominent  and  influential  in  his 
township,  liberal  and  public-spirited,  he  has 
many  friends  in  Kane  county,  of  which  he 
is  a  lifelong  resident. 


ARCHER  B.  PHELPS,  who  resides  on 
section  24,  Kaneville  township,  on  a 
farm  of  two  hundred  and  thirty  acres,  has 
been  a  resident  of  the  township  and  county 
since  October,  1861.  He  was  born  in 
Chenango  county,  New  York,  February  n, 
1845.  His  father,  Pliny  Phelps,  and  his 
grandfather,  George  Phelps,  were  also  na- 
tives of  the  same  county  and  state.  Both 
were  by  occupation  farmers.  Pliny  Phelps, 
who  was  born  in  1819,  married  Elmira 
White,  also  a  native  of  New  York.  By  this 
union  there  were  five  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, all  of  whom  grew  to  manhood  and 
womanhood,  except  one,  who  died  in 


childhood,  named  Herbert.  They  were 
Archer  B. ,  our  subject;  Lyman,  who  mar- 
ried and  settled  in  Kaneville  township,  and 
later  died  in  Sterling,  Illinois;  Agnes,  wife 
of  Charles  Dadds,  of  Kaneville,  Illinois; 
George,  who  is  married  and  resides  at  Pull- 
man, Illinois,  is  engaged  as  a  traveling  sales- 
man; John,  of  Geneva,  who  holds  a  position 
in  Chicago;  Estella  resides  in  Geneva;  and 
Ella,  wife  of  Doctor  Fred  W.  Coding,  now 
consul  in  Australia.  In  the  fall  of  1861, 
Pliny  Phelps  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
with  his  family,  and  located  on  the  farm 
where  our  subject  now  resides,  which  he 
had  purchased  the  previous  year,  at  which 
time  he  made  a  visit  to  this  section.  The 
place  was  fairly  well  improved,  and  to  its 
further  improvement  he  bent  his  energies, 
and  was  actively  engaged  in  farming  until 
his  death  in  March,  1868.  His  wife  sur- 
vives him,  and  now  resides  with  a  son  in 
Geneva. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  Kane 
county  when  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  as- 
sisted his  father  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
home  farm.  His  education  began  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  state,  was  com- 
pleted in  the  schools  of  Kaneville.  He  re- 
mained with'  his  father  until  the  latter's 
death,  when  he  took  charge  of  the  farm  and 
business,  and  later  purchased  the  interest 
of  the  other  heirs,  being  now  the  owner  of 
the  entire  estate.  He  was  married  in  Jan- 
uary, 1869,  to  Miss  Maria  E.  Hartwell,  a  na- 
tive of  Chautauqua  county,  New  York,  who 
came  to  Kane  county  when  a  child  with  her 
father,  Willard  Hartwell.  She  was  here 
reared  and  educated  and  previous  to  her 
marriage  engaged  in  teaching  in  the  public 
schools.  By  this  union  are  six  children,  as 
follows:  Lynn,  who  is  married  and  is  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Kaneville  township;  Lee, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


683 


who  died  September  16,  1897,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-four  years;  Jennie,  at  home;  Earl, 
who  is  assisting  his  father  in  carrying  on 
the  farm;  Alice  and  Clinton,  students  in  the 
Kaneville  schools. 

In  addition  to  his  own  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty  acres,  Mr.  Phelps  rents  an 
adjoining  farm  of  two  hundred  acres,  and 
for  several  years  has  been  operating  both 
farms.  In  the  spring  of  1898,  he  had  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  corn,  over 
sixty  acres  in  oats,  and  the  balance  in 
meadow  and  pasture  land.  He  makes  a 
business  of  feeding  several  carloads  of  hogs 
and  cattle  annually,  and  usually  feeds 
stock  enough  to  consume  the  crop.  Polit- 
ically Mr.  Phelps  is  a  stanch  Republican, 
and  cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  U. 
S.  Grant  in  1868.  While  always  taking  an 
active  interest  in  political  affairs,  and  while 
giving  unswerving  allegiance  to  his  party, 
he  has  never  asked  or  accepted  office.  A 
man  well  known  in  his  section  of  the  coun- 
ty, he  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  all,  and 
while  giving  strict  attention  to  his  business 
interest,  has  yet  manifested  an  interest  in 
public  affairs  and  has  ever  shown  his  desire 
to  do  all  he  could  for  his  adopted  county 
and  state. 


OAMUEL  E.  POULEY,  dealer  in  agri- 
O  cultural  implements,  carriages  and  har- 
ness, Elburn,  Illinois,  is  one  of  the  leading 
and  active  business  men  of  that  city.  He 
is  a  native  of  Kane  county,  born  November 
27,  1851,  and  is  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Al- 
mira  (Hitchcock)  Pouley,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  England,  and  the  latter  of  Vermont. 
Samuel  Pouley,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, isa  native  of  Nottinghamshire,  England, 
born  April  17,  1808.  He  was  one  of  the 


very  oldest  pioneers  in  this  section  of  the 
country,  at  the  time  of  his  settlement  there 
being  no  roads  or  bridges,  and  but  two 
houses  between  his  place  and  Geneva, 
which  was  then  a  cluster  of  but  a  few 
houses.  His  parents  were  Robert  and  Han- 
nah (Godfrey)  Pouley,  the  former,  who  fol- 
lowed farming,  being  nearly  one  hundred 
years  old  at  the  time  of  his  death.  In  his 
native  land,  Samuel  Pouley  followed  gar- 
dening, and  had  but  limited  advantages  for 
an  education,  and  what  he  afterward  ac- 
quired came  by  his  own  efforts  while  in 
touch  with  the  world  in  business.  In  1840, 
he  came  to  America,  landing  in  New  York, 
where  he  remained  one  year,  then  moved  to 
Illinois,  settling  in  Blackberry  township, 
Kane  county,  where  he  remained  until 
1892,  when  he  moved  to  the  village  of  El- 
burn,  where  his  death  occurred  December 
16,  1893. 

While  yet  residing  in  England,  Samuel 
Pouley  entered  the  ministry  of  the  Baptist 
church,  and  upon  coming  to  Illinois,  held 
meetings  in  school  houses  and  dwelling 
houses,  being  one  of  the  pioneer  min- 
isters of  the  county.  He  was  a  man 
of  chaste  life  and  habits,  of  irreproach- 
able character,  of  gentle  and  lovable  dispo- 
sition, and  efficient  in  the  service  of  his 
Master.  His  life  was  pure,  simple  and  ca- 
pable of  no  double  interpretation.  He  left 
behind  him  the  character  of  one  who  was 
ardent,  honorable,  prudent  and  persevering 
in  the  interest  of  those  who  entrusted  their 
rights  to  his  keeping. 

Samuel  Pouley  was  married  January  I, 
1844,  to  Almira  Hitchcock,  who  was  born 
in  Vermont,  November  9,  1810,  and  a. 
daughter  of  Amos  and  Achsah  (Hendee) 
Hitchcock,  who  were  also  natives  of  Ver- 
mont, where  they  lived  until  their  death, 


684 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  former  at  the  age  of  ninety-two  years. 
Of  their  six  children,  five  are  yet  living — 
Martha  A.,  (Mrs.  Charles  A.  Baker), 
Robert  F., Eliza  J. (Mrs.  JohnWinters),  Sam- 
uel E. ,  Emma  L.  (Mrs.  Martin  Withey.) 
The  first  born  died  in  infancy.  In  early 
life  Mr.  Pouley  was  an  abolitionist  and  later 
a  Republican.  Mrs.  Pouley  is  yet  living  at 
the  age  of  eighty-eight  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  on 
a  farm  and  educated  in  the  district  schools. 
He  assisted  his  father  in  farm  work  until 
his  marriage,  when  he  moved  to  Wheaton, 
DuPage  county,  Illinois,  and  there  worked 
as  a  carpenter  for  more  than  three  years, 
then  returned  to  the  farm,  where  he  re- 
mained nine  years.  He  then  moved  to  the 
village  of  Elburn,  worked  one  year  at  his 
trade,  and  was  then  five  years  as  the  junior 
partner  of  the  firm  of  Matheson  &  Pouley, 
druggists.  He  sold  his  interest  in  that  es- 
tablishment March  i,  1898,  when  he  com- 
menced his  present  business,  keeping  at  all 
times  a  large  assortment  of  agricultural  im- 
plements, carriages  and  harness,  and  is 
wo'rking  up  a  good  trade. 

Mr.  Pouley  was  married  March  28,  1878, 
to  Miss  Emma  J.Humphrey, daughter  of  Mil- 
ton and  Minerva  (Miller)  Humphrey,  both  of 
whom  are  natives  of  New  York,  and  who 
were  then  residing  in  Blackberry  township, 
Kane  county,  Illinois.  By  this  union  are 
seven  children — Edna  M.,  Edwin  A.,  Avis 
M.,  Mary  J.,  Verna  A.,  Vida  E.  and  Edith 
C.  Religiously,  Mrs.  Pouley  is  a  member 
of  the  Congregational  church,  and,  frater- 
nally, Mr.  Pouley  is  a  member  of  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  of  America.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican,  and  takes  an  active  inter- 
est in  state  and  national  campaigns.  He 
conducts  his  business  upon  methods  which 
commend  him  to  the  favor  and  confidence 


of  the  people,  and  he  is  most  justly  num- 
bered among  Elburn's  prominent  and  influ- 
ential citizens. 


DE.  LAMSON,  who  resides  on  section 
7,  Big  Rock  township,  is  one  of  four 
brothers  who  now  own  and  operate  a  farm 
of  three  hundred  and  eighty-four  acres  of 
well  improved  and  valuable  land.  All  are 
natives  of  Kane  county,  Illinois,  L.  J.  being 
born  December  12,  1856;  D.  E. ,  July  13, 
(858;  A.  W.,  February  4,  1860;  and  L.  L. , 
December  4,  1861.  The  father,  L.  J. 
Lamson,  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
born  in  1817,  under  the  shadows  of  Bunker 
Hill;  his  father,  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  also  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
and  there  died  about  1819.  The  family  are 
of  English  descent,  and  originally  settled  in 
Massachusetts. 

L.  J.  Lamson,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  but  two  years  old  when  his  father  died. 
He  was  then  taken  to  Maine,  where  he  grew 
to  manhood,  and  then  returned  to  Massa- 
chusetts, and  later  went  to  New  York  City, 
where  an  elder  brother  was  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising, and  for  whom  he  clerked  a  short 
time.  In  1836  he  came  to  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  and  located  in  Big  Rock  township, 
being  one  of  the  first  four  families  to  settle 
in  that  township.  He  first  entered  a  tract 
of  land,  and  bought  other  land,  locating 
where  his  sons  now  reside.  He  cleared  the 
land,  fenced  the  same,  and  opened  up  the 
farm,  in  due  time  erecting  a  substantial 
house  and  good  barns,  and  otherwise  devel- 
oped the  place.  He  was  one  of  the  most 
active  and  prosperous  farmers  in  the  town- 
ship. By  his  fellow-citizens  he  was  honored 
with  various  official  positions,  being  elected 
the  first  township  clerk. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


685 


Mr.  Lamson  was  married  in  Big  Rock 
township,  to  Jane  Dale,  a  native  of  England, 
born  at  Piddington  Hill,  Durham  county, 
and  a  daughter  of  Thomas,  who  located  in 
Big  Rock  township,  Kane  county,  in  1852, 
when  his  daughter  was  in  her  maidenhood. 
The  four  children  born  of  this  union  have 
already  been  mentioned.  Politically  the 
father  was  a  Republican,  and  was  quite 
active  in  political  affairs,  but  gave  the 
greater  part  of  his  time  to  his  farming 
interests.  Upon  the  old  homestead  he 
reared  his  family,  and  passed  to  the  un- 
seen world  April  u,  1889.  His  wife  sur- 
vived him  some  years,  dying  February  28, 
1895. 

D.  E.  Lamson,  our  subject,  grew  to 
manhood  on  the  home  farm,  and  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  Big  Rock 
township  and  at  Sugar  Grove.  With  his 
brothers,  he  remained  with  the  father  until 
his  death,  when  they  took  charge  of  the  farm 
and  business.  On  the  death  of  the  mother, 
they  succeeded  to  the  farm,  and  in  addition 
own  one  hundred  and  fourteen  acres  adjoin- 
ing the  old  place,  where  our  subject  makes 
his  home. 

In  1888,  the  Lamson  Brothers  began  to 
breed  and  deal  in  Hereford  cattle  quite  ex- 
tensively, and  for  some  time  had  a  herd  of 
forty  head  of  pure  blooded  stock.  In  1890 
they  began  to  breed  and  deal  in  Poland 
China  hogs,  and  have  also  been  engaged  in 
breeding  Dorset  Horn  sheep,  mostly  im- 
ported stock.  They  have  worked  up  a  large 
business  in  fine  stock  and  ship  to  various 
localities  in  several  states  of  the  union.  In 
the  ten  years  in  which  they  have  engaged 
in  the  breeding  of  blooded  stock,  they  have 
acquired  a  splendid  reputation. 

Politically  the  brothers  are  all  Repub- 
licans, and  give  earnest  support  to  the  men 


and  measures  of  that  party.  For  eight  con- 
secutive years,  D.  E.  Lamson  served  as  as- 
sessor of  the  township.  Fraternally  the 
brothers  are  members  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America,  D.  E.  being  a.  charter  mem- 
ber of  the  camp  at  Big  Rock,  in  which  he 
has  served  two  terms  as  head  consul.  He 
has  also  served  as  delegate  to  the  state  en- 
campments. L.  L.  was  banker  of  the 
camp  in  1897,  and  L.  J.  has  also  served 
officially  in  the  camp.  L.  J.  and  L.  L.  are 
also  members  of  the  Knights  of  the  Macca- 
bees. Enterprising  and  progressive,  the 
brothers  are  doing  much  to  advance  the  ma- 
terial interests  of  the  county,  especially  of 
Big  Rock  township.  They  are  well  and  fa- 
vorably known  as  men  of  exemplary  habits 
and  upright  character. 


FRANKLIN  P.  MIGHELL  is  one  of  the 
enterprising  and  progressive  farmers  of 
Kane  county,  and  resides  on  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty-seven  acres,  on  section 
32,  Sugar  Grove  township.  He  is  a  native 
of  New  York,  born  in  Tompkins  county, 
June  21,  1837,  and  is  a  son  of  Ezekial  and 
Lucinda  (Todd)  Mighell,  of  whom  special 
mention  is  made  in  the  sketch  of  Silas  H. 
Mighell  on  another  page  of  this  work.  He 
came  with  his  parents  to  Kane  county,  an 
infant,  and  here  his  entire  life  has  since 
been  passed.  He  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  the  county,  and  as  soon  as 
old  enough  assisted  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  home  farm.  He  remained  at  home  until 
1860,  when  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Viola  Snell,  a  native  of  New  York, 
but  who  came  with  her  parents  to  Kane 
county  when  a  child,  and  here  grew  to 
womanhood.  By  this  union  are  six  children 
as  follows:  Estella,  wife  of  Perry  Wilder, 


686 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  Kendall  county,  Illinois;  Frank  E. ,  mar- 
ried and  residing  in  Aurora;  Maud,  wife  of 
Benjamin  Spencer,  of  Aurora;  May,  wife  of 
Frank  Phillips,  of  Aurora  township;  Nat- 
tie,  wife  of  George  Stainfield,  a  farmer  of 
Sugar  Grove  township;  and  Ray,  a  young 
man  who  is  assisting  in  carrying  on  the  home 
farm.  In  1862,  Mr.  Mighell  bade  farewell 
to  his  family  and  friends  and  enlisted  in  the 
Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry,  which  became  a 
part  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  With 
that  army  he  participated  in  the  fight  at 
Sugar  Loaf  mountain,  the  battle  of  Antie- 
tam,  second  battle  of  Fredricksburg,  sec- 
ond battle  of  Bull  Run,  Gettysburg  and 
Kelly's  Ford,  together  with  many  lesser 
engagements,  about  sixty  in  all.  He  en- 
listed as  a  private  and  was  promoted  ser- 
geant in  his  company.  He  never  lost  any 
time  by  reason  of  sickness,  while  in  the 
service.  He  served  until  the  final  close  of 
the  war,  and  was  mustered  out  in  July,  1865, 
at  Jefferson  Barracks,  near  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri. 

Returning  home  after  receiving  his  dis- 
charge, he  resumed  farming,  purchasing 
forty  acres  adjoining  his  present  place  but 
locating  where  he  now  resides,  which  is  a 
part  of  the  old  homestead.  Since  that 
time  he  has  made  many  improvements  in 
the  place,  erecting  a  good  and  substantial 
residence,  with  good  barns  and  other  out- 
buildings. His  farm  is  always  kept  in  the 
best  order  and  is  well  supplied  with  all 
modern  farm  implements.  He  has  always 
engaged  in  general  farming  and  stockraising 
and  has  been  fairly  successful  in  everything 
that  he  has  undertaken. 

Politically  Mr.  Mighell  is  a  Republican, 
the  liberty-loving  principles  of  that  party 
having  been  instilled  in  from  his  youth,  his 
father  being  an  Abolitionist,  and  for  some 


years  a  conductor  on  the  underground  rail- 
road. The  first  presidential  campaign  in 
which  he  participated  was  that  of  1860, 
when  he  cast  his  vote  for  "  Honest  Old 
Abe."  He  has  been  honored  by  his  fellow 
citizens  with  various  local  offices,  including 
collector  of  the  township,  road  commis- 
sioner and  member  of  the  school  board. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A. 
R.  post,  No.  20,  of  Aurora.  An  almost 
life-long  resident  of  the  county,  he  has 
seen  its  changes  from  a  wilderness  until  it 
is  to-day  one  of  the  most  productive  coun- 
ties in  the  state.  He  has  seen  towns  spring 
up  as  if  by  magic,  until  to-day  between  Au- 
rora and  Chicago  it  is  almost  one  continu- 
ous city.  In  the  work  of  its  development 
he  has  done  his  part. 


/">HARLES  F.  SHARP  occupies  a  fine 
*^s  farm  of  four  hundred  and  eighty-eight 
acres  in  Campton  township,  his  residence 
being  on  section  32.  He  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  of  the  farmers  of  his  township, 
and  his  ability  and  worth  is  recognized  by 
all.  A  native  of  New  York,  he  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Ripley,  Chautauqua  county, 
May  i,  1839,  and  is  the  son  of  Joseph  and 
Sarah  A.  (Phillips)  Sharp,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  England  and  the  latter  of  Wales,  but 
who  was  reared  in  England.  In  his  native 
land  Joseph  Sharp  was  a  farmer,  while  his 
father,  John  Sharp,  followed  the  business 
of  truck  gardening. 

About  the  year  1829,  the  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  John  Sharp,  emigrated  with  his 
family  to  the  United  States,  and  settled  in 
Chautauqua  county,  New  York,  but  came 
west  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  about  1843. 
Purchasing  a  farm  he  continued  to  reside  in 
this  section  until  1856,  at  which  time  he 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


687 


proceeded  to  Benton  county,  Iowa,  with 
two  sons  and  one  daughter.  Subsequently 
he  removed  to  Floyd  county,  Iowa,  where 
he  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years. 

Both  parents  of  our  subject  came  to  the 
United  States  in  their  youth,  some  years 
before  the  emigration  of  John  Sharp.  They 
were  married  in  New  York  state  and  resided 
there  where  the  father  engaged  in  farming 
until  1858,  at  which  time  they  came  with 
their  family  to  Kane  county.  For  several 
years  after  his  arrival  here  he  worked  land 
on  shares,  and  about  1866  purchased  a  farm 
in  Virgil  township  and  died  there. 

Our  subject  got  his  early  education  in 
New  York  state  and  in  Illinois  in  the  district 
schools,  working  on  his  father's  farm  in  the 
meantime.  On  the  21  st  of  February,  1867, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary  J. 
Hitchcock,  daughter  of  a  prominent  farmer 
of  this  county  and  one  of  a  family  of  eight 
children.  By  this  union  three  children  have 
been  born,  all  yet  living.  They  are  Fred 
S. ,  Frank  H.  and  Alice  E.,  the  latter  living 
with  her  parents.  Fred  H.  married  Hattie 
Nash,  of  Michigan,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren, Carrie  and  Mary.  They  reside  on  one 
of  his  father's  farms  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  Campton  township.  Frank 
resides  on  the  old  homestead  near  his  fa- 
ther's present  residence,  situated  on  section 
34,  a  fine  farm  and  good  buildings  and  which 
also  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 
He  married  Allie  Barlow,  whose  parents  are 
residents  of  Kane  county. 

Mr.  Sharp  has  held  a  number  of  official 
positions  in  the  county.  He  was  supervisor 
one  term,  justice  of  the  peace  four  years, 
highway  commissioner  ten  years,  and  to  him 
is  largely  due  the  credit  for  many  of  the 
excellent  gravel  roads  in  Campton  township. 
He  was  also  township  trustee  two  terms, 


and  was  school  director  for  many  years.  A 
stanch  Republican  in  politics,  he  cast  his 
first  presidential  in  1860  for  Abraham 
Lincoln.  He  follows  general  farming  and 
stockraising  on  his  present  farm,  which  is 
excellent  land,  thoroughly  well  drained  and 
equipped  with  good  fences  and  substantial 
buildings.  A  pleasant,  genial,  honest  man, 
he  is  held  in  the  highest  respect  wherever 
known,  and  his  friends  are  many  throughout 
Kane  county. 


A  LEXANDER  R.  WALKER,  a  repre- 
/\  sentative  farmer  of  Hampshire  town- 
ship, resides  upon  section  17,  where  he  is 
engaged  in  general  and  dairy  farming.  He 
was  born  August  27,  1844,  in  Hemmings- 
ford,  St.  Johns  county,  province  of  Quebec, 
not  far  from  the  line  dividing  Canada  from 
the  state  of  New  York.  His  father,  Thomas 
Walker,  born  in  Port  Glasgow,  Scotland,  in 
1809,  married  Isabel  Perry,  a  daughter  of 
John  Perry,  also  a  native  of  Scotland.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  John  Walker,  also  a 
native  of  Scotland,  came  to  America  in  an 
early  day,  settling  in  Hemmingsford,  Cana- 
da, where  his  death  occurred.  Thomas  and 
Isabel  Walker  were  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  as  follows:  John,  deceased;  Eliz- 
abeth, deceased;  Mary,  wife  of  James  Mc- 
Guff,  of  Burlington  township;  Elizabeth  is 
the  wife  of  David  Jackson,  of  Virgil  town- 
ship; Alexander,  our  subject;  Kate,  who 
married  John  Barker,  of  Nebraska;  Thomas, 
living  in  Virgil  township;  and  Jemima,  de- 
ceased. 

In  1852  Thomas  Walker  came  to  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  with  his  family,  and  located 
in  Virgil  township,  where  his  death  occurred 
in  1891,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years. 
His  wife  lives  in  Virgil.  Our  subject  lived 


688 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


with  his  father  till  the  age  of  twenty  years, 
and  then  worked  by  the  month  until  his 
marriage,  September  6,  1871,  with  Miss 
Martha  Reid,  daughter  of  David  and  Olive 
(Powley)  Reid,  the  former  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, born  near  Aiken  Claurie,  about  thirty- 
five  miles  northeast  of  Glasgow,  February 
13,  1813,  and  the  latter  born  in  Frontinac 
county,  Canada,  in  April,  1813. 

David  Reid  grew  to  manhood  in  Scot- 
land, and  at  the  age  of  twenty  years  emi- 
grated to  Canada,  sailing  from  Campbell- 
town,  and  after  a  three-months'  voyage, 
landing  in  Quebec,  and  locating  near  Kings- 
ton, in  Frontinac  county,  where  he  resided 
until  his  emigration  to  Kane  county,  in  1850. 
Two  years  previously  he  visited  Kane  coun- 
ty, and  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  in  Hampshire  township, 
then  returned  home,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1850  brought  his  family  to  their  new  home. 
He  is  yet  living  on  the  old  homestead,  where 
he  has  spent  nearly  half  a  century,  but  mak- 
ing his  home  with  his  daughter,  the  wife  of 
our  subject.  For  some  years  he  has  been 
in  ill  health  from  a  stroke  of  paralysis.  His 
wife,  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Walker,  died  in 
1871.  She  was -the  daughter  of  William 
and  Elizabeth  (Hoffman)  Powley,  natives  of 
Canada,  the  former  dying  at  the  age  of 
ninety  years.  The  parents  of  William 
Powley  lived  in  America  prior  to  the  Revo- 
lutionary war,  but  after  hostilities  ceased 
returned  to  Germany,  where  they  resided 
some  years,  and  then  again  emigrated  to 
the  United  States.  About  the  outbreak  of 
the  war  of  1812,  they  removed  to  Canada, 
where  the  father  secured  a  good  farm,  on 
which  he  resided  until  his  death.  He  often 
related  to  his  children,  how  at  one  time  in 
the  forest  he  ran  out  of  provisions,  and 
killed,  cooked  and  ate  a  rattlesnake,  which 


he  always  declared  was,  under  the  circum- 
stances, very  good.  Of  the  four  children 
born  to  David  and  Olive  Reid,  three  are  yet 
living — John,  a  banker  of  Kansas  City, 
Kansas;  Dr.  Charles  P.,  of  the  village  of 
Hampshire;  and  Martha,  wife  of  our  sub- 
ject. 

To  our  subject  and  wife,  eleven  children 
have  been  born — Harriet,  Florence,  David, 
Thomas,  Clarissa,  Hugh,  Kate,  Charles, 
John,  Bessie  and  James.  Fraternally  Mr. 
Walker  is  a  member  of  Hampshire  lodge, 
Ancient,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of 
which  he  has  been  a  member  since  1867. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  has  held 
the  office  of  school  director  and  highway 
commissioner.  He  has  resided  upon  his 
present  farm  since  his  marriage,  and  is  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  best  farmers  in  the 
township,  and  as  a  citizen  he  is  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  by  all  who  know  him. 


OHILLIP  H.  HEMRICK,  who  engaged 
1  in  farming  on  section  30,  Rutland 
township,  was  born  in  Hampshire  township, 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  on  section  13,  Sep- 
tember 25,  1848,  and  is  the  son  of  Michael 
and  Dora  (Hauslein)  Hemrick,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Bavaria,  Germany, 
where  they  grew  to  manhood  and  woman- 
hood, and  were  married,  emigrating  to 
America  in  1845,  an^  locating  on  a  farm  on 
sections  13  and  24,  where  they  resided  until 
their  death,  the  latter  dying  when  sixty 
years  old,  and  the  former  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six  years.  They  were  the  parents 
of  eight  children,  as  follows:  Michael,  liv- 
ing in  Kansas;  Charles,  also  living  in  Kan- 
sas; Phillip,  our  subject;  Dinah,  wife  of- 
Jacob  Miller,  of  Hampshire  township;  Will- 
iam, who  died  from  the  effects  of  sun- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


689 


stroke;  Elizabeth,  deceased;  John,  living  on 
the  home  farm,  and  Malachi,  deceased. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared 
on  the  home  farm,  and  attended  the  district 
schools  during  the  winter  terms,  and  en- 
gaged in  farm  work  the  rest  of  the 
year.  He  remained  under  the  parental 
roof  until  the  age  of  twenty,  when  he  hired 
out  for  one  year.  He  was  married  in  Elgin 
township  April  13,  1869,  to  Caroline  M. 
Maupton,  who  was  born  in  Hampshire 
township  July  12,  1850,  and  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Sophia  (Kolb)  Maupton. 
The  former  died  in  1852,  and  the  latter 
makes  her  home  with  our  subject.  Mrs. 
Hemrick  died  January  8,  1898,  leaving  two 
children — Emma  C.  and  Addie.  They  lost 
one,  Ida  S.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  six 
years.  Emma  C.  is  now  the  wife  of  E.  A. 
Gage,  of  whom  a  more  extended  notice 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Mr.  Hemrick  is  a  member  of  the  United 
Evangelical  church,  of  which  body  his  wife 
was  also  a  member.  In  politics  he  is  a 
thorough  Republican,  and  for  twenty-five 
years  has  served  as  school  director.  When 
the  postoffice  was  established,  in  1883,  at 
Starks  Station,  known  as  Sunset  Postoffice, 
he  was  appointed  postmaster,  which  posi- 
tion he  has  creditably  filled  to  the  present 
time.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  while  his 
wife  was  a  member  of  the  Ladies  of  the 
Maccabees. 

WILLIAM  H.  TUPPER,  who  owns  and 
operates  a  fine  farm  of  three  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  in  section  14,  Kane- 
ville  township,  has  been  a  resident  of  Kane 
county,  since  1854.  He  was  born  in  On- 
tario, Canada,  March  6,  1830.  His  father, 
Elias  Tupper,  was  a  native  of  Nova  Scotia, 


and  was  of  English  parentage.  He  grew  to 
manhood  in  New  Brunswick,  and  there 
married  Ann  Beckwith,  also  of  English  par- 
entage. They  became  the  parents  of  four 
sons  and  three  daughters,  but  one  son  died 
in  childhood,  all  growing  to  mature  years, 
but  are  now  deceased  with  the  exception  of 
our  subject  and  his  brother,  Eliakim,  who 
resides  in  Canada.  In  early  manhood, 
Elias  Tupper  was  engaged  in  mercantile 
trade,  but  on  his  removal  to  Canada,  he 
first  engaged  in  merchandising  and  later  in 
farming.  He  settled  near  Quebec,  where 
his  store  was  destroyed  by  fire,  during  the 
war  of  1812.  After  being  burned  out,  he 
located  in  Ontario,  above  Hamilton,  on  a 
farm  and  there  spent  the  last  years  of  his 
life.  His  death  occurred  in  1836,  when  our 
subject  was  a  child  of  six  years. .  His  wife 
survived  him  and  reared  the  family,  doing 
her  duty  by  them  in  a  most  faithful  manner. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  man- 
hood in  Canada  and  received  good  common- 
school  advantages.  On  the  9th  of  April, 
1848,  he  was  united  in  marriage,  in  Canada, 
with  Miss  Catherine  Edmonds,  a  native  of 
Canada,  and  a  daughter  of  Oliver  Edmonds, 
formerly  from  New  York.  At  the  time  of 
his  marriage  he  was  but  eighteen  years  of 
age,  and  his  bride  but  sixteen.  Immediately 
after  marriage  he  took  charge  of  the  Ed- 
monds farm,  which  he  operated  for  about 
six  years,  the  winters  of  which  time  he  en- 
gaged in  lumbering.  In  1854,  he  came  to 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  purchased  a  tract 
of  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  in  Kane- 
ville  township,  about  one  hundred  acres  of 
which  was  under  cultivation.  Upon  the 
place  was  a  fair  house  and  barn,  which  in 
due  time  gave  place  to  a  larger  residence, 
while  other  improvements  upon  the  place 
were  made  and  the  farm  became  one  of  the 


690 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


best  in  the  township.  It  is  well  tiled,  and 
supplied  with  outbuildings  of  a  most  sub- 
stantial character,  and  is  well  equiped  with 
all  modern  agricultural  implements. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tupper  nine  children 
were  born  as  follows:  Oliver,  married  and 
engaged  in  farming  near  Maple  Park;  Mrs. 
Anna  Watson,  of  Kaneville,  who  owns  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  adjoining  her 
father's  place;  Jeremiah,  married  and  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Pierce  county,  Nebraska; 
Sarah  Jane  Gary,  a  widow  residing  in  Kane- 
ville; William  H.,  who  was  a  substantial 
farmer,  married  and  died  leaving  a  wife  and 
children;  Mary,  wife  of  Dr.  Elliott,  of 
Peotone,  Will  county,  Illinois;  Susie,  wife 
of  Henry  Herrick,  a  farmer  of  Sugar  Grove, 
and  George,  now  a  student  in  the  medical 
department  of  Michigan  University  at  Ann 
Arbor. 

Mrs.  Tupper  died  July  21,  1889,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-seven  years,  and  later  Mr. 
Tupper  married  in  Cortland,  De  Kalb  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  Mrs.  Philena  Joslyn,  a  native 
of  Vermont,  'who  there  grew  to  womanhood, 
and  the  daughter  of  Martin  L.  Lqwell,  and 
a  sister  of  Judge  Lowell,  of  Sycamore.  She 
is  the  mother  of  four  children  by  her  first 
marriage. 

Politically  Mr.  Tupper  is  a  Republican, 
but  has  never  been  a  seeker  after  office. 
Always  a  friend  of  education,  he  has  served 
as  a  member  of  the  school  board  and  given 
much  of  his  time  to  advantoge  the  educa- 
tional interests  of  his  neighborhood.  He 
has  shown  his  interest  in  educational  mat- 
ters in  other  ways,  giving  five  hundred 
dollars  toward  the  erection  of  Clark's,  now 
Jennings  Seminary,  of  Aurora.  Religiously 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  of  which  body  his  wife  is  also  a 
member. 


At  the  time  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Tupper 
was  possessed  of  but  little  means,  but  he 
had  a  determination  to  succeed,  and  with 
that  determination  in  view,  he  began  work, 
toiled  early  and  late,  and  as  a  result,  success 
has  crowned  his  efforts,  and  he  is  to-day 
numbered  among  the  well-to-do  and  repre- 
sentative farmers  of  Kane  county. 


SILAS  H.  MIGHELL,  of  section  28, 
Sugar  Grove  township,  is  a  well-known 
enterprising  farmer — one  who  has  spent 
almost  his  entire  life  in  Kane  county,  dat- 
ing his  residence  here  since  the  fall  of  1837. 
He  was  born  in  Rutland  county,  Vermont, 
December  12,  1829.  The  Mighell  family 
were  among  the  pioneers  of  Vermont,  where 
James  Mighell,  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born.  His  son,  Ezekiel  Mighell, 
was  born  in  Rutland  county,  Vermont,  De- 
cember 24,  1799,  and  there  grew  to  man- 
hood and  married  Lucinda  Todd,  also  a  na- 
tive of  Vermont.  Ezekiel  Mighell  was  a 
carpenter  and  joiner  by  trade,  and  followed 
that  occupation  during  his  residence  in  Ver- 
mont, and  after  his  removal  to  Tompkins 
county,  New  York,  where  he  went  about 
1830,  locating  near  the  head  of  Cayuga 
Lake.  He  there  also  engaged  in  farming; 
but,  believing  that  he  could  do  better  in 
the  west,  he  came  to  Illinois  in  1837,  locat- 
ing in  Sugar  Grove  township,  Kane  county, 
where  he  bought  a  claim  of  two  hundred 
acres,  which  he  entered  after  it  came  into 
the  market.  On  the  place  was  a  log  house 
into  which  he  moved,  and  where  he  lived 
for  a  few  years  until  he  could  improve  the 
place  and  secure  means  for  the  erection 
of  a  more  pretentious  residence.  From 
time  to  time  he  added  to  his  original  pur- 
chase until  he  had  six  hundred  acres  of  fine 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


691 


farming  land  and  was  recognized  as  one  of 
the  substantial  farmers  of  Kane  county. 
On  the  old  home  farm  he  reared  his  family, 
and  later  moved  to  Aurora,  living  a  retired 
life,  and  where  his  death  occurred  June  10, 
1884,  when  about  eighty-five  years  of  age. 
His  wife  passed  away  March  26,  1877. 

To  Ezekiel  and  Lucinda  Mighell  eight 
children  were  born,  two  of  whom,  Silas  and 
Nancy,  died  in  infancy.  Those  who  grew 
to  mature  years  were  Lewis,  who  married 
and  settled  in  De  Kalb  county,  where  his 
death  occurred  May  25,  1883;  Mary  grew 
to  womanhood,  married  John  Ellis,  now  of 
Kewanee,  Illinois,  and  died  September  22, 
1874;  Silas  H.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch; 
Albert,  who  married,  moved  to  Aurora, 
where  his  death  occurred;  Horace  R. ,  mar- 
ried, settled  in  Morris,  Illinois,  and  there 
died  August  n,  1892;  and  Frank  P.,  whose 
sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Silas  H.  Mighell  was  about  eight  years 
of  age  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
Kane  county.  He  assisted  in  developing 
the  home  farm  and  as  the  opportunity  was 
afforded  him  attended  the  district  school. 
He  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until 
after  attaining  his  majority,  and  on  the  igth 
of  March,  1854,  married  Delena  Colkins,  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  S.  and  Fannie  (Clark) 
Colkins,  the  former  born  at  Corning,  New 
York,  December  4,  1800,  and  the  latter  at 
Keene,  New  Hampshire.  They  moved  to 
Illinois  in  1852,  located  near  Montgomery, 
Kane  county,  where  Mr.  Colkins  died  No- 
vember 27,  1862.  His  wife  survives  him, 
and  resides  on  a  farm  adjoining  that  of  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  Mighell,  and  is  now  ninety- 
four  years  of  age.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Migh- 
ell three  children  have  been  born:  The 
oldest,  Emma  DeEtta,  is  now  the  wife  of 
Franklin  Eglington,  of  Aurora;  Fannie  L. , 


wife  of  Arthur  Potter,  of  Aurora;  and  Ina 
May,  who  is  a  practicing  physician  in  Chi- 
cago and  a  graduate  of  Hahnemann  Medical 
College. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Migh- 
ell located  on  the  farm  where  they  now 
reside,  and  where  they  remained  two  years, 
then  moved  to  De  Kalb  county,  Illinois, 
where  Mr.  Mighell  purchased  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  he  cul- 
tivated for  seven  years.  In  1863  he  re- 
turned to  the  old  farm  in  Sugar  Grove, 
township,  on  which  he  has  made  many 
substantial  improvements.  Later  he  sold 
the  De  Kalb  county  farm  and  purchased 
another  farm  in  Sugar  Grove  township  of 
one  hundred  and  thirty-three  acres,  which 
is  fairly  well  improved. 

Politically  Mr.  Mighell  is  a  Republican, 
with  which  party  he  has  been  identified 
since  its  organization.  Religiously  Mrs. 
Mighell  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 
A  residence  of  fifty-nine  years  in  Kane 
county  has  brought  him  in  contact  with 
many  of  its  representative  citizens,  and 
wherever  best  known  he  is  the  most  highly 
esteemed. 


A  LEXANDER  L.  HINDS,  who  resides 
/~V  on  section  23,  Sugar  Grove  township, 
came  to  Kane  county  in  1842,  and  has  here 
since  made  his  home,  with  the  exception  of 
a  few  years  spent  in  De  Kalb  county.  His 
father,  Alpheus  H.  Hinds,  was  a  native  of 
Vermont,  born  at  Mount  Holly,  March  9, 
1796.  His  grandfather,  Carlis  Hinds,  was 
also  a  native  of  Vermont,  where  he  married 
Polly  Bents,  also  a  native  of  the  Green 
Mountain  state.  In  1803,  he  removed  to 
Jefferson  county,  New  York,  of  which  he 
was  a  pioneer.  He  attained  considerable 


692 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


prominence  in  that  county,  and  in  1809  was 
elected  and  served  one  term  in  the  legisla- 
ture of  the  state.  He  died  in  1811.  Al- 
pheus  H.  Hinds  removed  with  the  family  to 
New  York,  a  lad  of  five  years.  He  there 
grew  to  manhood  and  married  Mercy 
Wilkie,  a  native  of  Jefferson  county,  New 
York,  and  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Matthew 
Wilkie,  a  minister  of  the  Baptist  church, 
who  died  at  Evans  Mills,  Jefferson  county, 
New  York,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  ninety 
years.  He  was  a  relative  of  Captain  Miles 
Standish,  the  Puritan  captain. 

After  his  marriage,  Alpheus  H.  Hinds 
operated  the  old  homestead  a  few  years  and 
then  moved  to  Redwood,  New  York,  which 
was  then  a  wilderness,  which  later  became 
a  flourishing  town.  In  connection  with  an 
uncle  of  his  wife,  he  built  a  sawmill,  and 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber. 
Later  he  was  appointed  postmaster  and  for 
some  years  served  as  justice  of  the  peace. 
In  1842,  with  two  teams,  he  started  west 
with  his  family,  coming  through  Canada  and 
was  some  four  and  a  half  weeks  on  the  road. 
He  arrived  in  Kane  county  on  his  forty- 
sixth  birthday,  March  9,  1842.  In  Sugar 
Grove  township,  he  purchased  a  claim  and 
later  entered  the  land.  On  that  farm  he 
remained  until  1871,  when  he  sold  out  and 
removed  to  Aurora,  .where  his  death  oc- 
curred December  10,  1874.  His  wife 
passed  away  December  20,  1872,  and  both 
were  laid  to  rest  in  the  West  Side  cemetery. 

Alexander  L.  Hinds,  our  subject,  was 
but  two  and  a  half  years  old  when  he  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  Kane  county.  He 
is  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  five  sons  and 
three  daughters,  and  of  that  number  he  has 
one  brother  and  one  sister  living.  His 
brother,  James  Hinds,  is  a  business  man 
residing  in  Rochester,  New  York.  His 


sister,  Mrs.  Laura  R.  Davidson,  makes  her 
home  with  our  subject.  Our  subject  re- 
mained with  his  father  some  years  after  at- 
taining his  majority,  and  engaged  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  home  farm.  He  married 
in  Aurora,  February  26,  1868,  Miss  Nettie 
Colley,  a  native  of  Belleville,  Ohio.  After 
his  marriage  he  continued  to  operate  the 
old  homestead  for  two  years,  and  then 
bought  a  farm  in  De  Kalb  county,  to  which 
he  removed  and  where  he  remained  for 
some  years.  While  residing  there  his  wife 
died  in  April,  1877,  leaving  one  daughter, 
Alice  L. ,  who  makes  her  home  in  Aurora. 
In  1878,  Mr.  Hinds  sold  the  De  Kalb  county 
farm,  returned  to  Kane  county,  and  rented 
the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides,  for  some 
two  or  three  years  and  then  purchased  the 
place,  since  which  time  he  has  given  his  at- 
tention to  its  further  improvement  and  in 
general  farming. 

Politically,  Mr.  Hinds  is  a  Democrat, 
with  which  party  he  has  been  identified  since 
attaining  his  majority.  He  has  never 
wavered  in  the  support  of  his  party,  nor  in 
advocacy  of  its  principles.  Fraternally,  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  and  the  Knights  of  Honor.  An 
old  settler  of  the  county,  he  is  well  and 
favorably  known  and  held  in  high  esteem. 

Mrs.  Laura  R.  Davidson,  a  sister  of 
Mr.  Hinds,  was  born  in  Watertown,  Jeffer- 
son county,  New  York,  January  29,  1822. 
She  was  there  given  good  school  advantages, 
and  for  some  years  before  her  marriage  en- 
gaged in  teaching  in  the  public  schools. 
She  has  been  twice  married,  her  first  union 
being  with  William  J.  Rose,  a  native  of 
New  York,  who  came  to  Kane  county  a 
young  man,  and  purchased  the  farm  where 
Mrs.  Davidson  now  resides.  Here  they  be- 
gan their  domestic  life,  and  resided  until  the 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


693 


death  of  Mr.  Rose,  May  16,  1873.  He  was 
a  successful  farmer,  a  careful  business  man, 
and  his  death  was  sincerely  mourned  by 
many  friends.  After  his  death,  his  widow 
rented  the  farm,  though  still  making  it  her 
home.  On  the  24th  of  December,  1885, 
she  married  T.  M.  Davidson,  who  met  with 
an  accident  which  caused  his  death  some 
two  years  later.  He  died  August  19,  1887, 
since  which  time  Mrs.  Davidson  has  been 
making  her  home  with  her  brother.  She  is 
a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  is 
much  esteemed  and  beloved  by  all,  and  is 
one  of  the  few  remaining  old  settlers  of 
Kane  county. 


JOHN  C.  WHILDIN  resides  on  section 
17,  Big  Rock  township,  where  he  owns 
and  operates  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  .fifty-one  acres.  He  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Marion,  Montgomery  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, July  12,  1843.  His  father,  Jeremiah 
Whildin,  was  anativeof  Wales,  born  in  Mont- 
gomeryshire, December  25,  1799,  and  there 
grew  to  manhood,  and  married  Mary  Reese, 
also  a  native  of  Montgomeryshire,  Wales. 
The  marriage  ceremony  was  solemnized  in 
1826.  In  1842  they  emigrated  with  their 
family  to  the  United  States,  and  after  spend- 
ing seven  years  in  Pennsylvania  and  New 
York  they  came  west  to  Chicago,  and  there 
leaving  his  family,  with  his  son,  J.  M. ,  he 
walked  from  Chicago  to  Big  Rock  township, 
and  after  selecting  a  location,  sent  back 
three  teams  for  his  goods  and  family.  His 
brother  Edward  had  located  here  some 
three  years  previously,  and  it  was  through 
his  solicitation  that  Mr.  Whildin  came  to 
Kane  county.  On  his  arrival  in  Big  Rock 
township  he  purchased  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land,  on  which  was  a  log 


house,  and  a  few  acres  in  cultivation.  To 
the  improvement  of  this  land  and  to  found- 
ing here  a  home,  in  which  to  rear  his  family 
and  spend  his  declining  days,  was  the  desire 
of  his  heart.  He  later  bought  more  land 
until  his  tract  comprised  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  acres.  In  the  course  of  time 
the  old  log  house  gave  place  to  a  more 
modern  structure,  barns  and,  other  outbuild- 
ings were  erected,  and  the  farm  placed  un- 
der a  high  state  of  cultivation.  On  this 
place  he  died  October  21,  1889,  at  the  age 
of  nearly  ninety  years.  His  wife  passed  to 
her  reward,  April  13,  1880.  Jeremiah 
Whildin  was  a  true  Christian  man,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  church  at  Big  Rock,  in 
which  he  was  elected  deacon  in  1849,  serv- 
ing as  such  until  his  death.  Of  their  family 
of  four  sons  and  eight  daughters,  three  sons 
and  five  daughters  grew  to  mature  years, 
and  of  these,  three  sons  and  one  daughter 
now  survive. 

The- subject  of  this  sketch  was  but  six 
years  of  age  when  he  came  with  the  family 
to  Kane  county.  On  the  home  farm  he  re- 
mained, assisting  in  its  cultivation,  until 
after  reaching  his  majority,  in  the  mean- 
time receiving  his  education  in  the  public 
schools.  On  the  I4th  of  May,  1868,  he 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Harriet 
Potter,  who  was  born  in  Big  Rock  township, 
Kane  county,  and  a  daughter  of  Samuel  E. 
Potter,  a  native  of  Franklin  county,  Massa- 
chusetts, who  came  to  Kane  county  a  young 
man  about  1845.  He  here  married  Olive  P. 
Winslow,  also  a  native  of  Massachusetts. 
He  was  the  owner  of  land  in  both  Kane  and 
De  Kalb  counties,  and  here  died  July  20, 
1855,  when  about  thirty-five  years  of  age, 
leaving  a  widow  and  several  small  children. 
Mrs.  Whildin  was  taken  by  her  aunt  Mary 
Potter,  to  her  grandfather,  Potter,  in  Massa- 


694 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


chusetts,  where  she  was  reared  to  woman- 
hood. After  the  death  of  her  grandmother 
Potter,  she  went  to  New  York  state  and 
there  lived  one  year,  and  then  returned  to 
Kane  county,  where  her  marriage  with  Mr. 
Whildin  occurred.  By  this  union  are  five 
children,  of  whom  Alice  is  now  the  wife  of 
William  W.  Williams,  a  farmer  of  Big  Rock 
township;  Mary  A.  is  the  wife  of  B.  C. 
Fountain,  also  a  farmer  of  Big  Rock  town- 
ship; Merritt  J.  is  assistant  postmaster,  and 
clerk  in  a  store  at  Big  Rock;  Otis  F. ,  who 
is  assisting  in  carrying  on  the  farm,  and 
Leslie  E.,  a  student  at  the  home  schools. 

Politically  Mr.  Whildin  is  a  Republican, 
having  acted  with  that  party  since  attaining 
his  majority.  He  has  been  quite  active  in 
local  politics  and  has  served  in  several  offi- 
cial positions.  He  was  on  a  special  com- 
mittee for  the  erection  of  a  town  hall,  and 
since  becoming  of  age  he  has  served  as  a 
school  director.  Every  year  he  has  served 
as  a  delegate  to  various  conventions,  includ- 
ing county  and  congressional,  and  is  one  of 
the  commissioners  of  highways  of  the  town- 
ship and  treasurer  of  the  board.  While  not 
members  of  the  church,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whil- 
din attend  the  Baptist  church  at  Big  Rock, 
in  which  faith  they  were  both  reared.  A 
thoroughly  practical  farmer,  one  who  has 
engaged  in  no  other  line  of  business,  Mr. 
Whildin  has  worked  early  and  late,  and 
success  has  in  a  measure  crowned  his  ef- 
forts.   

RENALWIN  OUTHOUSE,  deceased.- 
This  gentleman  was  born  near  Lily 
Lake,  Kane  county,  April  22,  1852,  and  was 
the  son  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Read)  Out- 
house, both  natives  of  New  Brunswick,  Nova 
Scotia.  The  former  was  raised  on  a  farm 
and  that  pursuit  he  followed  in  his  younger 


days,  but  the  temptations  surrounding  his 
home  at  Sackville,  New  Brunswick,  near  to 
the  stormy  bay  of  Fundy,  were  too  strong 
for  his  adventurous  spirit,  so  he  left  farming 
and  followed  the  sea.  In  1836,  with  his 
wife  and  two  children,  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  and  settled  near  Maple  Park, 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  where  he  staked  off  a 
claim  of  government  land,  but  soon  after 
removed  to  another  farm,  which  he  pur- 
chased in  the  same  township,  and  subse- 
quently sold  to  his  father-in-law,  Joshua 
Read,  who  had  newly  arrived  with  his  wife, 
Priscilla  (Chapel)  Read,  and  their  twelve 
children.  James  Outhouse  then  bought  a 
farm  near  Lily  Lake,  Campton  township, 
to  which  he  added  from  time  to  time, 
eventually  owning  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  upon  which  he  built  a  good  residence 
and  other  outbuildings,  and  gradually  im- 
proved the  land.  At  the  time  of  purchase 
the  Black  Hawk  Indians  and  their  noted 
leader  were  extant  in  this  vicinity. 

James  Outhouse  had  a  family  of  seven 
children,  as  follows:  Priscilla,  Edward, 
William,  Mary,  George,  Renalwin  and  Ara- 
thusa.  Priscilla  is  the  widow  of  George 
Easterbrook  and  is  now  living  in  De  Kalb 
county;  William  is  a  resident  of  Elgin; 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  James  Leighton  and  re- 
sides in  Maine;  George,  a  retired  farmer,  is 
now  living  in  Elburn,  Illinois;  Arathusa  is 
the  wife  of  Henry  Lord,  of  Aurora. 

Renalwin  Outhouse  gained  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools,  supplemented 
by  a  year  in  Jennings  Seminary  and  Busi- 
ness College,  in  Aurora,  after  which  he  set- 
tled down  to  farming,  his  father  dividing  the 
old  homestead  farm  between  him  and  his 
brother  George.  January  28,  1878,  our 
subject  married  Addie  Leighton,  daughter 
of  Alfred  C.  and  Jeannette  (Morris)  Leigh- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


695 


ton,  residing  in  Perry,  Maine,  her  father  be- 
ing a  native  of  Eastport,  Maine,  while  her 
mother  was  born  in  Ayrshire,  Scotland. 
Mr.  Leighton  is  deceased,  while  Mrs.  Leigh- 
ton  makes  her  home  with  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Outhouse.  Four  children  were  born 
to  our  subject  and  wife — three  still  surviv- 
ing: Fred  M.,  Laura  E.,  and  Myrtie  E. ; 
Mary  J.  died  in  her  eighth  year. 

The  son,  Fred  M.,  is  taking  a  scientific 
course  in  Dixon  College,  preparing  him- 
self for  the  legal  profession.  Laura  gradu- 
ated from  the  Elgin  High  School  in  1 898 ;  and 
Myrtie  is  now  attending  school  at  Elburn, 
Illinois. 

Mr.  Outhouse  was  clerk  of  the  school 
board  three  terms,  and  highway  commis- 
sioner two  years,  being  still  in  office  at  the 
time  of  his  death.  He  was  formerly  one  of 
the  directors  of  the  Milk  Shippers'  Associa- 
tion. Fraternally  he  was  a  Mason,  belong- 
ing to  the  blue  lodge  at  Elburn,  the  chap- 
ter, and  a  Knight  Templar,  belonging  to 
Sycamore  Commandery,  No.  15.  Mr.  Out- 
house was  the  owner  of  about  four  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  valuable  land.  His 
widow  rents  her  farms  and  resides  in  a 
pleasant,  commodious  residence  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Lily  Lake.  She  also  owns  property 
in  Elburn,  Illinois.  Mr.  Outhouse  attended 
the  dedication  of  the  World's  Fair  at  Chi- 
cago, and  was  stricken  with  illness  immedi- 
ately on  his  return  home  and  died  on  the 
4th  of  November,  1892.  His  remains  lie 
resting  in  the  beautiful  cemetery  at  Elburn. 
Mrs.  Outhouse  is  a  member  of  the  Congre- 
gational church. 


MRS.  CATHERINE    B.   SLATER,   M. 
D. ,    No.  48    Fox  street,   Aurora,  Illi- 
nois, has  practiced  medicine  in  the  city  since 

34 


1879,  and  is  to-day  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful lady  physicians  in  this  section  of  the  state. 
She  comes  of  a  family  of  educators  and  has 
herself  been  a  leading  teacher  in  the  public 
schools  of  Illinois  and  other  states.  She 
was  born  at  Otsego,  near  Zanesville,  Ohio, 
February  26,  1844.  She  was  the  fifth  child 
and  fourth  daughter  in  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren born  to  Thomas  H.  and  Jane  (Culbert- 
son)  Patrick,  the  former  a  native  of  War- 
ren, Massachusetts,  and  the  latter  of  Zanes- 
ville, Ohio.  Her  father  was  one  of  the  most 
proficient  educators  of  his  day  and  all  his 
family  were  teachers  of  merit.  He  was  a 
resident  of  Zanesville  at  the  time  of  his 
marriage,  which  event  took  place  in  the 
early  '303.  He  continued  to  reside  there 
until  1839,  teaching  in  the  meantime.  In 
the  spring  of  that  year  he  brought  his  wife 
to  the  prairies  of  Illinois  and  purchasing 
land  in  Montgomery  county,  founded  the 
village  of  Zanesville,  naming  it  after  his 
former  home,  the  journey  there  being  made 
in  a  wagon;  the  country  at  that  early  day 
was  wet  and  malarial,  his  wife  soon  tiring 
of  their  adopted  home,  they  returned  to 
Ohio,  and  continued  to  reside  there  until 
called  to  their  final  rest. 

The  maternal  great-grandfather  of  our 
subject.  Col.  Horatio  Jamieson,  was  a  grad- 
uate of  Edinburgh  University,  Scotland, 
and  came  to  America  to  assist  the  colonists 
in  their  struggle  for  liberty.  So  active  and 
eminent  were  his  services  in  the  cause,  that 
it  is  stated  in  the  private  records  of  the  fam- 
ily that  General  Washington  tendered  him 
Fort  Duquesne,  as  a  reward  for  his  valued 
services.  His  declined  the  reward,  how- 
ever. He  was  also  a  surgeon  in  the  French 
and  Indian  war.  He  later  returned  to  Scot- 
land for  a  time,  but  came  back  to  Pennsyl- 
vania and  there  married.  The  only  child 


696 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


of  this  union  was  named  Cassandra,  and 
who  from  a  small  child  took  considerable 
interest  in  her  father's  medical  studies  and 
became  quite  an  adept  in  the  use  of  the 
knife  and  lancet.  She  became  the  wife  of 
James  Culbertsonand  was  a  woman  of  great 
beauty  and  undaunted  courage.  In  1805 
James  Culbertson  and  his  wife  emigrated 
from  McKeesport,  Pennsylvania,  and  were 
pioneers  in  the  early  settlement  of  Central 
Ohio.  On  leaving  Pennsylvania  their  des- 
tination was  Columbus,  Ohio,  but  stopping 
at  Zanesville  on  the  way,  they  became  very 
popular  in  that  scattered  hamlet,  and  on  re- 
suming their  journey  they  were  escorted  for 
some  distance  by  most  of  its  inhabitants. 
The  fatigues  of  travel,  sickness,  together 
with  the  warmhearted  reception  they  had 
met  with  at  Zanesville,  caused  them  to  re- 
turn before  reaching  Columbus,  and  they 
determined  to  make  that  place  their  future 
home.  Securing  a  valuable  piece  of  land 
in  what  is  now  the  center  of  the  city,  they 
erected  a  dwelling  and  a  business  block  in 
which  for  many  years  Mr.  Culbertson  car- 
ried on  the  business  of  a  hatter,  manufact- 
uring the  then  popular  beaver  hat — known 
to  the  present  generation  only  by  pictures 
representing  "  Uncle  Sam"  and  "Grandfa- 
ther Harrison." 

The  family  of  James  Culbertson  and 
wife  consisted  of  five  daughters  and  six 
sons,  of  whom  three  died  in  infancy.  The 
others  established  themselves  in  every 
branch  of  life,  professional,  business  and 
agricultural.  Their  names  were  as  follows: 
James,  Joseph,  Perry,  Jamieson,  a  captain 
in  the  Civil  war;  William,  Elizabeth,  Emily 
and  Jane,  the  last  named  being  the  mother 
of  our  subject.  She  was  born  in  1809, 
died  1852.  Of  these,  William  is  the  only 
one  now  living.  The  children  born  to 


Thomas  H.  and  Jane  Patrick  were:  Louisa, 
James,  Charlotte,  Elizabeth,  Catherine  B. , 
Harriet,  Thomas  and  Asa  P.  The  last  two 
died  in  infancy,  while  James  and  Charlotte 
are  also  deceased. 

The  early  education  of  our  subject  be- 
gan in  the  Mclntyre  Academy  at  Zanesville, 
Ohio,  an  endowed  institution  in  which  her 
father  was  principal.  The  academy  was 
afterwards  absorbed  by  the  public  schools. 
In  the  public  schools  her  education  con- 
tinued and  she  was  graduated  from  the  high 
school  in  1864.  She  subsequently  taught  in 
the  high  school  at  Fremont,  Ohio,  and  on 
September  3,  1867,  she  married  James  G. 
Slater,  a  merchant  of  Fremont,  and  con- 
tinued to  reside  there  until  the  the  fall  of 
1868,  at  which  time  they  removed  to  Mans- 
field, Ohio,  where  they  remained  until 
February,  1870,  when  they  came  to  Au- 
rora, Illinois.  Soon  after  their  arrival,  Mr. 
Slater  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  business, 
entering  into  partnership  with  A.  Somer- 
indyck.  Later  failing  health  induced  him 
to  dispose  of  his  interest  in  the  business, 
since  which  time  his  services  have  been  with 
Mr.  Sencenbaugh. 

Mrs.  Slater  began  the  study  of  medicine 
in  1873,  at  the  same  time  teaching  in  the 
west  side  high  school  at  Aurora,  of  which 
she  was  principal  for  three  years.  She  then 
entered  the  Woman's  Medical  College,  of 
the  Northwestern  University,  Chicago, 
where  she  remained  a  little  over  two  years, 
and  was  graduated  in  the  spring  of  1879, 
with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  She  was  one  in 
the  first  class  to  stand  competitive  examina- 
tions for  the  hospitals  of  Chicago.  Imme- 
diately after  receiving  her  degree  Dr.  Slater 
began  the  practice  of  her  profession  in 
Aurora,  her  office  being  at  48  Fox  street, 
and  she  has  built  up  an  excellent  practice 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


697. 


among  the  very  best  families  in  Aurora. 
Since  her  graduation  she  has  supplemented 
her  education  by  a  journey  to  Berlin,  Ger- 
many, going  as  a  delegate  from  the  Amer- 
ican Medical  Association  to  the  interna- 
tional congress  at  Berlin,  and  was  the  first 
lady  admitted  to  any  clinic  in  that  country. 
This  was  in  1890.  She  remained  there  six 
months,  and  while  abroad  visited  all  the 
medical  institutions  of  any  note,  receiving 
invitations  from  the  different  medical  socie- 
ties. In  1897,  Dr.  Slater  formed  one  of  a 
party  of  about  fifty  physicians,  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  who  traveled  and  visited  the 
hospitals  on  the  continent  of  Europe  and 
Russia,  and  all  were  most  cordially  re- 
ceived. She  was  appointed  professor  of 
hygeine  in  the  medical  department  of  the 
Northwestern  University  at  Chicago,  and  in 
1895  was  elected  to  the  board  of  education 
of  Aurora,  and  is  still  a  member.  She  has 
been  trustee  and  surgeon  of  the  Aurora  City 
Hospital  since  its  establishment  in  1888, 
and  is  also  surgeon  of  the  Woman's  Relief 
Corps,  No.  10,  department  of  Illinois. 
While  reared  a  Presbyterian,  she  now  at- 
tends the  Episcopal  church.  A  woman  of 
natural  and  acquired  ability,  she  ranks  high 
in  her  profession  and  is  greatly  esteemed 
for  her  womanly  virtues. 


Q  QUIRE  D.  HUNT,  president  of  the 
v_/  County  Line  Creamery  Company,  and 
one  of  the  most  enterprising  farmers  of 
Kane  county,  residing  on  section  32,  Kane- 
ville  township,  where  he  has  a  valuable 
farm  of  three  hundred  acres,  dates  his  res- 
idence in  Kane  county,  from  1847.  He 
was  born  in  Chenango,  county,  New  York, 
July  9,  1840,  and  is  the  son  of  Daniel 
Hunt,  born  in  1804,  in  the  same  county  and 


state.  Joseph  Hunt,  his  grandfather,  was 
a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  a  pioneer  set- 
tler of  Chenango  county,  New  York.  Dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  struggle,  he  served 
his  country  and  assisted  in  securing  its  inde- 
pendence. He  lived  to  the  advanced  age 
of  ninety-four  years. 

Daniel  Hunt  spent  his  boyhood  and 
youth  on  his  father's  farm,  and  later  mar- 
ried Polly  Dutcher,  a  native  of  Dutchess 
county,  New  York.  Her  father,  Gideon 
Dutcher,  was  one  of  a  pioneer  family  of 
that  county,  and  from  his  family  the  county 
derived  its  name.  After  marriage  Mr.  Hunt 
engaged  in  farming  in  Chenango  county, 
where  he  remained  a  number  of  years.  In 
1845  ne  came  to  Illinois,  locating  first  in 
Oswego,  Kendall  county,  where  he  remained 
two  and  a  half  years,  and  then  moved  to 
Kaneville  township,  Kane  county,  where  he 
purchased  eighty  acres,  which  was  a  part  of 
the  farm  now  owned  by  our  subject.  The 
land  was  unimproved,  but  he  at  once  went 
to  work  and  in  due  time  had  the  place  un- 
der cultivation,  and,  as  his  means  increased, 
purchased  more  land,  until  he  was  the  pos- 
sessor of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He 
was  prosperous  and  successful  as  a  farmer 
and,  after  a  long  and  useful  life,  passed  to 
his  reward  in  1889,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
five  years.  His  wife  died  some  three  years 
previous. 

Squire  D.  Hunt  is  the  only  survivor  of 
a  family  of  two  sons  and  three  daughters. 
His  brother,  Edwin,  grew  to  mature  years, 
married,  owned  and  operated  a  part  of  the 
farm,  and  there  died  in  1864.  His  sisters 
were  Jane,  who  married  James  H.  Chap- 
man, and  died  in  Pike  county,  Illinois; 
Sarah,  married  W.  J.  Bates,  located  in 
Cortland,  DeKalb  county,  Illinois,  and 
there  her  death  occurred;  and  Madeline, 


698 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


who   died  in    infancy,  in   Oswego,   Kendall 
county,  Illinois. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  Kane 
county,  when  but  about  eight  years  old, 
and  here  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home 
farm,  and  assisted  in  its  cultivation.  He 
was  educated  in  the  Kaneville  schools,  and 
on  the  26th  of  February,  1862,  married 
Lydia  E.  Flanders,  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  a  daughter  of  Parker  Flanders, 
who  was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  there 
grew  to  manhood,  and  married  Hannah 
Freeman,  a  native  of  New  York.  After 
their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Flanders  lo- 
cated in  Vermont,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming,  in  connection  with  other  business. 
In  1854  he  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
and  located  in  Kaneville  township,  on  the 
farm  where  his  son  now  resides.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hunt  four  children  have  been 
born,  as  follows:  Myrtie,  now  the  wife  of 
Henry  M.  Smith,  a  farmer  of  DeKalb  coun- 
ty, Illinois;  Carrie,  now  the  wife  of  W. 
H.  Smith,  residing  oh  the  Hunt  farm;  Alice 
and  Harry  B.,  at  home. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunt  began  their  domestic 
life  on  the  old  homestead,  he  taking  charge 
of  the  business,  his  father  and  mother  mak- 
ing their  home  with  him  in  their  declining 
years.  Since  coming  into  possession  of  the 
farm  he  has  purchased  more  land,  erected 
a  large  and  neat  farm  residence,  and  made 
many  improvements  in  the  place,  putting  in 
some  eleven  miles  of  tiling,  and  setting  out 
two  good  orchards.  He  carries  on  general 
farming  and  stock  raising,  feeding  several 
carloads  of  stock,  which  he  annually  ships 
to  the  Chicago  market. 

Mr.  Hunt  was  one  of  the  originators  and 
prime  movers  in  establishing  the  County 
Line  Creamery,  in  1890.  He  was  elected 
its  first  president,  and  by  re-election  has 


served  continuously  to  the  present  time. 
The  company  now  controls  two  creameries, 
and  has  a  record  second  to  none  in  the  state. 
At  the  dairy  convention  in  1897  it  took 
sweepstakes,  scoring  highest  on  butter  of 
any  on  exhibition. 

Politically  Mr.  Hunt  has  been  a  Repub- 
lican since  attaining  his  majority,  having 
cast  his  first  presidential  ballot,  in  1864,  for 
Abraham  Lincoln,  and  his  last,  in  1896,  for 
William  McKinley.  For  twelve  years  he 
served  his  township  as  road  commissioner, 
and  was  township  treasurer  of  road  funds 
for  eight  years.  For  twenty-one  years  he 
has  served  as  a  member  of  the  school  board, 
taking  an  active  interest  in  educational  af- 
fairs. He  has  always  been  active  in  polit- 
ical affairs,  and  has  served  his  party  in  vari- 
ous county  and  congressional  conventions. 
He  is  a  -member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  at  Kaneville,  and  is  now  serving  as 
steward.  His  wife  and  daughters  are  also 
members  of  that  church,  and  all  manifest 
an  interest  in  its  work.  For  half  a  century 
Mr.  Hunt  has  been  a  resident  of  Kane  coun- 
ty. That  he  has  made  his  impress  upon 
county  affairs  cannot  be  questioned.  He  is 
well  known  as  one  of  its  best  farmers  and 
business  men,  and  as  a  citizen  he  is  inter- 
ested in  every  movement  looking  to  its  ma- 
terial welfare.  No  family  is  held  in  higher 
esteem. 


HIRAM  D.  RUDD,  now  living  a  retired 
life  in  the  village  of  Kaneville,  is  a 
veteran  of  the  war  for  the  union.  Since 
1856,  he  has  been  a  resident  of  the  village 
of  Kaneville,  and  is  now  its  oldest  living 
settler.  He  was  born  in  Rutland  county, 
Vermont,  at  Middletown,  December  8, 
1820.  His  father,  Samuel  Rudd,  was  born 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


699 


in  Westtield,  Connecticut,  of  which  state 
his  grandfather,  Increase  Rudd,  was  also  a 
native.  The  latter  served  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  and  was  at  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill,  where  he  broke  off  the  butt  of 
his  gun  over  the  head  of  an  enemy.  From 
Connecticut,  Increase  Rudd  moved  to  Ver- 
mont, when  his  son  Samuel  was  a  small 
child.  The  latter  was  carried  by  his  mother 
on  the  back  of  a  horse,  the  entire  distance. 
He  there  grew  to  manhood  and  married 
Mary  Ames,  a  daughter  of  Elijah  Ames, 
who  was  also  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary 
war  from  Connecticut,  but  who  later  moved 
to  Vermont,  locating  in  the  wilderness, 
where  he  hewed  out  a  farm.  Samuel  Rudd 
was  also  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  after 
rearing  his  family  in  Vermont,  he  later  re- 
moved to  Jefferson  county,  New  York,  lo- 
cating in  the  town  of  Ellisburg,  where  his 
death  occurred. 

Hiram  D.  Rudd  spent  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  Vermont,  under  the  shadow  of  the 
Green  Mountains.  In  early  life  he  had  fair 
common-school  advantages,  his  education 
being  supplemented  by  reading  and  study 
in  after  life.  In  September,  1846,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Emily  Jane 
Lyman,  a  native  of  Rutland  county,  Ver- 
mont, born  in  the  town  of  Ira,  and  a 
daughter  of  Isaac  and  Achsah  (Ames)  Ly- 
man, both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ver- 
mont, the  latter  being  a  second  cousin  of 
Charles  Ames,  whose  sketch  appears  else- 
where in  this  work. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rudd 
resided  one  year  in  Vermont,  and  in  1848 
moved  to  New  York,  and  settled  in  the 
town  of  Ellisburg,  Jefferson  county,  where 
he  engaged  in  farming  for  several  years, 
and  also  in  the  carpenter's  and  joiner's 
trade.  From  Jefferson  county,  he  moved 


with  his  family  to  the  town  of  Gaines,  Or- 
leans county,  New  York,  where  they  re- 
mained two  years.  In  1856,  they  came  to 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  located  at  Kane- 
ville,  where  he  has  since  continued  to  re- 
side. Here  Mr.  Rudd  worked  on  a  farm 
until  September  18,  1861,  when  he  enlisted 
in  Company  I,  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry,  as  a 
private,  and  with  his  regiment  went  east, 
where  it  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac;  with  that  army  our  subject  re- 
mained while  in  the  service.  He  partici- 
pated in  the  fight  on  the  Rappahannock, 
and  also  at  Fairfax  Courthouse,  and  in  var- 
ious cavalry  engagements,  at  the  same 
time  doing  a  good  deal  of  scouting  duty.  In 
1862,  he  met  with  an  accident  caused  by 
the  stampede  of  a  number  of  horses,  at 
which  time  he  got  his  back  and  hips  badly 
hurt,  and  was  permanently  disabled.  He 
was  first  sent  to  the  regimental  hospital,  and 
later  to  Douglas  hospital  in  Washington, 
District  of  Columbia,  where  he  remained 
three  months,  and  in  1863  was  discharged 
from  the  service  and  returned  home.  He 
has  since  been  crippled  and  unabled  to 
work  to  any  extent. 

Politically,  Mr.  Rudd  was  first  an  old- 
line  Whig,  but  on  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  party,  became  identified  with  it. 
As  a  Whig  he  voted  for  Henry  Clay,  a  man 
whom  he  greatly  admired  and  who  was 
without  doubt  one  of  the  greatest  statesmen 
this  country  ever  produced.  As  "a  Repub- 
lican he  voted  first  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in 
1860,  a  vote  for  which  he  has  never  been 
ashamed.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rudd  ate  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in 
which  they  both  take  an  active  interest. 
For  thirty- four  years  Mrs.  Rudd  has  had 
charge  of  a  class  in  the  Sunday-school,  and 
was  in  attendance  nearly  every  Sunday.  As 


7oo 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  eldest  resident  of  the  village  of  Kane- 
ville,  Mr.  Rudd  is  well  known  and  his  many 
friends  will  be  pleased  to  read  the  record  of 
his  life  work  in  the  Biographical  Record  of 
Kane  county. 


HARVEY  BRUCE  DENSMORE  resides 
on  section  14,  Sugar  Grove  township, 
about  four  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Aurora, 
where  he  is  living  a  retired  life.  His  resi- 
dence in  Kane  county  dates  from  1836. 
He  is  a  native  of  Windsor  county,  Ver- 
mont, born  September  15,  1815.  His  fa- 
ther, Job  Densinore,  was  also  a  native  of 
Vermont.  His  grandfather  Densmore  was 
a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  was 
in  the  battles  of  Lexington  and  Bunker  Hill. 
He  lived  to  be  nearly  one  hundred  years 
old.  Job  Densmore  was  reared  in  his  na- 
tive state,  and  there  married  Mary  Jane 
Sprague,  also  a  native  of  Vermont.  By 
trade  he  was  a  miller,  and  for  some  years 
was  engaged  in  that  business.  He  is  an  or- 
dained minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  but  later  in  life  withdrew  from  that 
church,  but  still  continued  his  preaching. 
His  death  occurred  in  Vermont  many  years 
ago. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  man- 
hood in  Vermont,  then  went  to  Cortland 
county,  New  York,  where  he  worked  on  a 
farm  and  engaged  in  other  employments. 
Having  had  a  good  common-school  educa- 
tion, he  engaged  in  teaching  to  secure  means 
for  a  better  education  in  Cortlandville  Acad- 
emy. While  residing  there  he  was  united 
in  marriage  in  1836,  and  soon  after  moved 
to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  at  a  time  when 
there  was  less  than  fifty  inhabitants  in 
Aurora.  He  drove  through  with  three  teams, 
in  company  with  his  father-in-law,  George 


W.  Densmore.  He  spent  a  part  of  the  first 
winter  after  coming  west  with  relatives  in 
Chicago,  and  then  moved  to  the  farm  where 
he  now  resides,  having  purchased  the  claim 
of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres.  There  was 
a  log  house  on  the  place,  fourteen  feet 
square,  with  puncheon  floor  and  shake  roof, 
into  which  he  moved  and  resided  for  some 
time.  He  soon  afterward  built  an  addition 
to  the  cabin,  making  the  shingles  himself. 
His  wife  here  died,  about  1851,  leaving  one 
daughter,  Sarah,  who  first  married  a  Mr. 
Avery,  who  was  killed  while  in  the  service 
of  his  country,  during  the  war  for  the 
Union.  She  later  married  James  Carter,  a 
substantial  farmer  of  De  Kalb  county,  where 
they  now  reside.  After  the  death  of  his  first 
wife,  Mr.  Densmore  married  Miss  Mary  Jane 
Mather,  a  native  of  New  York,  who  came 
west  a  young  lady.  By  this  union  there  is 
one  son  and  three  daughters — Charles  M., 
who  resides  in  Eugene,  Oregon;  Grace,  wife 
of  G.  R.  Lee,  of  Aurora;  Jane,  wife  of  Pratt 
Benjamin;  and  Jessie,  wife  of  Charles  Paul, 
of  Wichita,  Kansas.  Pratt  Benjamin  was 
born  in  Kane  county,  Illinois,  in  June,  1856, 
and  after  his  marriage  in  September,  1878, 
with  Jane  Densmore,  he  took  charge  of  the 
Densmore  homestead,  which  he  has  contin- 
ued to  operate  until  the  present  time. 

Politically  Mr.  Densmore  was  originally 
an  Abolitionist,  and  kept  a  station  on  the 
underground  railway.  On  the  organization 
of  the  Republican  party  he  became  identi- 
fied with  it,  and  has  since  been  an  advocate 
of  its  principles.  At  twenty-one  he  was 
elected  township  clerk,  which  position  he 
held  for  many  years.  He  has  also  served 
as  justice  of  the  peace  and  as  a  member  of 
the  school  board.  He  voted  at  the  first 
election  ever  held  in  the  township.  He  as- 
sisted in  the  erection  of  the  first  school 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


701 


house  in  Sugar  Grove,  and  taught  the  first 
school  in  Sugar  Grove  township.  Later  he 
taught  two  other  terms,  and  has  assisted  in 
the  erection  of  two  other  school  houses. 

In  1888,  Mrs.  Densmore  died  at  the 
residence  of  her  daughter  in  Aurora,  and 
later  Mr.  Densmore  went  to  Nebraska 
and  purchased  some  village  property  in 
Stanton,  Stanton  county,  and  there  resided 
two  or  three  years,  during  which  time  he 
was  employed  in  the  office  of  the  county 
clerk  and  recorder.  While  there  he  erected 
a  brick  house,  which  has  since  been  con- 
verted into  a  bank.  Since  coming  to  Kane 
county,  sixty-two  long  years  ago,  Mr.  Dens- 
more has  witnessed  many  changes,  and  in 
the  improvements  that  have  been  made  he 
has  taken  an  active  part,  and  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  most  progressive  of  the  old 
settlers  of  Kane  county. 


JAMES  C.  MINARD,  now  living  retired 
in  the  city  of  Aurora,  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Illinois  since  1856.  The  family  are 
of  French  descent,  and  were  originally 
members  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  The 
great-great-grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
a  native  of  France,  and  was  among  the  first 
settlers  of  Connecticut.  His  son,  Captain 
Joel  Minard,  was  a  native  of  Connecticut, 
as  was  also  Joel  Minard,  Jr.,  his  son, 
the  father  of  our  subject.  The  family  at 
quite  an  early  day  moved  to  Ulster  county. 
New  York,  where  Joel  Minard,  Jr.,  was 
reared  and  where  he  married  Susannah 
Letts,  a  native  of  Schoharie  county,  New 
York,  and  a  daughter  of  William  Letts,  also 
a  native  of  New  York  state,  who  spent  the 
last  years  of  his  life  with  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Minard,  and  died  in  Ulster  county.  To 
Joel  and  Susannah  Mjnard  were  born  four 


sons  and  four  daughters;  all  except  one 
grew  to  mature  years,  and  three  sons  and 
one  daughter  are  now  living,  as  follows: 
David,  who  resides  in  Mississippi;  James  C., 
of  this  review;  Elias,  residing  in  Colorado; 
and  Mrs.  Jane  Moody,  who  resides  just 
across  the  Hudson,  from  Poughkeepsie,  in 
Ulster  county,  New  York.  The  father  died 
in  Ulster  county,  in  1852. 

James  C.  Minard  grew  to  manhood  in 
Ulster  county,  and  during  the  winter  months 
attended  the  public  schools  and  assisted  his 
father  upon  the  farm  at  other  seasons  of  the 
year.  He  was  born  near  Poughkeepsie, 
Ulster  county,  New  York,  November  13, 
1825,  and  remained  with  his  father  until 
March  13,  1851,  when  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  Jane  Teerpening, 
a  native  of  Ulster  county,  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  the  same  neighborhood  with  our 
subject,  and  a  daughter  of  William  J.  Teer- 
pening, also  a  native  of  Ulster  county,  New 
York.  By  this  union  are  four  living  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  William  ].,  married  and 
engaged  in  farming  near  Storm  Lake,  Iowa; 
Lenora,  wife  of  John  H.  Husk,  of  Aurora; 
Mary,  wife  of  Theodore  R.  Davis,  a  druggist 
of  Hinckley,  Illinois;  and  James  Edward,, 
a  farmer  of  Kane  county.  They  lost  three 
children — Joel,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen years;  Orin,  who  died  at  the  age  of  five 
years;  and  Eva,  who  died  when  nine 
months  old. 

For  five  years  after  their  marriage,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Minard  resided  upon  a  farm  in 
Ulster  county,  New  York.  Desiring  to 
better  themselves  in  life,  in  1856  they  came 
west  to  La  Salle  county,  Illinois,  locating 
near  Leland,  where  Mr.  Minard  purchased 
a  farm  of  two  hundred  acres,  of  partially 
improved  land,  and  at  once  commenced  the 
further  development  of  the  place.  He 


702 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


built  a  large  and  substantial  residence,  and 
otherwise  improved  the  place  until  he  had 
one  of  the  best  farms  in  that  neighborhood. 
In  connection  with  farming,  for  three  years 
he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at 
Leland  with  fair  success.  In  1895  he  sold 
the  farm  and  moved  to  Aurora,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  living  retired.  He  owns, 
however,  a  well  improved  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres,  near  Batavia,  on  which 
his  son,  James  E.  Minard,  is  now  living. 
He  also  owns  a  well-improved  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  near  Storm  Lake, 
Iowa. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Minard  was  an  earnest 
supporter  of  the  Whig  party,  but  since  1856, 
when  he  voted  for  John  C.  Fremont,  he  has 
supported  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  save  for  a  short  time  on 
account  of  his  strong  belief  in  temperance, 
he  supported  the  Prohibition  party.  Of 
late  he  has  cast  his  ballot  in  favor  of  the 
Republicans,  voting  in  1896  for  William 
McKinley.  Religiously  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Minard 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  As  a  friend  of  education  and  an 
advocate  of  good  schools,  he  served  for 
years  as  a  member  of  the  school  board. 
Since  coming  to  Kane  county  he  has  made 
many  friends  who  esteem  him  for  his  up- 
right character  and  worth  as  a  man  and  a 
citizen. 


/->ORYDON  L.  DICKSON  is  a  farmer 
\^*  residing  on  sections  5  and  6,  Plato  town- 
ship. He  was  born  in  Union  township, 
Broome,  county,  New  York,  August  5,  1843, 
and  is  the  son  of  James  and  Lusetta  S. 
(Gardener)  Dickson,  the  former  born  in 
Cobleskill,  Schoharie  county,  New  York, 
and  the  latter  in  Canada.  She  was  the 


daughter  of  Isaac  and  Susan  (Butolph) 
Gardener.  James  Dickson  was  the  son  of 
Benjamin  Dickson,  a  native  of  New  York, 
who  lived  in  Canada  during  the  war  of  1812, 
and  who  married  Sarah  Parsons.  Of  the 
ten  children  born  to  James  and  Lusetta  S. 
Dickson,  seven  lived  to  maturity  and  five 
still  survive.  Lovisa  E.  married  Addison 
Gleason,  who  is  now  deceased.  She  is  now 
living  in  Hampshire.  Lafayette  lives  in 
Idaho.  Sheridan  P.  resides  in  Elgin.  Cory- 
don  L.  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Edgar 
W.  resides  in  the  village  of  Hampshire. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  came  west 
with  his  parents  in  1850,  they  locating  in 
Hampshire  township,  May  9,  of  that  year. 
His  education  was  begun  in  the  district 
schools  of  New  York,  and  after  his  removal 
here  he  attended  the  district  schools  of  Plato 
township,  and  completed  his  education  at 
Beloit  College,  which  he  attended  three  or 
four  terms  after  his  return  from  the  army. 
On  the  first  call  of  President  Lincoln  he  en- 
listed in  Company  A,  Seventh  Regiment 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Captain 
Joslin,  who  was  later  commissioned  colonel. 
This  regiment  was  the  first  to  enter  the 
service  from  Illinois  during  the  war  of  the 
Rebellion. 

On  the  completion  of  his  term  of  service 
Mr.  Dickson  returned  home  and  remained 
with  his  father  until  he  was  twenty-four  years 
of  age.  His  father  having  purchased  the  body 
of  land  that  the  west  half  of  the  village  of 
Hampshire  is  now  built  on,  and  having  it 
to  pay  for,  our  subject,  like  a  dutiful  son, 
remained  with  him  until  he  had  paid  for  the 
land  and  secured  a  title.  His  father  was 
also  in  debt,  somewhat,  for  the  farm  on 
which  our  subject  now  resides,  which,  when 
paid  for,  was  deeded  to  him  for  his  faith- 
fulness. The  farm  consisted  of  one  hundred 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


703 


and  forty-two  acres,  but,  from  subsequent 
purchases,  it  now  consists  of  two  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  fine  rolling  land,  having 
a  beautiful  view  to  the  eastward  from  his 
residence,  and  which  is  very  fertile  and  is 
kept  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He 
also  owns  a  fine  village  residence  and  five 
acres  in  the  village  of  Hampshire. 

Mr.  Dickson  was  married  in  Udina,  Illi- 
nois, April  12,  1868,  to  Mary  Rowell,  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  C.  and  Elizabeth  (Ball)  Row- 
ell,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in 
this  volume.  By  this  union  are  two  chil- 
dren, Luella  Maude  and  Ethel  May.  The 
former  married  Edwin  Walgren,  the  junior 
member  of  the  firm  of  I.  B.  Counrtyman  & 
Co.,  general  merchants  of  Dixon,  Illinois, 
where  they  reside.  She  took  five  terms  in 
Dixon  College,  and  was  a  successful  teacher 
before  her  marriage.  They  have  one  son, 
Eugene  Dickson.  Ethel  May  attended 
Dixon  College  and  also  spent  one  year  at 
Normal,  Illinois,  then  taught  school  one 
year  in  Elgin  and  one  in  Franklin  Grove. 
She  is  now  employed  in  the  office  of 
the  Union  Wire  Fence  Company,  of  De 
Kalb,  Illinois.  Fraternally  Mr.  Dickson  is 
a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  post  at  Hamp- 
shire, and  also  of  the  Knights  of  the  Macca- 
bees of  the  same  place.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican. 


ROBERT  T.  JAMES,  who  is  the  owner 
of  a  well-improved  farm  on  section  28, 
Big  Rock  township,  is  a  native  of  Wales, 
born  at  Flintshire,  December  2,  1851,  and 
in  his  native  country  lived  until  the  age  of 
eighteen  years  and  there  received  a  fair 
common-school  education.  With  a  laud- 
able desire  to  better  his  condition  in  life,  he 
determined  to  emigrate  to  the  United 


States,  where  he  learned  the  opportunities 
were  much  greater  for  the  aspiring  youth 
than  in  his  native  land.  Accordingly,  in 
1869,  he  crossed  the  ocean,  and  went 
directly  to  Waukesha  county,  Wisconsin, 
and  there  engaged  in  farm  work  at  seven- 
teen dollars  per  month.  During  his  first 
winter  in  this  country,  however,  he  worked 
for  his  board  and  attended  the  public 
schools  that  he  might  acquire  a  better 
knowledge  of  the  English  language.  For 
ten  years  he  continued  to  work  by  the 
month  at  farm  work;  but,  in  the  meantime, 
in  Waukesha  county,  July  8,  1871,  he  wtfte 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ann  Goodwin, 
also  a  native  of  Wales,  who  came  to  this 
country  with  her  parents  when  but  five 
years  of  age.  Her  father  and  mother,  Da- 
vid and  Jane  Goodwin,  were  among  the 
earliest  Welsh  settlers  in  Waukesha  coun- 
ty. To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  seven  children 
have  been  born:  Robert  T. ,  Jr.,  Lizzie 
Jane,  John,  William  D.,  Maggie,  Phebe 
(deceased)  and  Mamie. 

In  1880,  Mr.  James  rented  a  farm  in 
Waukesha  county,  Wisconsin,  on  which  he 
remained  five  years,  and  then  came  to  Big 
Rock  township,  Kane  county,  Illinois,  and 
rented  a  farm  on  which  he  remained  five 
years,  and  then  rented  the  Ben  Davis  farm 
for  eight  years,  during  which  time  he  was 
quite  successful  and  accumulated  consider- 
able property.  In  the  spring  of  1898  he 
purchased  his  present  farm  of-  three  hun- 
dred and  five  acres,  of  which  two  hundred 
and  thirty  acres  are  under  the  plow,  the  re- 
mainder being  meadow  and  pasture  land. 
Commencing  life  in  the  New  World  a  pen- 
niless youth,  he  has,  by  industry  and  econ- 
omy, acquired  a  valuable  property,  and  is 
now  regarded  as  one  of  the  successful  and 
prosperous  farmers  of  Kane  county,  hon- 


704 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


ored  for    his    manly    worth    and    strict  in- 
tegrity. 

Politically,  Mr.  James  is  a  Republican, 
and  has  voted  the  ticket  and  advocated  the 
principles  of  the  party  since  acquiring  his 
naturalization  papers.  He  is  the  present 
commissioner  of  highways  of  Big  Rock 
township.  With  his  wife  and  two  children, 
he  holds  membership  in  the  Welsh  Congre- 
gational church  of  Big  Rock,  in  which  he 
takes  an  active  interest.  One  daughter, 
Lizzie  Jane  Wagner,  belongs  to  the  Eng- 
lish Congregational  church.  Fraternally, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America  and  the  Knights  of  the  Macca- 
bees. While  only  residing  in  Kane  county 
a  comparatively  short  time,  he  has  made 
many  friends  by  his  upright  character  and 
sterling  worth. 


/^>EORGE  VAN  VOLKENBURG,  an 
V-I  active  and  enterprising  farmer  residing 
on  section  30,  Kaneville  township,  where 
he  owns  and  operates  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  thirty  acres,  has  been  a  resident  of 
Kane  county  since  1865.  He  was  born  in 
Yates  county,  New  York,  February  20,  1836. 
His  father,  Captain  Andrew  Van  Volken- 
burg,  was  also  a  native  of  New  York,  born 
August  11,  1810.  He  there  grew  to  man- 
hood, and  married  Polly  Freer,  a  native  of 
New  York,  born  September  27,  1797.  By 
occupation  Andrew  Van  Volkenburg  was  a 
farmer  in  Yates  county,  where  he  occupied 
a  very  prominent  position,  for  some  years 
being  captain  of  the  militia.  He  reared  his 
family  in  that  county,  where  his  death  oc- 
curred March  25,  1865.  His  wife  survived 
him  a  few  years,  dying  when  about  seventy 
years  old,  at  the  residence  of  her  son,  in 
Kane  county,  Illinois. 


In  his  native  county  George  Van  Volk- 
enburg grew  to  manhood,  and  received  a 
fair  education  in  the  common  schools.  He 
remained  on  his  father's  farm,  and  assisted 
in  its  cultivation,  until  the  latter's  death. 
In  January,  1854,  he  was  married  in  Tioga 
county,  Pennsylvania,  to  Marilla  Hammond, 
a  native  of  that  county,  where  she  was 
reared  and  educated.  After  their  marriage 
he  engaged  in  farming  for  eleven  years  in 
Yates  county,  New  York,  and  then,  in  the 
spring  of  1865,  came  to  Kane  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  rented  a  farm  for  one  year, 
and  in  1866  purchased  the  place,  where  he 
now  resides.  The  farm  was  an  improved 
one,  but  to  its  further  development  he  gave" 
his  time  and  attention  for  many  years.  In 
1892  his  barn  was  destroyed  by  a  tornado, 
and  his  house  badly  damaged,  while  the 
windmill  was  torn  down  and  the  orchard 
nearly  ruined.  He  has  since  repaired  the 
house,  rebuilt  the  barn,  and  set  out  more 
trees  in  his  orchard.  The  place  is  now  one 
of  the  most  valuable  in  the  section  where 
located.  Mr.  Van  Volkenburg  lost  his  wife 
May  19,  1872.  She  was  the  mother  of 
three  children.  Andrew  died  in  childhood. 
Charles  is  married,  and  is  helping  to  carry 
on  the  home  farm.  Herbert  is  also  mar- 
ried, and  has  two  children.  He  is  also  en- 
gaged in  farming,  in  De  Kalb  county, 
Illinois. 

Mr.  Van  Volkenburg  was  again  married  in 
Kaneville,  Illinois,  March  22,  1874,  to  Ma- 
rietta Hazen,  a  native  of  New  London  coun- 
ty, Connecticut,  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Laura  (Ladd)  Hazen,  also  natives  of  the 
same  state.  Her  father  there  died  when 
she  was  a  child,  and  her  mother  removed 
with  the  family  to  Oneida  county,  New 
York,  where  she  resided  some  twenty-six 
years.  Mrs.  Van  Volkenburg  was  educated 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


705 


in  Oneida  county,-  New  York,  and  there 
engaged  in  teaching  for  some  years.  She 
continued  in  that  profession  after  her  re- 
moval to  Illinois,  and  for  two  years  was  en- 
gaged in  teaching  in  the  public  schools  of 
Galesburg,  Illinois,  until  her  marriage. 
In  1872,  she  came  to  Kane  county.  Since 
1886,  her  mother  has  made  her  home  with 
Mrs.  Van  Volkenburg. 

Politically  Mr.  Van  Volkenburg  is  a 
stanch  Republican,  with  which  party  he 
has  continued  to  act  since  attaining  his  ma- 
jority. While  never  desiring  office,  he 
served  some  three  years  as  constable  of  his 
township,  and  was  also  a  member  of  the 
school  board  for  some  years.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  are  members  of  the  Kaneville  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  for  many  years, 
until  having  a  severe  illness  in  November, 
1894,  he  was  one  of  its  most  active  workers. 
For  twelve  years  she  taught  a  class  of 
young  ladies  in  the  Sunday-school.  Both 
were  members  of  the  choir  for  some  twenty 
years.  For  a  full  third  of  a  century,  Mr. 
Van  Volkenburg  has  been  a  resident  of  Kane- 
ville township,  and  is  well  known  especially 
in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  county. 
He  is  a  man  that  stands  high  in  the  estima- 
tion of  his  fellow  men,  and  he  has  ever 
been  ready  to  assist  in  the  material  and 
moral  welfare  of  his  adopted  county  and 
state. 


HON.  ARWIN  E.  PRICE,  who  is  now 
at  the  head  of  the  city  government  of 
Elgin,  and  is  one  of  the  most  prominent 
factors  in  her  business  circles,  is  a  man 
whose  worth  and  ability  have  gained  him 
success,  honor  and  public  confidence.  He 
enjoys  the  well-earned  distinction  of  being 
what  the  public  calls  a  "self-made  man," 


and  an  analyzation  of  his  character  reveals 
the  fact  that  enterprise,  well-directed  effort 
and  honorable  dealing  have  been  the  essen- 
tial features  in  his  prosperity. 

Mr.  Price  possesses  the  true  western 
spirit  of  progress,  and  is  a  western  man  by 
birth,  training  and  preference.  He  was 
born  in  Waukesha,  Wisconsin,  August  29, 
1850,  and  is  a  son  of  Humphrey  and  Eliza- 
beth (Evans)  Price,  natives  of  Wales.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  Jonathan  Price,  spent 
his  entire  life  in  that  county,  reared  a  fam- 
ily of  seven  children,  and  died  there  at  an 
advanced  age.  The  maternal  grandfather, 
John  Evans,  also  a  native  of  Wales,  died  in 
middle  life.  The  father  of  our  subject,  hav- 
ing determined  to  try  his  fortune  in  America, 
crossed  the  briny  deep  and  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Rochester,  New  York,  whence  he 
removed  to  Waukesha,  Wisconsin,  about 
1844.  He  there  followed  the  pattern-mak- 
er's trade,  and  also  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  threshing  machines.  His  death 
occurred  in  1878,  when  he  had  reached  the 
age  of  fifty-nine  years,  and  his  wife  passed 
away  in  1862.  Both  were  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  Their  family  num- 
bered twelve  children,  five  sons  and  seven 
daughters,  six  of  whom  are  now  living: 
Lydia;  Jennie,  wife  of  Rev.  Mr.  Wilson,  of 
Barton,  New  Jersey;  David,  who  is  living 
near  St.  Paul,  Minnesota;  Lucy,  widow  of 
Walter  Ormsby,  of  Oakland,  California; 
Arwin  E. ;  and  Carrie,  wife  of  Harry  Dailey, 
of  Richland  Center,  Wisconsin. 

Arwin  E.  Price  in  his  early  youth  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  his  native  town, 
and  when  twelve  years  of  age  began  learn- 
ing the  marble-cutter's  trade,  completing 
his  apprenticeship  the  day  before  President 
Lincoln  was  assassinated.  He  remained  in 
Waukesha  until  about  fifteen  years  of  age, 


706 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  then  went  to  Madison,  Wisconsin, 
whence  he  removed  to  Elgin  in  1869.  Here 
he  worked  for  George  P.  Harvey  for  about 
two  years,  and  then  entered  into  partner- 
ship with  his  employer,  they  remaining  to- 
gether in  the  marble  business  for  two  years. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  Mr.  Price 
bought  out  his  partner  and  continued  ope- 
rations alone  until  1889,  when  he  removed 
to  Chicago,  where  for  three  years  he  en- 
gaged in  the  real-estate  business.  In  1893 
he  returned  to  Elgin,  and  in  1896  purchased 
the  marble  and  granite  works  of  A.  N.  Soper 
&  Company,  still  continuing  the  business 
under  the  name  of  the  Elgin  Marble  and 
Granite  Works,  the  plant  being  opposite 
the  Bluff  City  cemetery.  He  turns  out  work 
which  is  both  artistic  and  finely  executed, 
and  his  honorable  dealings  have  secured  to 
him  a  liberal  patronage,  making  his  enter- 
prise a  profitable  one. 

On  the  4th  of  September,  1869,  Mr. 
Price  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mar- 
tha A.  Lewis,  daughter  of  Francis  and  Clar- 
issa (Soper)  Lewis.  Mrs.  Price's  great-uncle 
was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence.  They  have  one  daughter, 
Edith.  Theirs  is  a  hospitable  home,  always 
open  to  their  many  friends,  and  no  one  leaves 
it  without  feeling  glad  that  he  had  the  priv- 
ilege of  being  there. 

Socially  Mr.  Price  is  a  Master  Mason, 
and  in  his  political  predilections  he  is  a  Re- 
publican. In  1885  he  was  a  third  time 
elected  alderman  from  the  Third  ward,  and 
in  1888  was  elected  acting  mayor.  The 
following  year  he  was  elected  for  a  full  term, 
thus  serving  in  that  position  for  three  con- 
secutive years,  and  in  1897  he  was  again  re- 
elected,  defeating  William  Grote,  who  had 
formerly  defeated  him.  His  administration 
is  a  progressive  one,  marked  by  improve- 


ment and  reform,  for  he  has  the  best  inter- 
ests of  the  city  at  heart.  For  a  quarter  of 
a  century  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Elgin, 
and  no  one  is  more  devoted  to  its  welfare 
than  he. 


/^>YRUS  CALKINS,  who  resides  on  sec- 
\^  tion  32,  Sugar  Grove  township,  is  one 
of  the  successful  farmers  of  Kane  county. 
He  is  a  native  of  New  York,  born  in  the 
town  of  Corning,  Steuben  county,  January 
14,  1815,  and  is  the  son  of  Enos  Calkins, 
a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  who  came  to 
New  York  from  Vermont  when  a  young 
man.  In  Steuben  county  he  married  Par- 
thena  Perkins,  a  native  of  that  county,  and 
a  daughter  of  Squire  Perkins,  also  a  native 
of  Steuben  county.  By  occupation  Enos 
Calkins  was  a  farmer  and  engaged  in  that 
calling  during  his  entire  life. 

Cyrus  Calkins  is  one  of  three  sons  and 
six  daughters  born  to  Enos  and  Parthena 
Calkins,  and  in  his  native  county  grew  to 
manhood  and  received  a  good  common- 
school  education.  In  1853  he  came  to 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  purchased  a  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight  acres  in 
Sugar  Grove  township,  on  which  fair  im- 
provements had  been  made.  He  at  once 
began  its  farther  improvement  and  in  due 
time  had  erected  a  good,  substantial  dwell- 
ing house,  barns  and  other  outbuildings  and 
placed  the  land  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation. 

Mr.  Calkins  was  originally  an  old-line 
Whig,  and  in  1836  cast  his  first  presiden- 
tial vote  for  William  H.  Harrison.  He 
again  voted  for  Harrison  in  1840,  and  was 
well  pleased  at  his  election.  He  has  a 
vivid  recollection  of  that  exciting  campaign. 
After  coming  to  Kane  county  he  received 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


707 


the  appointment  as  postmaster  of  Jericho, 
and  served  twelve  years.  On  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Republican  party  Mr.  Calkins 
gave  adherence  to  its  principles,  and  has 
voted  for  every  presidential  nominee  from 
John  C.  Fremont  to  William  McKinley. 
For  forty-five  years  he  has  been  a  resident 
of  Kane  county  and  has  been  identified  with 
its  agricultural  interests.  Coming  here  a 
comparatively  poor  man,  he  has  by  his  in- 
dustry and  the  practice  of  economy  become 
one  of  the  substantial  men  of  the  county, 
of  exemplary  habits,  upright  character  and 
worth. 


EORGE  E.  DAUM  is  a  representative 
V_J  of  the  younger  generation  of  farmers 
of  Kane  county,  Illinois  He  resides  on 
section  30,  Rutland  township,  on  the  farm 
where  he  was  born,  January  25,  1868.  His 
father,  George  J.  Daum,  was  born  in  1831, 
in  Asbach,  Darmstadt,  Germany,  of  which 
country  Martin  Daum,  the  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  was  also  a  native.  The  latter 
emigrated  to  America  and  spent  the  last 
years  of  his  life  in  New  York.  In  1847 
George  A.  Daum,  the  father,  came  to  Illi- 
nois and  located  on  section  30,  Rutland 
township,  on  the  farm  where  our  subject 
now  resides.  He  married  Mary  Hauslein, 
a  native  of  Bavaria,  and  a  daughter  of  Mich- 
ael Hauslein,  also  a  native  of  that  country. 
By  their  union  were  eight  children:  Martin, 
Mary  and  Emma,  all  of  whom  died  about 
the  same  time  from  diphtheria;  William, 
who  married  Jennie  Reams,  resides  in 
Hampshire  township;  George  E. ,  our  sub- 
ject; Lyda,  living  with  her  parents;  Luella 
and  John,  who  died  of  diphtheria. 

George  E.  Daum  attended  the  dis- 
trict schools  until  the  age  of  fourteen 


years,  then  gave  his  whole  time  to  farm 
work  until  the  age  of  seventeen  years. 
Going  to  Elgin,  he  worked  for  Mr.  Bell, 
and  later  for  Mr.  Gary,  at  making  concrete 
sidewalks.  With  the  exception  of  nine 
months  spent  in  Montana  he  was  engaged 
in  that  business  until  twenty-one  years  of 
age.  He  then  returned  home  and  took 
charge  of  the  home  farm,  which  consists  of 
one  hundred  and  fifteen  acres  of  well- 
improved  land,  with  good  house  and  barns. 
The  farm  is  now  devoted  to  dairy  purposes, 
Mr.  Daum  usually  keeping  from  twenty-five 
to  thirty  head  of  milch  cows,  the  product 
of  which  he  ships  from  Starks  Station  to 
Chicago. 

Mr.  Daum  has  been  twice  married,  his 
first  marriage,  which  was  solemnized  May 
5,  1891,  being  with  Miss  Emma  Matthews, 
born  in  Milwaukee,  and  a  daughter  of  Mar- 
tin Matthews,  who  served  as  a  spy  for  the 
Union  forces  during  the  Civil  war.  She 
died  June  21,  1897,  leaving  six  children— 
George,  Oscar,  Frederick,  Clara,  Matilda 
and  Marie. 

Mr.  Daum  was  again  married  December 
2,  1897,  with  Miss  Edith  Turner,  who  was 
born  in  Galena,  Illinois,  and  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Kate  (Blaze)  Turner,  the 
former  a  native  of  Ontarioville,  Illinois,  and 
the  latter  of  Alsace,  Germany.  Mrs.  Daum 
was  second  in  a  family  of  eight  children 
born  to  her  parents.  Religiously,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Daum  are  members  of  the  United 
Evangelical  church.  In  politics,  he  is  a 
Republican. 


JACOB  SALFISBERG,    who    resides  at 
140  Lincoln  avenue,  Aurora,  Illinois,  is 
a  native  of  Canton  Berne,  Switzerland,  was 
born  March  25,  1834,  a  son  of  Johann  and 


708 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mary  Ann  (Salfisberg)  Salfisberg.  There 
was  no  previous  relationship  existing  be- 
tween the  two,  although  of  the  same  name. 
The  father  and  mother  of  our  subject  were 
both  natives  of  Switzerland,  and  emigrated 
to  the  United  States  with  their  family  in 
1854.  Sailing  from  Havre,  France,  in  the 
month  of  October,  on  the  ship  Confederacy, 
they  reached  New  York  the  following 
month,  being  thirty-eight  days  on  the 
ocean.  Their  destination  was  Oswego,  Illi- 
nois, at  which  place  they  arrived  November 
28,  1854.  Christian  Salfisberg,  the  eldest 
son,  had  come  to  America  two  years  before 
and  had  already  settled  on  the  rich  prairie 
lands  of  Illinois.  The  children  of  Johann 
and  Mary  Ann  Salfisberg  were  as  follows: 
Christian,  Madeline,  Jacob,  Fred,  Anna, 
Samuel,  Rudolph,  Adam  and  Mary  Ann. 
The  husband  and  father  was  in  poor  health, 
and  he  failed  to  find  relief,  as  he  had  hoped, 
in  the  sea  voyage,  and  survived  the  journey 
but  one  year,  dying  at  Oswego  in  1855, 
His  wife  survived  him  twenty-five  years. 

Jacob  Salfisberg  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  land  and  there 
also  learned  the  trade  of  a  miller.  He  soon 
found  employment  in  the  mills  at  Oswego, 
and  worked  in  the  capacity  of  a  miller  for 
six  years  after  his  arrival.  In  1860  he  came 
to  Aurora,  and  became  engaged  in  the  burn- 
ing and  selling  of  lime  in  the  vicinity  of  Oak 
Park,  continuing  this  business  eight  years. 
In  November,  1868,  he  removed  to  Naper- 
ville,  Du  Page  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
purchased  a  quarry  of  very  fine  building 
stone,  of  the  most  durable  quality  and  con- 
sidered the  best  in  the  state.  He  furnished 
large  quantities  of  the  products'of  his  quarry 
to  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Rail- 
road Company  to  be  used  in  the  construc- 
tion of  bridges  for  their  various  lines.  The 


supply  and  demand  continued  for  many 
years.  For  a  time  he  hauled  the  stone 
from  his  quarries  by  teams,  using  five  of  his 
own  for  that  purpose  and  engaged  others, 
and  had  the  services  of  fifty-five  men  em- 
ployed in  operating  the  quarry.  He  eventu- 
ally ran  a  line  of  railroad  to  the  work,  which 
greatly  facilitated  matters. 

In  1889  Mr.  Salfisberg  disposed  of  the 
quarry  and  its  surroundings,  and  a  company 
was  organized  to  carry  on  the  business  un- 
der the  title  of  the  Chicago  &  Naperville 
Stone  Company.  On  selling  the  plant,  Mr. 
Salfisberg  retired  from  active  business  life 
and  once  more  came  to  reside  in  Aurora. 
Business,  the  prevailing  passion  of  his  life, 
induced  him,  however,  to  purchase  a  half 
interest  with  J.  Marshall  Spiker  in  the  busi- 
ness of  artificial  stone,  cement  and  con- 
crete, and  many  of  the  superb  sidewalks  of 
Aurora  and  other  cities  in  this  and  adjoin- 
ing counties  have  been  constructed  by  this 
company.  In  1895  Mr.  Salfisberg  pur- 
chased a  farm  in  Kendall  county,  consisting 
of  one  hundred  and  seventy-two  and  a  half 
acres,  which  is  now  rented  by  his  son, 
Charles.  Since  purchasing  he  has  made 
great  improvements,  erecting  a  fine  dwell- 
ing house,  barns  and  other  outbuildings  to 
the  extent  of  six  thousand  dollars. 

On  the  4th  of  January,  1859,  Mr.  Salfis- 
berg was  married  to  Anna  Salfisberg,  a  dis- 
tant relative,  and  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Anna  Salfisberg,  and  who  came  to  this 
county  with  her  parents.  She  was  one  of 
fourteen  children,  ten  of  whom  are  living  at 
the  present  time.  The  children  of  our  sub- 
ject and  wife  are  ten  in  number,  of  whom 
eight  are  living — Amanda,  Charles  A.,  Ida 
E.,  Jacob  E.,  Anna,  Edwin  A.,  Frank  O., 
and  Maud  May.  Those  deceased  are 
Freddie  and  Emma.  The  last  named  was 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


709 


the  wife  of  John  Nicholas,  and  died  leaving 
two  children,  John  and  Fred. 

Mr.  Salfisberg's  interests  in  the  artificial 
stone  business  is  now  looked  after  by  his 
son,  Jacob  E  ,  who  is  a  man  of  good  busi- 
ness ability.  Fraternally  Mr.  Salfisberg  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  of  the  blue 
lodge,  chapter,  council  and  Knight  Templar. 
A  thorough-going  business  man,  he  keeps 
abreast  with  the  times  and  has  contributed 
his  share  in  the  unbuilding  of  Du  Page  and 
Kane  counties.  As  a  citizen  he  is  greatly 
esteemed. 


COIT  SPALDING,  the  present  efficient 
supervisor  of  Blackberry  township,  and 
the  junior  member  of  the  firm  of  Cline  & 
Spalding,  general  merchants,  Elburn,  Illi- 
nois, was  born  in  Washtenaw  county,  Mich- 
igan, November  12,  1836,  and  is  the  son  of 
Colwell  and  Beulah  (Lyon)  Spalding,  na- 
tives of  New  York.  In  his  native  state, 
Colwell  Spalding  was  by  occupation  a 
farmer,  and  followed  that  vocation  after  his 
removal  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  in  1844. 
He  located  in  Blackberry  township,  where 
he  purchased  government  land,  which  is 
still  in  possession  of  the  family.  A  pioneer 
of  the  county,  he  was  widely  and  favorably 
known  for  his  many  excellent  traits  of  char- 
acter— a  man  often  referred  to  in  settling 
troubles,  such  as  arise  between  neighbors, 
and  a  man  universally  respected  for  his 
many  sterling  qualities.  He  died  in  this 
county  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years.  He 
was  a  pioneer  of  Michigan  before  his  re- 
moval to  Illinois.  Originally  a  Democrat, 
he  voted  for  James  K.  Polk,  but  on  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Republican  party,  gave 
adherence  to  it,  and  voted  that  ticket  during 
the  remainder  -of  his  life.  He  took  great 


interest  in  political  affairs,  and  was  a  great 
reader  of  periodicals  and  current  literature. 
For  many  years  he  was  a  justice  of  the 
peace,  and  held  other  minor  official  posi- 
tions. His  wife  was  born  in  1804,  died  in 
1891.  She  was  for  many  years  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  church,  and  was  very  regular 
in  attendance.  Her  parents  were  Mathias 
and  Rhoda  Lyon.  Of  their  three  living 
children,  Gilbert  resides  in  Greenwood 
county,  Kansas,  where  he  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing; Coit  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  and 
Louisa  J.  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Eckley,  of 
Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa. 

Coit  Spalding  was  reared  on  the  home 
farm  in  Blackberry  township,  and  his  edu- 
cation, began  in  the  district  school,  was 
completed  in  an  academy,  which  he  at- 
tended one  year.  After  leaving  school,  he 
remained  for  a  time  on  the  farm,  then  tried 
railway  work  one  year,  then  clerked  in  a 
store,  but  mostly  engaged  in  farming,  until 
he  commenced  business  for  himself  in  El- 
burn,  in  August,  1891,  where  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  M.  S.  Cline,  in  the  general 
mercantile  trade.  They  now  carry  a  fine 
stock  and  have  their  share  of  the  business 
of  the  place. 

Mr.  Spalding  was  married  January  i, 
1863,  to  Miss  Helen  M.  Barker,  daughter 
of  Jabez  Barker,  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
and  who  was  a  pioneer  of  Kane  county. 
Three  children  were  born  of  this  union, 
James  J. ,  who  married  Miss  Nettie  Reeves, 
by  whom  he  has  one  child,  Fenner,  is  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  business  in  Elburn; 
Lester,  who  is  in  the  livery  business  at 
Elburn;  and  Warren,  a  pupil  of  the  public 
schools. 

In  politics  Mr.  Spalding  is  a  Republican 
and  a  firm  believer  in  protection.  He  was 
elected  assessor  of  Blackberry  township,  in 


7io 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1883,  and  held  the  office  for  five  successive 
years.  He  was  then  elected  supervisor  of 
the  township,  and  has  held  the  office  con- 
tinuously to  the  present  time.  His  re- 
election to  the  same  office  for  so  many 
years,  speaks  in  unmistakable  terms  of  a 
well-rendered  and  efficient  service,  and  in 
this  connection,  it  may  be  said  that  he  is 
classed  among  the  leading,  enterprising  and 
reliably  solid  citizens  of  the  county,  and  a 
leader  in  his  community  in  all  enterprises, 
which,  in  his  estimation,  promises  for  the 
best  interest  of  his  township.  For  fifteen 
years  he  has  also  held  the  office  of  township 
school  treasurer.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason, 
a  member  of  Blackberry  lodge,  No.  359,  of 
Fox  River  chapter,  No.  14,  and  of  Sycamore 
commandery.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 


ANDREW  ANDERSON,  residing  on  sec- 
tion 14,  Big  Rock  township,  is  a  rep- 
resentative Swedish-American,  one  who  has 
the  interest  of  his  adopted  country  at  heart. 
He  was  born  in  Sweden,  November  20, 
1842,  and  there  grew  to  manhood,  spend- 
ing his  boyhood  and  youth  upon  a  farm. 
His  educational  advantages  were  limited, 
and  his  knowledge  of  the  English  language 
has  been  acquired  since  coming  to  the  Unit- 
ed States.  Glowing  accounts  had  been  sent 
him  of  the  opportunities  for  wealth  in  this 
land  and  he  determined  to  emigrate  with 
the  hope  of  bettering  his  fortunes.  In 
company  with  his  brother,  Oscar,  he  crossed 
the  ocean  and  immediately  came  west  to 
Batavia,  Illinois,  where  he  joined  Swedish 
friends  and  soon  secured  work  on  a  farm 
and  in  a  stone  quarry.  The  next  summer 
he  worked  on  a  steamer  on  the  Mississippi 
river,  and  then  was  employed  on  the  North- 


western railroad   at  Union  Grove,   White- 
side  county,  Illinois. 

In  1871.  Mr.  Anderson  commenced  work 
on  the  Illinois  &  Iowa  railroad,  with  which 
he  was  engaged  for  several  years.  He 
then  bought  a  small  tract  of  land  west  of 
Big  Rock,  on  which  he  located,  but  at  the 
same  time  continued  to  work  for  the  rail- 
road company.  As  his  means  increased  he 
purchased  more  land  adjoining  his  little 
place,  and  there  engaged  in  farming  some 
thirteen  or  fourteen  years.  Disposing  of 
that  place,  in  1895  he  purchased  the  farm 
on  section  14,  where  he  now  resides.  The 
place  was  very  much  run  down  at  the  time 
of  his  purchase,  but  he  has  since  made  vari- 
ous improvements,  and  has  to-day  a  good 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-one  acres, 
on  which  he  has  built  a  large  barn,  put  up 
a  wind  pump,  and  underlaid  it  with  many 
rods  of  tiling. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  married  in  Cook 
county  in  1872,  to  Miss  Lena  Christiansen, 
also  a  native  of  Sweden,  in  which  country 
she  grew  to  womanhood.  She  has  been  to 
him  a  helpmeet  indeed,  and  has  co-operated 
with  him  in  his  work  to  their  mutual  ad- 
vantages. Commencing  life  in  the  new  world 
in  limited  circumstances,  and  among  strange 
people,  by  his  own  labor  and  enterprise, 
assisted  by  his  good  wife,  he  has  secured  a 
large  and  valuable  farm,  a  good  home,  and 
an  honored  name  in  the  land  of  his  adop- 
tion. 

Politically  Mr.  Anderson  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican, and  while  interested  in  political 
affairs,  has  preferred  to  give  his  time  and 
attention  to  his  business  interests,  rather 
than  in  office  seeking.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Big  Rock  Congregational  church,  of 
which  body  his  wife  is  also  a  member.  For 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  has 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


711 


lived  in  Kane  county,  the  greater  part  of 
which  time  in  Big  Rock  township,  where  he 
is  well  and  favorably  known. 


SILAS  S.  FOOTH,  who  resides  on  sec- 
tion 9,  Virgil  township,  is  numbered 
among  the  well-to-do  farmers  of  Kane 
county.  He  was  born  May  i,  1859,  in 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  is  the  son  of 
Simon  and  Barbara  (Fried)  Footh,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Bohemia,  Austria. 
They  were  the  parents  of  two  children,  Lola 
and  Silas  S.  In  1852  Simon  Footh  left  his 
native  land  and  came  to  the  United  States, 
locating  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  cigar  business,  in  which  he 
continued  about  one  year.  In  1854  he 
came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  land  in  Virgil  town- 
ship, and  at  once  began  its  improvement 
and  as  time  and  his  means  increased,  he 
purchased  more  land,  until  at  one  time  he 
had  a  valuable  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
eighty  acres,  all  of  which  was  under  culti- 
vation. 

On  the  home  farm  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  grew  to  manhood,  and  while  assist- 
ing his  father  in  its  cultivation,  attended 
the  district  schools  as  the  opportunity  was 
afforded  him,  receiving  a  good  common- 
school  education.  He  has  followed  farm- 
ing during  his  entire  life  together  with  stock- 
raising  and  has  been  fairly  successful. 

On  the  loth  of  January,  1887,  Mr. 
Footh  married  Miss  Emma  Sabin,  a  native 
of  De  Kalb  county,  Illinois,  and  by  this 
union  are  three  children,  one  of  whom  died 
in  infancy.  The  living  are  Myrtie  A.  and 
Charlie  S. 

In  1888,  Mr.  Footh  purchased  his  pres- 
ent farm  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-three 

35 


acres,  all  of  which  is  under  cultivation,  and 
which  is  a  well-improved  and  valuable  farm, 
the  surroundings  of  which  show  the  thrift 
and  energy  of  its  owner.  Politically,  he  is 
an  enthusiastic  Republican,  with  which 
party  he  has  been  identified  since  attaining 
his  majority.  For  three  years  he  served 
as  road  commissioner,  and  was  for  several 
years  a  member  of  the  school  board.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
the  Globe. 


ERNEST  A.  GAGE  resides  on  section 
30,  Rutland  township,  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  is  engaged  in  general  and 
dairy  farming.  The  Gage  family  are  of  old 
colonial  stock,  and  is  scattered  over  the 
New  England  states.  Lyman  J.  Gage,  the 
present  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  undoubt- 
edly sprang  from  common  ancestry  with 
the  Gage  family  in  Kane  county.  The  first 
to  come  to  this  county  was  Cyril  Gage,  who 
came  in  1844,  with  his  brother-in-law,  Caleb 
Truax.  His  father,  Solomon  Gage,  Sr. , 
came  in  1846,  and  also  located  in  Rutland 
township.  He  was  the  youngest  of  a  fam- 
ily of  seven  children,  and  was  born  in  New 
Hampshire,  in  1788,  and  died  in  Rutland 
township,  Kane  county,  October  21,  1851. 
He  married  Miriam  Guernsey,  also  a  native 
of  New  Hampshire,  born  in  1786,  and  who 
died  in  1866.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
Cyril  Guernsey,  who  never  came  west. 
Solomon  and  Miriam  Gage  were  the  parents 
of  eight  children,  of  whom  seven  reached 
maturity.  Socrates  came  west  with  Caleb 
Truax  in  1844.  Saloma  married  Evelyn 
R.  Starks,  the  first  settler  of  Rutland  town- 
ship, of  whom  mention  is  made  elsewhere 
in  this  work.  Esther  married  Caleb  Truax, 
who  was  the  first  of  the  relatives  to  move 


712 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


west  and  settle  in  Kane  county.  Cyril,  who 
came  in  1844,  with  Caleb  Truax,  as  before 
stated.  John,  who  came  in  1848,  with  his 
parents,  and  who  is  mentioned  more  at 
length  elsewhere  in  this  review.  Solomon, 
Jr.,  father  of  our  subject.  Aaron  came  to 
Illinois  with  the  family  in  1848,  and  now 
lives  in  Missouri. 

Solomon  Gage,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Arcade, 
Wyoming  county,  New  York,  June  15,  1827. 
He  was  reared  in  his  native  county,  and 
came  west  in  1846,  and  later  bought  a  farm 
west  of  the  present  village  of  Burlington, 
Kane  county,  but  sold  the  same  after  a  few 
years.  In  company  with  his  brother  Cyril, 
he  went  to  California  in  1852,  and  there 
engaged  in  trading  in  cattle,  meat,  provi- 
sions, etc. ,  to  immigrants  from  the  states. 
In  1854  he  returned  to  Kane  county,  and 
after  purchasing  a  lot  of  horses  and  cattle, 
went  a  second  time  to  the  coast,  where  he 
remained  three  years,  employed  as  at  first. 
On  his  first  return  the  vessel  on  which  he 
had  taken  passage,  was  wrecked  and  he  was 
cast  away  on  a  desolate  island,  from  which 
he  was  rescued  after  two  weeks'  exposure. 

In  1857,  having  lost  his  first  wife  in  Cal- 
ifornia, Solomon  Gage,  Jr.,  returned  to 
Kane  county,  married  and  bought  a  farm 
on  section  30,  Rutland  township,  where  he 
lived  until  his  death,  March  7,  1886.  The 
farm  consists  of  one  hundred  and  forty-one 
and  a  half  acres,  on  which  he  erected  all 
the  buildings,  but  which  has  been  improved 
by  our  subject  since  the  death  of  the  father 
with  over  two  miles  of  tiling.  In  addition 
to  the  home  farm,  in  the  spring  of  1884  he 
purchased  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  in 
Jackson  county,  Iowa,  lying  in  Belmont  and 
Hunter  townships,  on  which  his  son,  Charles, 
now  resides.  Solomon  Gage,  Jr.,  was  first 
married  March  15,  1854,  to  Susan  Hoge- 


boom,  of  Geneva,  Illinois.  She  died  in 
California,  March  15,  1857,  and  was  fol- 
lowed shortly  after  by  their  only  child. 
On  the  first  of  July,  1858,  he  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Mary 
E.  King,  born  in  New  Haven,  Connecticut, 
October  4,  1840,  and  who  died  January  4, 
1871.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Madison 
King,  of  English  descent,  a  sail-maker  by 
trade,  who  died  when  about  seventy-eight 
years  of  age.  His  wife  survived  him,  and 
lived  to  be  ninety  years  of  age.  By  this 
second  union  nine  children  were  born,  of 
whom  four  lived  to  maturity.  Charles  H., 
who  married  Estella  McClelland,  by  whom 
he  has  three  children,  Ernest  T. ,  Florence 
and  Mary,  lives  upon  a  large  farm  in  Min- 
nesota; Ernest  A.  lives  upon  the  old  home- 
stead in  Rutland  township:  Susan  M.,  de- 
ceased, first  married  Dr.  W.  Heffelfinger,  a 
resident  of  Lakefield,  Minnesota,  and  after 
his  death  married  R.  E.  Nash,  who  is  now 
living  in  Chicago;  John  G.  is  the  proprietor 
of  a  drug  store  in  Hampshire. 

Solomon  Gage,  Jr.,  was  for  the  third 
time  married  in  1872,  his  union  being  with 
Mrs.  Sylvia  Brisbin,  widow  of  Fields  F. 
Brisbin,  who  died  in  Plato  township  in 
1870.  She  was  born  in  Canada  in  1826. 
Her  father,  Ephraim  C.  Staunton,  was  a 
native  of  New  Hampshire,  and  the  -son  of 
Eldridge  Staunton,  a  native  of  England, 
who  bore  arms  against  the  mother  country 
in  the  war  of  1812,  and  who  was  killed  in 
the  battle  of  Black  Rock,  December  31, 
1813.  Ephraim  C.  Staunton  married  Sarah 
Samis,  a  native  of  New  York  state,  and  a 
daughter  of  Benjamin  Samis,  likewise  a  na- 
tive of  New  York.  They  lived  for  a  time 
in  Canada,  but  came  to  Kane  county,  Illi- 
nois, in  1845,  settling  in  Burlington  town- 
ship, where  he  died  in  1861. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


713 


Ernest  A.  Gage,  our  subject,  was  born 
on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides  and  after 
attending  the  district  schools  completed  his 
education  in  Beloit  College.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  two  and  a  half  years,  when  he 
resided  on  a  farm  in  Minnesota,  he  has 
spent  his  entire  life  on  the  home  farm.  In 
1886,  after  his  father's  death,  he  took 
charge  of  the  homestead,  which  has  since 
been  under  his  control.  He  was  married 
March  31,  1891,  to  Emma  C.  Hemrick,  a 
daughter  of  Philip  Hemrick,  of  Rutland 
township,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere 
in  this  work. 

In  politics  Mr.  Gage  is  a  Republican, 
with  which  party  he  has  been  identified 
since  attaining  his  majority.  He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  school  board  for  several 
terms.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of 
Hampshire  lodge,  No.  443,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
of  Hampshire,  and  Loyal  L.  Munn  chapter, 
R.  A.  M. ,  and  of  Blackhawk  garrison,  No. 
32,  Knights  of  the  Globe,  Hampshire.  He 
and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Eastern 
Star  lodge  of  Hampshire.  As  a  farmer  he 
is  thoroughly  practical  and  keeps  his  farm 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  devoting 
it  principally  to  dairy  purposes. 


TODD  BENJAMIN,  residing  on  section 
19,  Sugar  Grove  township,  is  in  every 
respect  a  representative  citizen  of  the  coun- 
ty, and  is  now  operating  the  home  farm  of 
two  hundred  acres  on  which  he  was  born 
January  30,  1853.  On  his  father's  side  he 
is  of  Scotch  descent,  his  grandfather,  Elisha, 
who  was  an  early  settler  of  Oneida  county, 
New  York,  being  of  Scotch  parentage. 
Leonard  Benjamin,  the  father,  was  born 
in  Oneida  county,  New  York,  in  1812,  and 


there  grew  to  manhood,  and  after  having 
passed  through  the  common  schools  entered 
Hamilton  College,  and  taking  the  regular 
course,  was  graduated  therefrom.  In  1837, 
he  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  made 
claim  to  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in 
Sugar  Grove  township,  on  which  he  built  a 
small  residence  and  began  its  further  im- 
provement. When  the  land  came  into 
market  he  secured  his  deed  for  the  same, 
together  with  forty  acres  additional,  which 
is  yet  in  possession  of  the  family  and  is  the 
home  of  our  subject.  He  later  bought  a 
farm  of  forty  acres  in  Big  Rock  township. 
A  well  educated  man  and  a  practical  farmer, 
he  made  of  the  place  one  of  the  best  in  the 
township.  In  1891,  the  family  residence 
was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  he  later  built  the 
present  substantial  residence. 

Before  coming  to  Illinois,  Mr.  Benjamin 
taught  several  terms  in  the  public  schools 
and  after  his  arrival  here  again  engaged  in 
teaching  in  connection  with  his  farm  work, 
teaching  in  all  about  twenty  terms.  He 
here  married  Lucretia  Emery,  a  native  of 
Tompkins  county,  New  York,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Abner  Emery.  By  this  union  were 
two  sons  and  one  daughter,  Todd  our  sub-, 
ject;  Ida,  wife  of  Charles  Dugan,  a  farmer 
of  Sugar  Grove  township;  and  Pratt,  also  a 
farmer  of  Sugar  Grove  township  and  the 
present  township  assessor.  By  a  former 
marriage  there  are  two  sons,  Charles  and 
James. 

Leonard  Benjamin  was  in  his  time  one 
of  the  most  prominent  men  in  Sugar  Grove 
township,  where  he  served  as  supervisor, 
assessor,  justice  of  the  peace,  township 
trustee,  collector,  and  other  positions  of 
honor  and  trust,  showing  the  confidence  re- 
posed in  him  by  his  fellow  citizens.  He 
died  on  the  old  homestead  May  21,  1895. 


714 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


His   widow  survives  and  makes  her  home 
with  her  son,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Todd  Benjamin  grew  to  manhood  on 
the  old  farm,  and  in  his  youth  assisted  in  its 
cultivation.  His  primary  education  was  ob- 
tained in  the  schools  of  his  neighborhood, 
after  which  he  attended  the  Jennings  Semi- 
nary at  Aurora,  preparatory  to  a  college 
course.  He  then  entered  the  State  Uni- 
versity at  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  the  class  of  1878.  When 
but  eighteen  years  of  age  he  taught  his  first 
term  in  the  public  schools,  and  taught  sev- 
eral terms  before  entering  the  university. 
After  completing  his  course,  he  taught  some 
twelve  or  fifteen  terms,  and  now  holds  a 
teacher's  certificate.  He  has,  however, 
abandoned  the  profession,  and  now  gives 
his  time  exclusively  to  the  management  of 
the  farm,  of  which  he  has  had  charge  since 
1890. 

Mr.  Benjamin  was  united  in  marriage  in 
Tekamah,  Burt  county,  Nebraska,  Decem- 
ber 8,  1895,  with  Miss  Alta  Breed,  a  na- 
tive of  De  Kalb  county,  Illinois,  and  a 
daughter  of  Charles  Breed,  now  deceased, 
who  was  an  early  settler  of  De  Kalb 
county,  Illinois,  and  also  of  Tekamah,  Ne- 
braska. Politically  Mr.  Benjamin  is  a  life- 
long Republican,  and  cast  his  first  presi- 
dential ballot  for  Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  in 
1876.  In  local  political  affairs  he  has  been 
somewhat  active,  and  for  eight  years  was  a 
member  of  the  county  central  committee  of 
his  party.  He  has  also  served  as  a  delegate 
to  various  county  and  state  conventions,  in 
which  his  influence  has  been  felt.  For  nine 
consecutive  years  he  served  as  road  commis- 
sioner, and  has  always  been  in  favor  of  good 
roads.  While  not  members,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Benjamin  attend  the  People's  church  of 
Sugar  Grove.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member 


of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  at 
Sugar  Grove.  A  life-long  resident  of  Kane 
county,  and  the  township  where  he  resides, 
he  is  well  and  favorably  known  as  a  man  of 
superior  education,  of  good  business  ability, 
and  of  exemplary  habits. 


O AMUEL  HARTER,  a  retired  farmer  liv- 
O  ing  on  section  17,  Kaneville  township, 
came  to  Kane  county  in  1854,  and  for  three 
years  was  actively  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
born  in  Centre  county,  January  5,  1827. 
His  father,  Jacob  Harter,  was  a  native  of 
the  same  county  and  state,  as  was  also  his 
grandfather,  Andrew  Harter.  The  family 
are  of  German  ancestry,  the  first  of  that 
name  who  came  from  Germany  being  a 
pioneer  settler  of  Centre  county. 

Jacob  Harter  grew  to  manhood  in  Cen- 
tre county,  Pennsylvania,  and  there  married 
Elizabeth  Kern,  also  a  native  of  the  same 
county.  Her  father,  Stephen  Kern,  was 
also  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  of  German 
parentage.  In  his  native  county  Jacob  Har- 
ter. engaged  in  farming,  and  there  reared  his 
family,  spending  his  entire  life  there,  dying 
in  1863.  His  wife  survived  him  about  two 
years,  dying  in  1865.  Of  their  family  of 
seven  sons  and  three  daughters,  our  subject 
is  fifth  in  order  of  birth.  All  grew  to  ma- 
ture years,  and  five  of  the  seven  sons  are 
yet  living. 

Samuel  Harter  was  reared  in  his  native 
state,  and  in  its  common  schools  received 
hie  education,  attending  during  the  winter 
months,  while  assisting  in  operating  the 
farm  the  remainder  of  the  year.  He  re- 
mained under  the  parental  roof  until  attain- 
ing his  majority,  and  in  1849  was  united  in 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


7'5 


marriage  with  Mary  Dauberman,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Dauberman,  of  Centre  county, 
Pennsylvania.  After  their  marriage  they 
remained  in  Pennsylvania  until  1854,  when 
they  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  locating 
in  Kaneville  township,  on  land  belonging  to 
John  Dauberman,  a  place  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  partially  improved  land. 
On  that  farm  he  remained  for  about  twenty 
years,  giving  his  time  and  attention  to  the 
improvement  of  the  place.  In  1875  he 
bought  his  present  farm  of  a  hundred  and 
thirty  acres,  and  since  coming  into  his  pos- 
session he  has  made  many  improvements, 
including  the  erection  of  the  substantial 
residence,  good  barns  and  other  outbuild- 
ings, together  with  a  good  tenement  house. 

In  1857,  some  three  years  after  coming 
to  Kane  county,  Mr.  Harter  lost  his  wife, 
she  dying,  leaving  one  son,  Adolphus,  a 
farmer  residing  in  Maple  Park,  Illinois. 
They  lost  one  child,  a  daughter,  who  died 
when  about  one  year  old.  In  November, 
1857,  Mr.  Harter  married  Elizabeth  Gusler, 
a  native  of  York  county,  Pennsylvania,  and 
a  daughter  of  Jacob  Gusler,  a  pioneer  of 
Du  Page  county,  Illinois,  who  later  removed 
to  Kaneville  township,  Kane  county.  By 
this  marriage  there  is  one  son,  Rodell  S. , 
who  is  married  and  is  engaged  in  the  furni- 
ture and  undertaking  business  at  Maple 
Park,  Illinois.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
town  council  and  a  justice  of  the  peace. 

Politically,  Mr.  Harter  supported  the 
men  and  measures  of  the  Democratic  party 
until  1896,  when  he  voted  for  William  Mc- 
Kinley  and  sound  money.  For  years  he 
served  as  commissioner  of  highways  and 
also  a  member  of  the  school  board.  He  is 
now  serving  as  township  trustee,  which  po- 
sition he  has  held  for  six  years.  Religiously, 
he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  United 


Evangelical  church,  and  for  some   years  he 
was  a  member  of  its  official  board. 

Mr.  Harter  commenced  life  with  but 
limited  means,  but  by  hard  work  and  the 
practice  of  economy,  he  has  acquired  a 
competency.  For  forty-four  years  he  has 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  Kane 
county,  and  that  he  has  made  a  good  farmer 
is  attested  by  the  improvements  on  his 
place.  As  a  citizen  his  friends  and  neigh- 
bors all  speak  of  him  in  the  highest  terms 
of  praise. 


FRANK  DOBSON,  a  farmer  residing  on 
section  13,  Virgil  township,  and  who 
receives  his  mail  at  Lily  Lake  postoffice,  is 
a  native  of  Kane  county,  born  on  the  farm 
where  he  now  resides,  June  28,  1854,  and  is 
the  son  of  Abraham  and  Mary  (Currin)  Dob- 
son,  the  former  a  native  of  New  Brunswick, 
and  the  latter  of  Ireland.  They  were  the 
parents  of  six  children — Mary,  Julia,  Frank, 
George,  Eleanor  and  Alfred.  The  paternal 
grandfather  Dobson  was  a  native  of  Eng- 
land, who  emigrated  to  New  Brunswick  at 
an  early  day,  and  there  engaged  in  farming, 
at  which  occupation  he  continued  during  his 
entire  life. 

In  1838,  Abraham  Dobson  came  to  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  and  purchased  a  tract  of 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  govern- 
ment land,  in  Virgil  township,  and  there  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  stockraising,  in  which 
he  was  quite  successful.  He  died  at  the 
age  of  sixty  years.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  grew  to  manhood  on  the  old  farm, 
which  has  always  been  his  home.  In  the 
common  schools,  he  received  a  fairly  good 
education,  and  by  reading  and  observation 
has  since  become  a  well-informed  man.  He 
has  an  interest  in  over  six  hundred  acres  of 


716 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


well  improved  land,  and  is  classed  among 
the  most  substantial  farmers  of  Virgil  town- 
ship. In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  and 
religiously  he  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
church. 


SW.  MYERS  is  engaged  in  farming  and 
stockraising  on  section  9,  Sugar  Grove 
township,  where  he  owns  and  operates  a 
farm  of  about  three  hundred  acres  of  well- 
improved  and  valuable  land.  He  is  a 
native  of  Illinois,  born  near  Eureka,  Wood- 
ford  county,  July  26,  1856.  His  father, 
Lewis  H.  Myers,  was  born  in  1835,  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  removed  to  Ohio,  when 
a  lad  of  thirteen,  with  his  parents.  George 
Myers,  the  paternal  ancestor,  was  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Pickaway  county, 
Ohio.  There  Lewis  H.  Myers  spent  his 
youth,  and  when  but  eighteen  years  of  age, 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Christina 
Helvern,  who  was  but  sixteen  years  old,  a 
native  of  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  Daniel 
Helvern,  an  early  settler  of  Pickaway  coun- 
ty, and  also  of  German  parentage.  Soon 
after  his  marriage  he  moved  to  Indiana,  and 
spent  one  year,  and  in  1856  moved  to  Illi- 
nois, locating  in  Woodford  county,  where 
he  bought  a  partially  improved  farm 
of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  and  there 
engaged  in  general  farming.  He  was  an 
active,  enterprising  and  successful  agricult- 
urist, and  by  his  thrifty  habits  has  been 
enabled  to  retire  from  active  business  and  is 
now  residing  in  Washington,  Illinois.  He 
was  duly  honored  by  his  fellow  citizens  and 
served  in  various  official  positions  with 
credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  of  others. 
S.  W.  Myers  is  the  second  in  order  of 
birth  in  the  family  of  four  sons  and  four 
daughters,  all  of  whom  grew  to  mature 


years  and  all  married  with  the  exception  of 
two.  In  his  native  county,  our  subject 
grew  to  manhood  and  received  his  primary 
education  in  the  common  schools,  which 
was  supplemented  by  two  years  at  West- 
field  College.  He  was  one  year  engaged 
in  teaching  during  his  college  course,  and 
after  finishing  his  studies  he  farmed  one 
year  in  Woodford  county,  and  was  then  ap- 
pointed deputy  sheriff  of  the  county,  and 
removed  to  Metamora,  then  the  county 
seat.  After  serving  as  deputy  one  term  he 
returned  to  the  farm  where  he  spent  four 
years  and  then  moved  to  Eureka,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  live  stock  business,  in  which 
he  was  quite  successful.  While  residing  on 
the  farm  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
board  of  supervisors  of  Woodford  county, 
and  after  his  removal  to  Eureka  was  again 
elected  a  member  of  the  board,  and  during 
his  service,  was  on  some  important  commit- 
tees including  public  buildings,  almshouses, 
and  judiciary. 

In  1891,  Mr.  Myers  disposed  of  his  in- 
terest in  Eureka,  and  came  to  Kane  county, 
and  bought  the  farm  on  which  he  now  re- 
sides. Since  locating  here  he  has  built  a 
neat  and  substantial  residence  and  several 
outbuildings,  cleared  and  broke  about  sev- 
enty acres  of  new  land,  and  put  the  place 
in  the  very  best  condition.  For  years  he 
has  been  engaged  in  the  fine  stock  business 
and  is  now  making  a  specialty  of  Poland 
China  hogs  and  Jersey  cattle.  He  is  also 
engaged  to  some  extent  in  breeding 
thoroughbred  Percheron  horses.  There  is 
no  better  judge  of  fine  stock  in  Kane  county 
than  Mr.  Myers. 

Politically  Mr.  Myers  is  a  Democrat, 
with  which  party  he  has  been  identified  since 
attaining  his  majority.  In  1893  he  was 
elected  justice  of  the  peace  of  Sugar  Grove 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


717 


township,  was  re-elected  and  is  now  serving 
his  fifth  year.  He  has  served  as  delegate  to 
various  conventions  and  is  an  ardent  sup- 
porter of  the  free-silver  measure.  In  1896 
he  was  nominated  by  his  party  as  a  candi- 
date for  the  office  of  county  recorder,  but 
failed  of  election,  the  county  being  strongly 
Republican. 

Mr.  Myers  was  married  in  Woodford 
county,  Illinois,  February  7,  1878,  to  Isa- 
belle  Stumbaugh,  a  native  of  Woodford 
county,  where  she  was  reared  and  educated, 
and  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Stumbaugh,  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  that  county.  By  this 
union  there  are  five  children,  as  follows: 
Gay,  a  young  lady  at  home,  who  received 
her  education  at  Sugar  Grove,  Illinois,  and 
Knox  College,  Galesburg;  Clark  Shull,  who 
is  assisting  his  father  in  carrying  on  the 
farm;  Lewis  Dean,  Mossie  and  Ruth,  who 
reside  at  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Myers  were 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in 
Woodford  county,  but  since  locating  in 
Sugar  Grove  they  have  not  unitedwith  any 
church,  though  still  feeling  an  interest  in 
moral  and  church  work.  Fraternally  he  is 
a  member  of  Sugar  Grove  camp,  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  A  life-long  resident 
of  Illinois,  but  only  residing  in  Kane  county 
a  comparatively  few  years,  Mr.  Myers  has 
yet  made  many  friends,  who  will  be  pleased 
to  read  this  sketch  of  his  life. 


RICHARD  DALE,  who  is  now  living  a 
retired  life  on  his  farm  in  section  23, 
Big  Rock  township,  is  numbered  among  the 
settlers  of  1852.  He  was  born  in  Durham, 
England,  July  28,  1824,  and  is  the  son  of 
Thomas  Dale,  who  was  born  .in  Yorkshire, 
England,  and  who  married,  in  Durham,  Miss 
Ann  Stoddard,  a  native  of  Durham.  In 


1852,  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States 
with  his  family,  coming  direct  to  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  and  locating  in  the  western 
part  of  Big  Rock  township,  where  he  pur- 
chased an  improved  farm,  and  engaged  in 
farming,  there  spending  the  last  years  of  his 
life,  dying  July  28,  1862,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-six years.  His  wife  survived  him  a 
number  of  years,  dying  in  March,  1876,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  Of  their  fam- 
ily of  fifteen  children,  all  grew  to  mature 
years,  of  which  number  the  following  named 
are  now  living:  George  S.,  residing  in  Chi- 
cago; Thomas  S.,  of  Hinckley,  Illinois; 
Richard,  of  this  review;  Mrs.  E.  F.  Long, 
of  Big  Rock;  and  Mrs.  Alfred  Summers,  of 
Aurora. 

Richard  Dale  came  to  Kane  county,  a 
young  man  of  twenty-eight  years,  and  as- 
sisted his  lather  in  the  operation  of  the 
home  farm,  until  the  latter's  death.  He 
was  married  in  Aurora,  March  6,  1856,  to 
Ann  Summers,  a  native  of  England,  born 
in  Frome,  Somerset  county,  England,  and 
who  came  to  this  country  with  her  parents 
when  but  eight  years  of  age.  Her  father, 
Joseph  Summers,  was  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers of  Kane  county,  locating  here  in  1836, 
and  purchasing  a  tract  of  four  hundred 
acres,  in  Big  Rock  township,  and,  at  his 
death,  left  Mrs.  Dale  that  part  of  the  estate 
on  which  they  now  reside.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dale  five  children  were  born:  Joseph  H. 
resides  at  home  and  is  carrying  on  the 
farm;  John  R.  grew  to  manhood,  and  died 
December  21,1 884,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two 
years;  Martha  M.  is  yet  residing  at  home; 
Ann  S.  is  the  wife  of  E.  K.  Frydendall,  of 
Big  Rock,  and  they  have  one  child,  Lura; 
Sidney  J.,  a  single  man,  also  resides  at 
home. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dale 


7rS 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


located  on  the  farm  where  they  now  reside, 
and  he  at  once  began  its  improvement.  He 
has  since  built  a  neat  and  substantial  resi- 
dence, good  barns  and  other  outbuildings, 
and  has  tiled  much  of  the  land.  He  has 
now  a  well-improved  and  valuable  farm  of 
two  hundred  and  eight  acres.  His  good 
wife  passed  to  her  reward  on  the  I7th  of 
September,  1891,  when  nearly  sixty-four 
years  of  age.  Her  death  was  mourned  not 
alone  by  the  family  but  by  a  large  circle  of 
friends. 

Politically,  Mr.  Dale  and  sons  are  strong 
Democrats  and  give  earnest  and  enthusiastic 
support  to  the  men  and  measures  of  that 
party.  For  fifteen  years,  Mr.  Dale  served 
as  commissioner  of  highways,  and  for 
twenty-six  consecutive  years  was  school 
director  of  Eagle  school  district,  and  is  still 
serving  as  a  member  of  the  school  board. 
Religiously,  he  was  reared  in  the  Episcopal 
faith.  Identified  with  the  interests  of  Big 
Rock  township,  for  forty-six  years,  he  is  well 
known  and  is  universally  respected. 


CHRISTOFER  FREDERIC  GEYER, 
who  resides  at  No.  70,  South  Fourth 
street,  Aurora,  Illinois,  is  the  well-known 
superintendent  of  the  locomotive  depart- 
ment of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
railroad,  a  position  which  he  has  held  for 
the  past  twenty  years,  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  all  concerned.  He  is  a  native  of 
Germany,  born  in  Wurtemberg,  near  Lake 
Constance,  October  22,  1839.  In  his  na- 
tive city  he  remained  until  fifteen  years  of 
age,  during  which  time  he  received  a  liberal 
education,  although  yet  in  his  youth,  he  de- 
termined at  once  to  begin  life  for  himself, 
with  a  view  of  bettering  his  condition  in 
life,  he  resolved  to  emigrate  to  America. 


Leaving  home,  he  took  ship  at  Havre, 
France,  in  a  sailing  vessel,  and  was  seven 
weeks  in  making  the  voyage  across  the  At- 
lantic, during  which  time  they  experienced 
some  very  severe  weather,  the  storms  sweep- 
ing the  deck,  carrying  off  one  of  the  masts 
and  a  portion  of  the  forward  deck.  Ar- 
riving in  New  York,  he  proceeded  at  once 
to  Buffalo,  where  he  joined  some  friends, 
and  spent  the  first  seven  months  on  a  farm. 
He  then  went  into  the  machine  shops  of 
Henry  Hawkins,  where  he  served  a  five- 
years  apprenticeship,  during  which  time  he 
saved  up  five  hundred  dollars.  An  absence 
of  six  years  from  home  and  friends,  made 
him  desirous  of  once  more  returning  to 
his  native  land.  He  accordingly  recrossed 
the  Atlantic  and  after  spending  three  and  a 
half  months  with  his  parents  and  friends, 
he  returned  to  Buffalo,  and  again  went 
to  work  in  the  machine  shops.  His  em- 
ployer later  gave  him  a  letter  to  a  brother 
in  Aurora,  when  he  came  here  and  went 
into  the  shops  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington 
&  Quincy  Railroad  Company,  where  he 
worked  as  a  journeyman  until  1875.  He  was 
then  promoted  to  assistant  foreman  and 
served  in  that  capacity  about  two  years,  and 
then  took  charge  of  the  boiler  shop  for  a  year. 
In  1878  he  was  given  charge  of  the  loco- 
motive departmetu,  and  has  held  that  re- 
sponsible position  up  to  the  present  time, 
having  under  his  control  from  two  hundred 
to  four  hundred  men.  Mr.  Geyer  was  mar- 
ried in  Aurora,  March  29,  1864,  to  Miss 
Caroline  Scharshug,  a  native  of  New  York, 
born  in  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Scharshug,  who  removed  with 
his  family  to  Aurora  in  1853,  and  locating 
on  a  farm  in  the  city.  He  now  resides  in 
Aurora,  where  he  is  living  a  retired  life.  By 
this  union  are  three  children:  the  oldest, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


719 


Mary,  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Lincoln,  of  Au- 
rora; Clarence,  now  a  student  at  the  North- 
western Medical  College;  and  Edna  I.,  a 
student  in  the  East  Aurora  High  School. 
They  lost  two  children,  Frederick  O.,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  eleven  years,  and  Cora 
Josephine,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven 
years,  both  dying  December  14,  1877,  of 
diphtheria,  and  both  buried  in  one  grave. 
Since  coming  to  Aurora,  Mr.  Geyer  has 
been  fairly  prosperous  and  has  been  able  to 
make  some  investments.  On  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Improvement  and  Building  As- 
sociation, he  subscribed  to  its  stock,  and 
was  made  one  of  its  directors,  and  is  now 
its  vice-president.  For  eight  years  he  was 
a  member  of  the  board  of  public  works, 
the  duties  of  which  office  he  discharged  in  a 
faithful  manner.  Politically  he  is  identified 
with  the  Republican  party,  on  national  is- 
sues, but  in  local  affairs  he  votes  regardless 
of  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  of  the  blue  lodge,  chapter  and 
Eastern  Star.  Mrs.  Geyer  was  reared  a 
Lutheran.  In  his  thirty-five  years  residence 
in  Aurora,  Mr.  Geyer  has  not  only  gained 
the  confidence  of  the  officials  of  the  great 
road  with  which  he  is  connected,  but  has 
also  gained  the  respect  of  all  the  people  of 
Aurora,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  its  best 
representative  citizens. 


ASEM  A.  OAKLEY,  a  farmer  residing 
on  section  31,  Hampshire  township,  is 
a  native  of  the  Prairie  state,  born  in  Genoa 
township,  De  Kalb  county,  Illinois,  January 
9,  1853,  and  is  the  son  of  John  A.  and  Mary 
Ann  (Eddy)  Oakley,  the  former  a  native  of 
Oak  Hill,  New  York,  born  in  1818,  and  the 
latter  a  native  of  Yates  county,  New  York, 
and  a  daughter  of  John  Eddy.  The  first 


persons  by  the  name  of  Eddy  to  come  to 
America  were  Samuel  and  John,  who- came 
in  1630,  in  the  ship  Handmaid,  landing  at 
Plymouth,  Massachusetts.  They  were  the 
sons  of  Rev.  William  Eddye,  vicar  of  the 
church  of  St.  Dunstan,  Cranbrook,  County 
Kent,  England,  who  married  Mary  Foster. 
Samuel  Eddy  was  one  of  the  original  pur- 
chasers of  the  town  of  Middleboro,  Massa- 
chusetts. His  wife's  first  name  was  Eliza- 
beth. Zachariah,  son  of  Samuel,  married 
Alice  Paddock,  and  their  son  Joshua  mar- 
ried Hannah  Stevens.  Their  son  John 
married  Sarah  Stevens  and  lived  at  Glou- 
cester. Their  son  John  was  a  captain  in 
the  Revolutionary  war.  He  married  Deb- 
orah Winsor,  daughter  of  John  Winsor,  a 
celebrated  Baptist  minister  of  Smithfield, 
Rhode  Island.  Their  son  Richard  married 
Susannah  Shaw,  the  mother  of  Mary  A. 
Eddy,  who  married  John  A.  Oakley,  the  fa- 
ther of  our  subject.  The  name  Eddye, 
from  the  Anglo-Saxon  Edda,  or  Eadig, 
from  root  "ead",  meaning  prosperity.  The 
remote  ancestors  fought  in  the  holy  wars, 
as  is  shown  in  the  cross  on  armoreal  bear- 
ings, which  is  a  shield  with  the  heads  of 
three  old  men  connected  at  shoulders  by. 
cross,  croslet  and  dagger,  salientwise  for 
crest.  The  motto  is  ' '  Crux  mihi  grata 
quies. " 

In  1841  John  A.  Oakley  came  to  Illi- 
nois and  located  in  Genoa  township,  De 
Kalb  county,  where  he  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  acres,  on  section  25, 
and  forty  acres  adjoining  in  Hampshire 
township,  Kane  county,  Illinois.  He  was  a 
man  of  some  prominence  in  De  Kalb  coun- 
ty, and  for  a  time  served  as  postmaster  of 
New  Lebanon.  In  politics  he  was  a  Re- 
publican. His  death  occurred  in  January, 
1864.  He  was  married  about  1843  to  Mary 


720 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Ann  Eddy,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
five  children,  as  follows:  Erasmus  A.,  de- 
ceased; Windsor,  who  lives  in  Sycamore, 
De  Kalb  county,  Illinois;  Melinda,  wife  of 
George  Harrington,  residing  on  the  old 
homestead,  section  25,  Genoa  township, 
De  Kalb  county;  Amelia,  wife  of  George 
Hallock,  of  Seattle, Washington;  and  Asem 
A.,  our  subject. 

Asem  A.  Oakley  remained  upon  the 
home  farm  in  Genoa  township,  De  Kalb 
county,  until  fourteen  years  of  age,  receiv- 
ing his  primary  education  in  the  public 
schools.  He  then  went  to  Hillsdale,  Mich- 
igan, where  he  pursued  his  studies  in  the 
college  at  that  place,  for  three  and  a  half 
years.  From  Hillsdale  he  went  to  Yates 
and  Steuben  counties,  New  York,  where  he 
spent  six  months  visiting  relatives  and  in 
working  part  of  the  time.  Returning  home 
he  worked  on  the  farm  of  his  mother,  until 
the  age  of  twenty-three  years,  when  he 
married  Catherine  Berry,  born  in  Burling- 
ton township,  Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  a 
daughter  of  Ebenezer  and  Matilda  (Bennett) 
Berry,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  New 
York.  Her  father  is  now  living  retired  in 
Sycamore,  De  Kalb  county,  Illinois.  By 
this  union  are  five  children:  Clifford,  Daisy, 
Jessie,  Kittie  and  Mary  A.,  the  latter  being 
better  known  as  "Bonnie.  "  The  four  girls 
are  expert  musicians,  forming  an  orchestra 
on  the  piano,  violin,  mandolin  and  guitar. 
Their  services  are  in  demand  for  entertain- 
ments. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Oakley  rented  a 
farm  in  Genoa  township,  for  three  years, 
and  then  crossed  the  line  into  Burlington 
township,  Kane  county,,  where  he  rented  a 
farm  for  one  year,  after  which  he  purchased 
his  present  farm  of  one  hundred  acres,  on 
section  31,  Hampshire  township,  which  is  a 


well  improved  place  and  is  devoted  to  gen- 
eral and  dairy  farming.  In  politics  Mr. 
Oakley  is  a  Republican,  and  fraternally  he 
is  a  member  of  Hampshire  Camp,  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  He  has  never  de- 
sired office  and  has  only  been  prevailed 
upon  to  accept  that  of  school  director. 


LOUIS  A.  DEAN,  who  resides  on  section 
35,  Big  Rock  township,  has  a  well- 
improved  farm  of  one  hundred  and  thirty 
acres,  and  is  numbered  among  the  settlers 
of  Kane  county  of  1847.  He  was  born  in 
Westchester  county,  New  York,  April  30, 
1843.  His  father,  Smith  A.  Dean,  was  also 
a  native  of  the  same  county  and  state, 
where  he  married  Delilah  Wright,  also  a 
native  of  New  York.  In  1846  they  came  to 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  with  their  family  and 
located  in  Big  Rock  township,  on  the  farm 
now  owned  and  operated  by  our  subject. 
On  his  arrival  he  purchased  the  land,  a  small 
portion  of  which  had  been  under  the  plow, 
and  at  once  fenced  and  commenced  the 
cultivation  of  the  place,  and  here  died  April 
28,  1849,  at  the  age  of  forty-seven  years. 
His  wife  survived  him  and  died  December 
2,  1882,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years. 
Their  children  were:  Erastus  married  and 
residing  in  Waterman,  De  Kalb  county; 
Alice,  wife  of  C.  W.  Reynolds,  residing  in 
Morrison,  Illinois;  John,  who  accidentally 
met  his  death  when  forty  years  of  age;  Ada, 
wife  of  Edward  Meade,  residing  in  Dunlap, 
Iowa;  Louis  A.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch; 
and  Mariam,  widow  of  Alfred  King,  of 
Aurora. 

Louis  A.  Dean  came  to  Kane  county 
when  but  three  years  of  age  and  upon  the 
farm  in  Big  Rock  township  grew  to  man- 
hood and  attended  the  public  schools  of  the 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


721 


neighborhood.  His  school  life  was  during 
the  winter  months,  the  summer  months  be- 
ing required  for  work  upon  the  farm.  He 
was  married  in  Kane  county,  December  9, 
1862,  to  Louisa  Mewhirter,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  born  in  Westmoreland  coun- 
ty, and  who  came  when  a  child  to  Kane 
county  with  her  parents.  Her  father,  Will- 
iam Mewhirter,  was  among  the  earliest  set- 
tlers of  the  county  and  here  died  at  the  age 
of  eighty-four  years.  His  wife  surviving 
him,  died  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dean  two  children  were  born. 
The  eldest,  Elmer,  now  owns  and  operates 
a  farm  of  .one  hundred  acres  adjoining  the 
old  homestead.  He  married  Anna  Loucks, 
daaghter  of  Almeron  and  Henrietta  Loucks, 
and  they  have  a  son,  Lewis  A.  Elzora  is 
the  wife  of  Albert  Greenacre,  a  stock  dealer 
of  Hinckley,  Illinois.  They  have  one 
daughter,  Alice. 

After  their  marriage,  Mr.  Dean  rented 
a  farm  for  some  years  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  old  home  place.  He  then  bought 
out  the  heirs  of  the  family  homestead,  which 
consisted  of  one  hundred  and  ten  acres.  He 
later  bought  twenty  acres  adjoining  the 
farm,  and  has  since  built  a  good  addition  to 
the  house,  erected  a  large  barn  and  various 
outbuildings,  put  up  a  wind  pump,  and  tiled 
the  farm,  making  of  it  one  of  the  best  in 
Big  Rock  township.  In  addition  to  his 
home  farm,  Mr.  Dean  has  operated  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  other  land  for 
some  years,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
active  and  successful  farmers  of  Big  Rock 
township. 

Politically,  Mr.  Dean  is  a  Democrat, 
with  which  party  he  has  acted  and  given  his 
support  since  casting  his  first  presidential 
ballot  for  General  George  B.  McClellan  in 
1864.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dean  have  been  resi- 


dents of  Kane  county  since  childhood,  and 
attended  the  same  school.  They  have 
witnessed  the  growth  and  development  of 
the  county  and  have  been  identified  with  its 
interests  for  more  than  half  a  century,  and 
are  well  known  and  greatly  esteemed  in 
Kane  and  adjoining  counties. 


JAMES  McMAHON  is  a  prosperous 
farmer  residing  on  section  23,  Virgil 
township,  where  he  owns  and  operates  a 
farm  of  about  four  hundred  acres  of  well 
improved  and  valuable  land.  He  is  a  native 
of  County  Clare,  Ireland,  born  in  March, 
1825,  and  is  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Nancy 
(Noonan)  McMahon,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Ireland,  and  became  the  parents 
of  eight  children. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  in  his  native  land,  and  on 
attaining  his  majority  joined  the  great  band 
of  emigrants  for  the  new  world.  Arriving 
in  New  York  he  proceeded  to  Connecticut, 
where  he  remained  six  years,  and  in  1862 
came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois.  In  1863 
he  returned  to  Connecticut,  and  married 
Mary  Comins,  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  by 
this  union  were  born  fourteen  children, 
seven  of  whom  are  living.  In  order  of  birth 
they  are  as  follows:  Thomas,  Margaret, 
Katie,  James,  William,  Dennis  and  Vin- 
cent. 

In  1882  Mr.  McMahon  purchased  the 
farm  where  he  now  resides,  which  then 
comprised  about  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
one  acres,  but  to  which  he  has  since  added 
until  he  has  now  three  hundred  and  ninety- 
five  acres  of  as  fine  land  as  can  be  found 
in  Virgil  township,  and  which  is  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  Here  he  engages 
in  general  and  dairy  farming,  and  has  been 


722 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


very  successful.  He  is  a  natural  born 
farmer,  and  has  followed  that  occupation 
during  his  entire  life.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Democrat,  and  has  voted  that  ticket  since 
obtaining  his  naturalization  papers  in  1861. 
While  taking  a  commendable  interest  in 
political  affairs,  he  gives  his  time  and  atten- 
tion to  his  extensive  business  interests,  leav- 
ing office  seeking  and  office  holding  to 
others.  The  entire  family  are  members  of 
the  Catholic  church,  in  the  doctrines  of 
which  they  have  unbounded  faith. 


ELAM  F.  HATCH,  who  resides  on  sec- 
tion 7,  Sugar  Grove  township,  traces 
his  ancestry  back  to  Thomas  Hatch,  who 
was  born  in  Kent  county,  England,  in  1603, 
and  who  came  to  the  new  world  with  Gov- 
ernor Winthrop  in  1630,  landing  at  Cape 
Cod.  Elam  F.  is  in  the  sixth  generation 
from  Thomas  Hatch.  He  was  born  in 
Sherburne,  Chenango  county,  New  York, 
February  10,  1839.  His  father,  Elam 
Hatch,  was  born  in  1787,  in  the  same 
house  in  which  our  subject  was  born.  Tim- 
othy Hatch,  the  grandfather,  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Revolutionary  war,  as  was  also  his 
father,  Jethro  Hatch,  the  great-grandfather 
of  our  subject.  Elam  F.  Hatch  has  a  cane 
brought  from  England  by  Thomas  Hatch 
in  1630,  of  which  he  is  justly  proud.  The 
cane  is  of  hazel  wood  with  a  heavy  silver 
head,  and  ferrule.  Descendants  of  Thomas 
Hatch  have  been  well  known  in  the  history 
of  the  country  and  in  various  walks  of  life. 
Elam  Hatch,  the  father,  was  a  farmer 
in  New  York,  where  he  married  Margaret 
Farrell,  also  a  native  of  New  York,  and 
who  is  a  descendant  of  an  old  family.  In 
1850,  with  his  family,  Mr.  Hatch  moved  to 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  located  on  the 


farm  in  Sugar  Grove  township,  now  occu- 
pied by  our  subject.  Purchasing  a  hundred 
and  thirty  acres  of  partially  improved  land, 
he  built  a  good  house,  fenced  the  land,  and 
opened  up  a  good  farm.  Here  he  reared 
his  family  and  spent  the  last  days  of  his 
life,  dying  in  1876.  His  wife  died  the  pre- 
vious year.  Their  family  consisted  of  four 
sons.  The  oldest,  Israel  Burdette,  married 
in  New  York,  came  to  Kane  county,  locat- 
ing in  Aurora,  from  which  place  he  moved 
to  Kankakee,  and  still  later  to  Denver, 
Colorado,  and  there  died  in  1888.  T.  Yale 
is  married  and  is  a  farmer  by  occupation 
and  now  resides  in  Highmore,  Hyde  county, 
South  Dakota.  Elam  F.  is  next  in  order 
of  birth.  Frank  D.  is  a  merchant  at  Kan- 
kakee, Illinois. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  eleven 
years  of  age  when  he  came  with  his  parents 
to  Kane  county,  Illinois.  He  grew  to  man- 
hood on  his  father's  farm  and  assisted  in  its 
cultivation  and  on  the  death  of  his  parents 
succeeded  to  the  home  place.  In  Man- 
chester, Vermont,  October  i,  1868,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Augusta  Ma- 
ria Collson,  a  native  of  New  York,  who 
came  to  Illinois  in  childhood,  lived  in  De- 
Kalb  county,  where  she  was  reared  and 
educated.  By  this  union  are  six  children 
as  follows:  Burdette  M.,  a  conductor  on 
the  street  railway,  residing  in  Aurora;  Lor- 
enzo C.,  a  farmer  of  Sugar  Grove  township; 
Cora  G.,  wife  of  L.  K.  Owens,  a  farmer  of 
Sugar  Grove  township;  Addie  M.,  wife  of 
Eddie  Phillips,  of  Big  Rock,  and  Martha 
F.,  a  young  lady  now  housekeeper  for  her 
father.  The  children  are  all  well  educated 
and  each  of  the  daughters  have  engaged  in 
teaching  in  the  public  schools.  The  wife 
and  mother  passed  away  December  28, 
1895.  She  was  an  excellent  woman,  a  true 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


723 


Christian,  and  her  death  was  sincerely 
mourned  by  the  family  and  a  large  circle 
of  friends. 

Politically  Mr.  Hatch  is  a  life-long  Re- 
publican, and  cast  his  first  presidential  bal- 
lot for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1860,  and  has 
voted  for  every  presidential  nominee  of  the 
party  from  that  time  to  the  present.  He 
never  wanted  nor  would  hold  office.  Re- 
ligiously he  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  is  an  official  of  the 
church  at  Kaneville.  His  parents  were 
also  members  of  that  church,  although  they 
were  reared  in  the  Congregational  faith. 
For  forty-eight  years  Mr.  Hatch  has  been  a 
resident  of  Kane  county,  during  which  time 
he  has  contributed  his  share  in  its  develop- 
ment and  has  always  been  interested  in  its 
growth  and  prosperity. 


DAVID  HAMILTON,  deceased,  who 
was  long  a  resident  of  Campton  town- 
ship, was  born  at  Hamilton,  Lanarkshire, 
Scotland,  June  u,  1815.  He  was  the  son 
of  James  and  Mary  (Kilpatrick)  Hamilton, 
natives  of  Lanarkshire  and  Dunbartonshire, 
Scotland,  respectively.  James  Hamilton 
was  a  merchant  tailor  and  clothier  in  the 
town  of  Hamilton,  and  carried  on  quite  an 
extensive  business.  James  and  Mary  Ham- 
ilton were  the  parents  of  nine  children, 
our  subject  being  the  youngest  of  the  family. 
David  Hamilton  received  his  education 
at  private  schools  in  his  native  town.  He 
learned  the  trade  of  a  fruiterer  and  carried 
on  that  business  very  successfully  for  over 
twenty  years  on  London  street,  Glasgow, 
Scotland.  At  the  close  of  the  war  in  1865, 
he  disposed  of  his  business  interests  in  the 
old  country  and  carne  by  steamer  to  the 
United  States,  landing  at  New  York.  He 


proceeded  direct  to  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
and  resided  for  a  time  with  the  Muirhead 
family  in  Plato  township,  until  he  could  se- 
cure a  desirable  farm.  He  decided  upon 
one  in  the  northern  part  of  Campton  town- 
ship, and  made  a  purchase  of  eighty  acres 
on  section  8.  He  subsequently  added  sixty 
acres  and  afterward  an  additional  fifty  acres, 
and  to  this  was  added  twenty  acres  of  tim- 
ber, but  subsequently  sold  two  and  a  half 
acres  to  the  railroad  company.  He,  soon 
after  purchasing,  sold  the  fifty  acres  to  his 
son-in-law,  George  Marshall.  There  was 
a  log  house  on  the  eighty  acres  first  pur- 
chased, and  in  this  he  resided.  He  was 
first  married  in  Glasgow  to  Jane  Morris,  by 
whom  he  had  five  children.  The  wife  and 
mother  and  youngest  child  died  in  Glasgow 
in  1863,  his  remaining  four  children  accom- 
panying him  to  America,  and  made  their 
home  with  him  for  a  time  upon  the  farm. 
He  married,  for  a  second  wife,  Miss  Mar- 
garet Bowie,  September  20,  1867,  the  cere- 
mony being  performed  in  St.  Charles,  Illi- 
nois, by  Rev.  David  Metlock.  Mrs.  Ham- 
ilton was  born  at  Ardgwon,  Inverkip,  Ren- 
frewshire, Scotland,  March  20,  1820,  her 
parents  being  Archibald  and  Ann  (Frazer). 
Bowie.  Her  mother,  who  died  when  Mrs. 
Hamilton  was  a  child,  was  a  descend- 
ant of  an  old  and  honored  family  of  Scot- 
land. Her  ancestor,  being  Simon  Frazer, 
of  Lovet,  Inverniss,  a  very  conspicuous  fam- 
ily at  the  time  the  Stuarts  filled  the 
throne  of  England.  Within  the  present 
century  a  protracted  lawsuit  has  been  waged 
over  the  Lovet  estate,  but  was  decided 
against  the  Frazer  family,  by  a  verdict  of 
not  proven.  Mrs.  Hamilton  spent  her 
childhood  days  on  the  sea-coast  of  Renfrew- 
shire. She  was  an  old  friend  of  the  first 
wife  and  her  husband.  She  came  to  Amer- 


724 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


ica  in  1867  and  the  same  year  was  married 
to  David  Hamilton. 

The  children  by  the  first  marriage  were 
Jesse,  who  died  unmarried  at  the  age  of 
forty-four,  being  accidentally  burned  to 
death;  John;  Mary,  the  wife  of  George 
Marshall,  married  March  31,  1879;  they 
have  three  children — David,  Jane  a-nd 
Madge;  John,  who  married  Vidi  West- 
garth,  of  Kane  county,  is  now  residing  on  a 
farm  at  Benton  Harbor,  Michigan;  he  has 
six  children — Jesse,  Isabella,  Donald,  Nellie, 
Margaret  and  John  Van  Clair;  Margaret 
married,  July  14,  1878,  James  Clark,  a 
farmer  near  Manchester,  Iowa,  and  has  five 
children — Adelbert,  Agnes,  Foster,  Edna 
and  a  girl  of  three  years. 

David  Hamilton,  of  this  review,  while 
in  this  county  devoted  his  entire  time  to 
dairy  farming,  keeping  a  herd  of  never  less 
than  forty  milk  cows.  For  some  years 
prior  to  his  death  he  was  in  delicate  health, 
and  died  of  heart  disease  in  the  Sherman 
Hospital,  in  Elgin,  Illinois,  December  17, 
1894,  aged  eighty  years.  Soon  after  her 
husband's  death,  Mrs.  Hamilton  removed 
to  Lily  Lake,  and  erected  a  neat  cottage  in 
which  to  pass  her  declining  years.  She 
has  an  interest  in  her  late  husband's  estate, 
some  land  of  her  own,  beside  the  cozy  resi- 
dence and  lot  at  Lily  Lake.  In  1885  she 
made  a  trip  to  bonnie  Scotland,  visiting 
her  old  home  in  Renfrewshire,  and  making 
a  protracted  visit.  She  again  visited  Scot- 
land in  1895,  staying  four  months.  The 
trip  was  saddened  by  the  absence  of  many 
of  her  old-time  friends,  who  had  gone  to 
the  land  beyond.  Although  in  her  seventy- 
ninth  year,  Mrs.  Hamilton  is  a  very  bright 
woman  and  an  interesting  talker,  possess- 
ing all  her  faculties  unimpaired.  She  is 
very  active,  occasionally  taking  long  jour- 


neys on  foot  in  the  neighborhood,  where 
she  has  resided  for  over  thirty  years,  and 
where  she  is  so  well  and  favorably  known. 


JOHN  J.  READ,  who  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing on  section  12,  Virgil  township,  was 
born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides, 
November  6,  1852.  He  is  the  son  of  Rich- 
mond and  Miranda  (Sweet)  Read,  the 
former  a  native  of  Westmoreland  county, 
New  Brunswick,  and  the  latter  of  Syracuse, 
New  York.  Of  their  family  of  ten  children 
five  are  now  deceased.  Those  living  are: 
John  J.,  Wilford  A.,  Emma  D.,  Otho  E. , 
and  George  R.  The  paternal  grandfather, 
Eliphalet  Read,  was  also  a  native  of  New 
Brunswick,  and  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
He  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1837,  and  took  up  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  government  land  in  Vir- 
gil township,  which  he  improved  and  which 
was  his  home  during  the  remainder  of  his 
life. 

Richmond  Read,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  one  of  the  government  surveyors 
in  Kane  county.  He  also  took  up  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  government  land, 
and  here  engaged  in  farming  and  stock- 
raising.  He  became  one  of  the  most  prom- 
inent men  in  the  township,  and  at  one  time 
was  the  owner  of  over  five  hundred  acres 
of  splendid  land  which  he  had  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  His  death  occurred 
on  the  old  homestead  some  years  ago. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared 
upon  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  and 
which  has  been  his  home  during  his  entire 
life.  After  attending  the  public  schools  of 
his  neighborhood  for  a  time  he  finished  his 
education  in  the  graded  schools  of  Sycamore, 
De  Kalb  county,  which  he  attended  two 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


725 


years.  On  the  loth  of  January,  1877,  he 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lola 
Footh,  a  native  of  Virgil  township,  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  a  daughter  of  Simon  Footh, 
and  a  sister  of  Silas  Footh,  whose  sketch 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  By  this 
union  three  children  were  born — Fred  R. , 
Maude  and  Edith.  Maude  is  now  deceased. 
Politically,  Mr.  Read  is  a  Republican, 
and  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  principles  of 
that  party.  He  cast  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  in  1876,  and 
his  last  vote  for  William  McKinley,  in  1896. 
He  has  been  honored  by  his  fellow-citizens 
with  various  local  offices,  including  town- 
ship collector,  which  position  he  filled  for 
several  years,  and  a  member  of  the  school 
board,  holding  the  latter  office  for  over 
twenty-five  years.  Fraternally,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  and  Knights  of  the  Globe.  He 
and  his  brother  Wilford  are  the  owners  of 
five  hundred  and  eight  acres  of  land,  which 
is  a  part  of  the  old  Read  homestead.  The 
improvements  upon  the  place  show  the 
thrift  of  its  owners,  who  are  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  by  their  friends  and  neighbors. 


CHARLES  HOPKINS  BARRETT,  who 
is  engaged  in  farming  in  Blackberry 
township,  was  born  in  Berkshire  county, 
Massachusetts,  October  16,  1850,  and  is 
the  son  of  Sylvester  and  Caroline  Adelia 
(Hix)  Barrett,  the  former  a  native  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  the  latter  of  Renssellaer 
county,  New  York.  They  were  married  in 
Brainard,  New  York,  and  later  removed  to 
New  Lenox,  Massachusetts,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  his  trade  of  mason  and  also  in 
operating  a  quarry.  After  living  in  Massa- 


chusetts for  a  time,  they  went  to  Lebanon, 
New  York,  where  they  remained  some  years, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1857  came  to  Illinois, 
locating  at  Geneva.  For  some  three  or  four 
years  he  worked  the  quarry  at  Batavia,  then 
moved  back  to  Geneva,  there  lived  two 
years,  while  still  working  the  quarry.  He 
then  moved  to  Sugar  Grove  township,  where 
he  worked  at  the  mason's  trade  four  years, 
then  moved  to  the  vicinity  of  La  Fox,  Black- 
berry township,  where  he  resided  until  his 
death,  April  24,  1896,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
six  years  and  three  months.  He  was  well 
and  favorably  known  throughout  the  county, 
especially  during  his  active  life.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Congregational  church,  of 
which  body  his  wife  was  also  a  member. 

The  paternal  great-grandfather  of  our 
subject  was  a  very  prominent  man  in  his 
day,  serving  as  colonel  of  militia.  His  son, 
Nathan,  was  a  man  of  great  will  power,  but 
died  comparatively  young,  the  effects  of  a 
cancer  in  the  neck,  which  severed  the  jugu- 
lar vien.  He  became  the  father  of  three 
sons  and  three  daughters,  as  follows:  Ruth, 
who  married  Samuel  C.  Evarts,  of  Geneva 
township,  but  is  now  deceased;  Julia,  wife 
of  William  Fitch,  lived  and  died  near  Lenox, 
Massachusetts;  Ettie,  was  the  wife  of  Will- 
iam Hazzard,  but  is  now  deceased;  Sylves- 
ter, father  of  our  subject;  James  and  Jed- 
ediah,  who  reside  in  the  vicinity  of  Lenox, 
Massachusetts. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject was  Thomas  Hix.  His  children  were, 
Eliza,  deceased;  Solomon,  deceased;  Hiram, 
residing  in  Lebanon,  New  York;  Charlotte, 
residing  in  New  York;  Philander,  deceased; 
Mary  Jane,  deceased;  Henrietta,  who  es- 
tablished a  school,  known  as  the  Transyl- 
vania School,  was  a  very  successful  teacher, 
and  a  most  worthy  lady;  Sarah,  wife  of 


726 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


John  Proper;  Caroline  Adelia,  the  mother 
of  our  subject;  Ann  Maria,  wife  of  Edward 
Hulburt,  resides  in  the  state  of  Washington, 
Josephine  and  Albertine,  twins,  the  former 
residing  with  Ann  Maria,  and  the  latter  is 
deceased ;  Frances,  residing  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  Rensselaer  county,  New  York. 

The  children  born  to  Sylvester  and  Car- 
oline Adelia  Barrett  were  Charles  Hopkins, 
our  subject;  Lottie,  wife  of  Willis  Richard- 
son, by  whom  she  has  one  child,  Ralph  B., 
and  they  reside  in  La  Fox,  Illinois;  Frank 
and  Anna,  twins,  the  former  married  to 
Emma  Reid,  and  with  the  child,  Imo,  they 
reside  at  Union,  Illinois;  the  latter  is  a 
primary  teacher  in  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  a 
lady  of  culture  and  refinement,  and  well 
worthy  of  the  high  esteem  in  which  she  is 
held  by  the  school  board,  pupils  and  all 
concerned. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  and  has  spent  almost 
his  entire  life  on  the  farm.  For  some  years 
he  was  engaged  in  dairy  farming,  having 
about  forty  cows  and  shipping  the  product 
to  Chicago.  He  sold  out  February  18, 
1898.  In  politics  he  is  an  ardent  Repub- 
lican, and  has  been  quite  active  in  political 
affairs,  and  keeps  well  posted  on  the  issues 
of  the  day.  He  is  perhaps  one  of  the  best 
posted  men  in  his  township,  and  has  many 
of  the  elements  of  good  citizenship.  He  is 
in  accord  with  the  progress  of  the  commu- 
nity, on  every  line  of  advancement. 


ADAM  WEAVER,  who  resides  on  section 
20,  Batavia  township,  Kane  county,  is 
a  representative   farmer   of    Kane    county, 
owning  and  operating  a  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred  and   forty   acres,    two    miles    west    of 


Batavia.  His  residence  in  Kane  county 
dates  from  1849.  He  is  a  native  of  New 
York,  born  in  the  town  of  Ellsburg,  Jef- 
ferson county,  January  31,  1826.  His 
father,  John  Weaver,  was  also  a  native  of 
the  same  state,  born  in  the  Mohawk  valley. 
His  grandfather,  Adam  Weaver,  was  a  sol- 
dier in  both  the  Revolutionary  war  and  the 
second  war  with  Great  Britain,  in  1812. 
The  family  are  of  German  ancestry,  and 
were  early  settlers  of  the  state  of  New  York. 
John  Weaver,  the  father,  grew  to  manhood 
in  the  village  of  Mohawk,  and  there  married 
Christine  Chrisman,  also  a  native  of  New 
York.  After  his  marriage  he  settled  in  Jef- 
ferson county,  where  he  reared  his  family 
and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  his  death 
occurring  in  1837. 

Our  subject  was  but  eleven  years  of  age 
when  his  father  died,  after  which  he  was 
compelled  to  make  his  own  way  in  the 
world.  When  a  young  man  he  went  on  the 
lakes  as  a  sailor,  and  later  followed  the  sea 
in  the  same  capacity.  In  all  he  served 
some  six  or  eight  years  on  the  water. 
Farming,  however,  was  his  main  work,  and 
he  followed  that  in  his  native  county  for 
some  years.  On  coming  west  he  com- 
menced work  on  a  farm  in  Kane  county, 
and  for  two  years  worked  by  the  month  on 
various  farms.  He  then  rented  a  farm  for 
two  years,  after  which  he  rented  the  Able 
farm,  where  he  remained  six  years,  and  then 
purchased  a  portion  of  his  present  farm. 
To  his  original  purchase  he  added  from  time 
to  time  until  he  had  two  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-five acres  of  valuable  land,  thirty- 
five  acres  of  which  he  has  since  sold, 
leaving  him  a  tract  of  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, with  a  good  frame  dwelling  house, 
large  and  substantial  barn,  and  good  out- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


727 


buildings.       When    purchased    the    greater 
part  of  the  farm  was  unimproved. 

Mr.  Weaver  was  united  in  marriage 
February  9,  1857,  to  Mrs.  Adelia  Trimble, 
a  native  of  Erie  county,  New  York,  born 
in  1825,  and  a  daughter  of  John  Talmage, 
who  drove  through  from  New  York  to  Chi- 
cago, with  a  team  in  1836,  and  located  in 
Du  Page  county.  Mrs.  Weaver  was  but 
eleven  years  of  age,  and  there  she  grew  to 
womanhood,  and  first  gave  her  hand  in 
marriage  to  Charles  H.  Trimble,  and  they 
settled  in  Kane  county,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming.  In  1849,  on  the  discovery  of  gold 
in  California,  he  went  to  that  new  Eldorado, 
and  there  died  soon  after.  By  her  first 
marriage,  she  became  the  mother  of  two 
children — Adelbert,  who  grew  to  mature 
years  and  then  died,  and  Ella,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  thirteen  years. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weaver  six  children 
were  born  as  follows:  Ada  A.,  who  died 
when  about  seven  years  of  age;  Frances  E., 
now  the  wife  of  James  McDermott,  of  Wis- 
consin; Imogene,  who  died  in  childhood; 
Fanny,  who  also  died  in  childhood,  Oris- 
sa,  wife  of  Theodore  Brandenburg,  of 
Kane  county;  and  Herbert  A.,  who  married 
Florence  Emmett,  a  native  of  Kane  county, 
who  was  educated  in  Geneva  and  Batavia, 
and  taught  school  for  some  years  previous 
to  her  marriage,  as  did  also  her  husband; 
they  have  one  child,  Roy  Maxwell. 

Mr.  Weaver  was  originally  an  old-line 
Whig,  but  has  been  a  Republican  since  the 
organization  of  that  party.  For  nearly 
fifty  years  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Kane 
county,  and  is  well  and  favorably  known 
as  a  man  of  exemplary  habits  and  upright 
and  character,  he  and  his  estimable  wife 
are  held  in  the  highest  respect  by  all  who 
know  them. 

36 


MARSHALL  LAWRENCE,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  general  and  dairy  farming  on 
section  8,  Burlington  township,  was  born 
on  section  32  of  the  same  township,  and  is 
the  son  of  Edward  and  Melissa  (Marshall) 
Lawrence.  Edward  Lawrence  is  the  son 
of  Robert  Lawrence,  who  for  many  years 
ran  a  boat  on  the  canal  in  England,  and 
there  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years, 
never  coming  to  this  country.  Our  sub- 
ject's father  was  born  in  Thurnham,  Lan- 
cashire, England,  where  for  eleven  years  he 
ran  a  merchant  boat  on  the  canal.  Remov- 
ing from  that  place,  he  resided  at  Liverpool 
for  about  one  year,  and  then  carne  to  Amer- 
ica in  company  with  two  brothers,  sailing 
for  New  York  from  Liverpool  in  1850. 
The  two  brothers  that  accompanied  him 
were  both  younger.  William  is  deceased 
and  John  resides  in  Sycamore,  De  Kalb 
county.  Coming  direct  to  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  Edward  Lawrence  settled  in  St. 
Charles,  where  he  resided  one  summer,  re- 
moving from  there  to  Charter  Grove,  De 
Kalb  county,  where  he  purchased  a  farm 
and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  After 
his  marriage  he  bought  a  farm  on  section 
32,  Burlington  township,  and  later,  about 
1860,  purchased  the  farm  on  which  our  sub- 
ject now  resides  on  sections  8,  16,  and  17, 
Burlington  township.  Here  Mr.  Lawrence 
made  his  home  until  1881,  when  he  retired 
from  active  life  and  moved  to  Genoa,  De 
Kalb  county,  Illinois,  residing  there  up  to 
November,  1896,  at  which  time  he  removed 
to  Elgin,  where  he  is  now  living  in  re- 
tirement. 

On  the  4th  of  June,  1856,  Edward  Law- 
rence was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Me- 
lissa Marshall,  born  in  Nottinghamshire, 
England,  and  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Mary  (Bingham)  Marshall.  Mrs.  Law- 


728 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


rence's  father  served  for  seven  years  in  the 
British  army.  To  this  union  were  born 
four  children  in  order  of  birth  as  follows: 
Marshall,  the  subject  of  this  review;  Jennie, 
residing  in  Elgin  with  her  parents;  Robert 
Edward,  a  merchant  of  Elgin;  and  MaryE., 
wife  of  Edwin  Lawson,  also  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  in  Elgin,  Illinois. 

Marshall  Lawrence  was  an  attendant  of 
the  district  school  No.  10,  Burlington  town- 
ship, until  his  twentieth  birthday,  after 
which  he  rented  his  father's  farm,  consisting 
of  one  hundred  and  ninety  acres  on  sections 
8,  16,  and  17,  which  he  conducts  as  a  general 
and  dairy  farm,  milking  from  thirty  to  thirty- 
five  cows,  and  selling  the  product  to  the  fac- 
tory at  Burlington.  Mr.  Lawrence  was  joined 
in  wedlock  February  24,  1886,  in  Genoa, 
De  Kalb  county,  Illinois,  with  Miss  Sallie 
Schairer,  a  native  of  Naperville,  Illinois, 
and  a  daughter  of  George  and  Salome 
(Vogt)  Schairer,  the  former  dying  when  Sal- 
lie  was  but  five  years  old. 

George  Schairer  was  born  in  Baden,  Ger- 
many, January  12,  1813,  and  died  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1868.  In  1826,  when  only  a  lad  of 
thirteen,  he  came  to  America,  reaching  his 
destination  after  passing  through  a  number 
of  exciting  adventures,  including  that  of 
shipwreck.  He  had  sailed  for  New  York, 
but  eventually  landed  in  New  Orleans,  from 
which  place  he  started  north.  Working  at 
various  places  in  the  different  states  on  his 
way  up,  he  finally  reached  Chicago,  two 
years  after  his  landing  in  New  Orleans.  On 
his  arrival  in  Chicago  he  took  up  the  trade 
of  a  tailor,  which  he  learned  thoroughly. 
Leaving  Chicago  he  went  to  Naperville,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for  many 
years.  On  the  15th  of  September,  1865, 
he  removed  to  Burlington,  Illinois,  where  he 
purchased  a  farm  consisting  of  one  hundred 


and  forty  acres.  This  farm  was  purchased 
on  the  1 5th  of  December  of  the  same  year, 
and  later  was  increased  to  two  hundred  and 
thirty-seven  and  a  half  acres,  which  his  sons, 
Charles  and  Lewis,  now  operate.  Mr. 
Schairer  continued  working  at  his  trade  up  to 
a  short  time  before  his  death.  He  was  an 
earnest  worker  and  an  active  member  of  the 
Lutheran  church,  and  fraternally  he  was  a 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

George  Shairer  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Salome  Vogt,  a  native  of  Gierst- 
heim,  Alsace,  Germany,  and  who  came  with 
her  parents  to  America  when  ten  years  of 
age.  The  family  settled  in  Lisle,  Du  Page 
county,  Illinois,  where  the  father  bought  an 
eighty-acre  farm.  Both  parents  of  Mrs. 
Schairer  were  killed  in  a  cyclone,  which  oc- 
curred in  1868,  the  father  meeting  his  death 
at  the  bridge,  being  struck  by  flying  timbers 
as  he  was  hastening  home  to  protect  his 
family;  the  mother  being  killed  in  the  house 
with  her  children,  none  of  whom  met  injury. 
The  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Schairer,  Philip 
Vogt,  and  his  two  sons  were  killed  while 
serving  in  the  French  army  in  Africa.  Of 
the  seven  children  born  to  George  and 
Salome  Schairer,  five  yet  survive, as  follows: 
George,  a  resident  of  Aurora;  Charles  H., 
a  resident  of  Elgin;  Carrie  M.,  wife  of 
Charles  A.  Chase;  Louis,  a  merchant  of 
Burlington;  and  Sallie,  wife  of  our  subject. 

To  Marshall  and  Sallie  (Schairer)  Law- 
rence have  been  born  two  children,  Pearl 
Winifred  and  Bertha  May.  In  political 
belief  Mr.  Lawrence  is  independent,  voting 
for  the  man  he  considers  best  qualified  to 
fill  the  office  regardless  of  party.  He  has 
served  in  several  official  positions,  among 
them  that  of  highway  commissioner,  which 
office  he  filled  for  some  five  years,  and  then 
refused  to  be  a  candidate.  He  was  school 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


729 


director  for  over  thirteen  years,  always  tak- 
ing a  deep  interest  in  all  things  pertaining 
to  education  or  plans  to  advance  the  ma- 
terial interests  of  his  county. 


WILLAM  GROTE.— The  city  of  Elgin 
has  within  its  borders  a  number  of 
men  who  have  become  prominent  in  the 
social,  political  and  financial  world,  and 
among  them  all  none  stand  higher,  or  are 
worthy  of  greater  commendation  than  the 
one  whose  name  heads  this  sketch.  His 
parents,  Wm.  and  Sophia  (Eberhardt) 
Grote,  were  German  peasants  of  thrifty, 
careful  and  religious  habits,  who  spent  their 
last  days  in  the  new  world,  locating  in  Bart- 
lett,  Du  Page  county,  Illinois,  in  1867,  the 
mother  dying  in  1879,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
seven  years,  and  the  father  May  27,  1895, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years. 

William  Grote  was  born  in  the  hamlet 
of  Winzlar,  in  the  province  of  Hanover, 
Germany,  November  22,  1849,  and  there 
secured  a  limited  education  in  the  parodcial 
schools.  Early  in  life  he  learned  of  that 
country,  in  which  peasant  life  was  unknown, 
and  where  even  the  humblest  had  the  op- 
portunity of  attaining  the  highest  rank — the 
grand  United  States  of  America.  Obtain- 
ing the  consent  of  his  parents,  he  crossed 
the  Atlantic  in  1866,  when  but  sixteen  years 
of  age,  landing  in  New  York,  but  at  once 
coming  west,  locating  in  Bartlett,  Du  Page 
county,  Illinois,  where  for  one  year  he  was 
employed  as  a  farm  hand.  He  was  then 
joined  by  his  parents,  and  together  they 
purchased  a  farm  which  they  cultivated  for 
nearly  five  years. 

While  not  not  altogether  distasteful  to 
him,  the  life  of  a  farmer  was  not  suited  to 


our  subject.  His  energy  and  his  mental 
make-up  were  not  such  as  could  be  satisfied 
with  farm  work,  however  honorable  or 
however  profitable  it  might  be.  Accordingly 
in  1871  he  left  the  farm  and  removed  to 
Elgin,  where  he  embarked  in  the  mercantile 
business,  which  he  successfully  continued 
for  eleven  years.  Though  it  yielded  a  good 
income  and  was  a  paying  investment,  it  did 
not,  however,  offer  the  scope  for  extended 
operations  which  he  desired,  and  he  there- 
fore disposed  of  his  interests.  Prior  to  this 
he  had  invested  somewhat  in  real  estate  in 
Elgin,  and  on  retiring  from  the  mercantile 
trade  he  determined  to  engage  more  exten- 
sively in  the  real  estate  business. 

Not  having  all  the  capital  desired  for  the 
prosecution  of  his  new  enterprise,  Mr. 
Grote  associated  with  himself  in  a  portion 
of  the  business  E.  D.  Waldron,  who  became 
the  "silent  partner"  of  the  firm.  His  suc- 
cess was  remarkable  from  the  beginning. 
Mr.  Grote  carefully  watched  indications  of 
rise  in  land  values,  and  when  he  thought 
investments  could  profitably  be  made,  he 
bought  land,  and  became  the  owner  of  ex- 
tensive tracts  in  and  around  Elgin,  in  addi- 
tion to  much  business  property.  This  he 
divided  into  city  lots,  and  more  than  twenty 
large  additions  were  made  by  and  through 
him,  including  the  Grote  &  Waldron,  first, 
second  and  third,  Central  Park,  Winzlar, 
Boulevard  and  Grand  View  additions. 

Some  time  later,  upon  the  partial  retire- 
ment from  active  business  of  Mr.  Waldron, 
A.  B.  Church  became  associated  with  Mr. 
Grote,  thus  strengthening  the  firm  finan- 
cially and  otherwise.  Substantial  edifices, 
which  add  to  the  beauty  and  attractiveness 
of  his  adopted  city,  stand  as  monuments  to 
the  thrift  and  enterprise  of  Mr.  Grote  and 
his  associates.  While  in  company  with  Mr. 


730 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Waldron,  he  erected  the  Grote  &  Waldron 
and  the  McClure  blocks,  and  in  1880,  in 
connection  with  Mr.  Church,  he  erected  the 
Merchants  Hotel  Block,  formerly  the  Jen- 
nings House,  in  which  is  located  the  princi- 
pal hotel  in  the  city. 

Time  has  shown  that  the  highest  type 
of  business  ability  is  found  in  the  successful 
real  estate  dealer,  who  must  be  able  to  an- 
ticipate the  rise  and  fall  in  the  value  of  land, 
must  be  able  to  read  character,  so  as  to 
know  the  individual  with  whom  he  is  deal- 
ing, and  must  so  plan  and  arrange  all  mat- 
ters that  the  persons  who  are  in  search  of  a 
location  may  be  induced  to  settle  upon 
property  which  he  controls.  Many  cities 
of  the  west  owe  their  existence  to  the  enter- 
prise and  perseverance  of  some  capable  real 
estate  dealer.  They  are  virtually  the 
founders  of  a  town  and  are  connected  with 
its  development  from  the  time  of  its  incep- 
tion. That  Mr.  Grote  has  all  the  elements 
of  the  successful  real-estate  man  is  attested 
by  his  work  in  and  for  Elgin. 

Through  the  instrumentality  of  Mr. 
Grote  many  industries  have  been  located  in 
Elgin  which  promote  commercial  activity 
and  make  it  one  of  the  thriving  cities  of  the 
northwest.  It  was  through  him  that  the 
well-known  D.  C.  Cook  Publishing  Com- 
pany established  their  house  here;  also  the 
Illinois  Watch  Case  Company,  the  Ludlow 
Shoe  Company,  the  Cutter  &  Crossett 
Company,  manufacturers  of  gents'  furnish- 
ing goods,  the  Elgin  Silver  Plate  Company, 
and  the  Elgin  Sewing  Machine  &  Bicycle 
Company,  all  of  great  importance  and  value 
to  the  city,  and  representing  a  donated 
capital  of  about  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  thousand  dollars. 

While  Mr.  Grote  has  great  capacity  for 
work  and  excellent  business  ability,  his  op- 


erations have  all  been  confined  to  Elgin. 
He  is  thoroughly  loyal  to  the  city  which 
gave  him  a  home,  and  all  his  energies  are 
for  its  upbuilding.  Among  the  various  con- 
cerns which  have  added  to  the  material 
prosperity  of  the  city,  with  which  he  is  con- 
nected, are  the  Elgin  City,  Carpentersville 
&  Aurora  railway,  of  which  he  is  president; 
also  president  of  the  Elgin  Packing  Com- 
pany; secretary  of  the  Elgin  Lumber  Com- 
pany; president  of  the  South  Elgin  Stone 
Company;  director  of  the  Home  National 
Bank;  director  of  the  Home  Savings  Bank; 
secretary  of  the  Elgin  Brick  and  Tile  Com- 
pany; vice-president  of  the  Elgin  Milkine 
Company;  in  fact,  he  is  connected  with 
nearly  every  enterprise  of  importance  in 
the  city. 

In  his  private  life  Mr.  Grote  has  been 
most  fortunate.  He  was  married  March 
10,  1872,  to  Miss  Kate  Deuchler,  a  resident 
of  Dundee,  Illinois,  and  to  them  have  been 
born  five  children,  two  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  Augusta,  Anna  and  William 
are  still  living.  In  addition  to  these  they 
have  an  adopted  son,  Frank,  whom  they 
are  carefully  and  tenderly  rearing.  Mrs. 
Grote  has  been  to  her  husband  a  true  help- 
meet, and  has  seconded  him  in  every  effort 
made  to  rise  in  the  world. 

Politically  Mr.  Grote  is  a  stalwart  Re- 
publican, and  is  deeply  interested  in  the 
success  and  growth  of  his  party.  Although 
it  would  seem  that  his  business  enterprises 
would  occupy  his  entire  time  and  attention, 
he  has  served  the  people  as  supervisor  two 
years  and  assistant  supervisor  four  years. 
For  six  years  he  was  one  of  the  members  of 
the  board  of  education  of  Elgin,  working 
earnestly  for  the  advancement  of  its  schools. 
In  1891  he  headed  his  party's  ticket  for  the 
position  of  mayor,  was  elected  and  served 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


731 


so  acceptably  that  the  business  and  repre- 
sentative men  of  the  city,  in  1893,  elected 
him  for  a  second  term.  He  is  strong  in  all 
the  essentials  that  combine  to  make  a  val- 
uable and  trustworthy  official.  Whatever 
he  undertakes  to  do  he  does  thoroughly  and 
well.  He  conducted  his  office  as  he  would 
manage  his  own  affairs,  strictly  on  business 
principles,  and  for  this  reason  he  has  given 
general  satisfaction.  The  people  delight 
to  honor  such  men — men  who  accept  public 
office  as  .a  public  trust,  and  who  bear  its 
responsibilities  and  perform  its  duties  fear- 
lessly and  conscientiously,  jealously  guard- 
ing the  sacred  interests  of  the  people  whom 
they  have  been  called  to  serve. 

During  the  administration  of  Mr.  Grote 
as  mayor  a  new  city  hall  was  built,  and 
upon  its  completion  he  donated  the  clock 
which  now  adorns  its  tower.  Many  im- 
provements in  the  way  of  sewerage  and 
paving  were  made  during  his  incumbency  of 
the  office,  the  light  and  water  plants  were 
largely  increased,  and  other  improvements 
added,  which  make  Elgin  one  of  the  most 
advanced  cities  in  northern  Illinois. 

It  is  as  a  philanthropist  and  public  ben- 
efactor that  Mr.  Grote  is  entitled  to  more 
credit  than  he  has  yet  received.  His  char- 
ities have  ever  been  of  the  most  quiet  and 
unostentatious  character,  and  within  a  few 
years  he  has  given  thousands  of  dollars, 
with  scarcely  a  comment  beyond  those  from 
the  people  most  directly  interested.  With 
the  German  Evangelical  Association  he  has 
been  identified  since  childhood,  and  in  the 
erection  of  the  magnificent  house  of  wor- 
ship of  that  body  in  Elgin,  built  at  a  cost  of 
about  thirty  thousand  dollars,  and  which  is 
the  finest  in  the  city,  he  contributed  most 
liberally,  which  enabled  the  church  to  be 
dedicated  free  from  debt.  He  is  trustee  of 


the  association,  and  for  many  years  has  been 
superintendent  of  its  Sunday-school,  a  po- 
sition which  he  is  eminently  qualified  to  fill. 
He  also  acted  as  one  of  the  trustees  for  the 
association's  board  of  publication  for  Amer- 
ica, Germany  and  Japan,  which  has  head- 
quarters at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  as  trustee 
for  Northwestern  College,  located  at  Naper- 
ville,  Illinois. 

When  the  association  desired  to  estab- 
lish a  mission  at  Lane  Park  addition  to  Lake 
View,  Chicago,  it  was  found  that  no  funds 
were  available,  and  Mr.  Grote  then  set  to 
work.  He  first  secured  two  lots  from  the 
owners,  and  then  personally  assisted  in 
building  the  church  and  partially  supported 
its  minister  for  a  period  of  five  years.  This 
church  is  now  prosperous  and  self-sustain- 
ing. When  the  Sherman  hospital  was 
erected  in  Elgin  he  contributed  one  thou- 
sand dollars,  and,  in  addition,  he  has  given 
much  and  often  to  other  worthy  charities, 
of  which  he  keeps  no  record.  He  gives 
from  a  true  Christian  spirit,  and  not  from 
any  desire  to  win  the  praise  of  his  fellow-men. 
There  is  nothing  narrow  or  contracted  in 
his  nature,  and  he  has  made  generous  do- 
nations to  various  other  churches,  helping 
nearly  all  denominations  in  Elgin. 

In  1887,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and 
children,  Mr.  Grote  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
the  old  world,  and  visited  many  parts  of 
Europe,  spending  many  pleasant  hours  amid 
the  scenes  of  his  boyhood.  He  has  also 
traveled  extensively  in  the  United  States, 
and  finds  in  travel  his  chief  source  of  rest 
and  recreation.  Mr.  Grote  is  a  very  busy 
man,  yet  he  is  ever  ready  to  pause  in  the 
midst  of  his  business  duties  to  listen  to  the 
appeals  and  relieve  the  needy.  He  is 
wholly  worthy  of  the  respect  which  is  every- 
where tendered  him,  for  his  very  name  is 


732 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


synonymous  with  honorable  dealing,  and 
with  all  that  is  elevating  to  the  individual 
or  beneficial  to  the  city. 


AUGUSTUS  H.  DETTMER  is  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  German-American  citi- 
zens who  have  done  so  much  in  developing 
the  agricultural  interests  of  the  northwest. 
He  resides  on  section  29,  Hampshire  town- 
ship, where  he  has  a  fine  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  of  well-improved 
land.  He  was  born  in  the  village  of  Lang- 
endahl,  Hessen  Cassel,  Germany,  Decem- 
ber 7,  1835.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
August  Dettmer,  was  the  keeper  of  an  inn, 
near  the  River  Weser,  and  owned  a  small 
farm.  The  inn  was  on  a  road  along  which 
drivers  of  teams  which  towed  vessels  up  the 
river  had  to  return,  by  a  short  cut,  to  their 
starting  place.  He  was  a  good  business 
man  and  quite  prosperous.  His  wife  was  a 
Miss  Albrecht.  His  son,  William  Dettmer, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  the 
village  of  Gretzbuern,  Hessen  Cassel,  in 
1809.  He  was  reared  to  manhood  in  his 
native  country  and  there  married  Miss  Wil- 
helmina  Alberding,  born  in  Langendahl,  in 
1807,  and  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Alberding,  a 
farmer  in  the  old  country.  They  became 
the  parents  of  seven  children,  as  follows: 
Augustus  H.,  our  subject;  Phillip,  deceased; 
Caroline,  living  in  Sycamore,  Illinois;  Her- 
man, deceased;  Charles,  living  in  South 
Grove  township,  De  Kalb  county,  Illinois; 
Henry,  deceased;  Cornelia,  who  married 
Joseph  Schnee,  and  resides  in  South  Grove 
township,  De  Kalb  county. 

In  1849,  William  Dettmer  came  with 
his  family  to  the  United  States,  and,  land- 
ing in  New  York,  there  resided  one  year, 
and  then  came  west  and  purchased  a  farm 


in  South  Grove  township,  De  Kalb  county, 
Illinois,  on  which  he  resided  until  his  death, 
in  1889,  when  in  his  eightieth  year.  He 
also  followed  agricultural  pursuits  in  Ger- 
many, and,  being  an  only  son,  he  was  re- 
quired to  work  very  hard  when  a  boy,  and 
therefore  had  but  little  educational  advan- 
tages. Trained  to  hard  work,  he  kept  it 
up  during  his  entire  life,  and  became  one  of 
the  most  prosperous  farmers  in  De  Kalb 
county. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended 
school  in  his  native  village,  and  also  at  Nas- 
sen,  Germany.  He  was  fourteen  years  old 
when  the  family  emigrated  to  America,  in 
the  spring  of  1849.  Sailing  from  Bremen, 
in  April  of  that  year,  on  the  ship  "  Her- 
mena  ",  after  a  voyage  of  three  weeks,  they 
landed  in  New  York,  where  he  remained  un- 
til 1856.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he 
came  to  Illinois,  first  locating  in  South 
Grove  township,  DeKalb  county,  and 
worked  for  various  farmers  for  about  four 
years.  On  the  i6th  of  September,  1861, 
he  married,  in  Hampshire  township,  Miss 
Magdelena  Munch,  who  was  born  in  Tona- 
wanda,  Niagara  county,  New  York,  about 
1840,  and  died  March,  1890.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  Phillip  and  Magdelena  (Scheur) 
Munch,  the  former  a  native  of  Alsace,  Ger- 
many. By  this  union  are  five  children— 
Lydia,  who  married  Harrison  Reams, 
whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this 
work;  George,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nine 
months;  Emma,  who  married  Mark  Devine, 
by  whom  she  has  one  child,  Dettmer;  they 
reside  in  Elburn,  Illinois;  Matilda,  who 
married  Henry  Rittel,  and  lives  in  Hamp- 
shire, Illinois;  and  Edward  A.,  who  mar- 
ried Alice  Reid,  daughter  of  Alexan- 
der Reid,  whose  genealogy  is  given  in 
full  elsewhere  in  the  work.  Mrs.  Edward 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


733 


A.  Dettmer  has  been  one  of  the  successful 
teachers  of  Kane  and  De  Kalb  counties, 
having  taught  one  year  in  the  Warner  dis- 
trict, three  years  in  the  district  where  she 
now  resides,  in  Kane  county,  and  three 
years  in  De  Kalb  county.  She  graduated 
from  the  Hampshire  High  School  in  1890. 
In  1 86 1,  Mr.  Dettmer  rented  a  farm  for 
one  year  in  De  Kalb  county,  and  then 
bought  eighty-five  acres  in  South  Grove, 
township,  Dakota  county,  which  he  con- 
tinued to  operate  for  ten  years.  In  1872, 
he  sold  that  farm,  and  purchased  his  pres- 
ent place  on  section  29,  Hampshire  town- 
ship, Kane  county,  Illinois,  rebuilt  the  house 
house  and  barns,  and  has  since  continued 
to  reside.  For  some  years  he  was  engaged 
in  general  farming  and  stockraising,  but 
now  gives  more  time  to  dairy  farming,  ship- 
ping the  products  from  Hampshire  to  Chi- 
cago. His  first  presidential  vote  was  cast 
for  John  C.  Fremont,  in  1856,  and  has 
since  continued  to  act  with  the  Republican 
party.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Evangelical  church. 


QAMUEL  R.  PLUMMER,  who  is  oper- 
O  ating  a  farm  on  section  20,  Big  Rock 
township,  first  came  to  Kane  county  in  1855, 
when  a  young  man  of  twenty-four  years. 
He  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  born  in  the 
town  of  West  Newberry,  Essex  county,  May 
16,  1831.  The  family  are  of  English  de- 
scent, and  of  Quaker  stock.  His  father, 
John  L.  Plummer,  was  a  native  of  Maine, 
and  the  only  son  born  to  his  parents.  His 
father  dying  when  he  was  but  a  small  child, 
he  was  taken  to  Massachusetts  and  reared 
by  some  of  his  mother's  family.  He  mar- 
ried, in  Massachusetts,  Miss  Joanna  Rogers, 
a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  a  daughter 


of  Captain  Samuel  Rogers.  John  L.  Plum- 
mer was  by  occupation  a  farmer,  and  also  a 
manufacturer  of  shoes.  He  spent  his  life 
and  reared  his  family  at  West  Newberry, 
Massachusetts,  and  there  died  in  1877,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  His  wife  died 
about  1851.  Of  their  three  sons  and  six 
daughters,  seven  grew  to  mature  years,  our 
subject  and  three  daughters  being  the  only 
survivors. 

In  his  native  town,  Samuel  R.  Plummer 
was  reared  and  educated  in  its  public  schools. 
In  his  youth  he  learned  the  carpenter's  and 
joiner's  trade,  and  followed  that  occupation 
prior  to  his  removal  west.  On  coming  to 
Kane  county  he  located  at  Aurora,  where 
he  engaged  in  contracting  and  building, 
following  that  business  at  intervals  for  seven 
years.  In  1862  he  accepted  a  position  with 
a  Rochester,  New  York,  nursery  company, 
and  for  thirteen  years  was  engaged  in  travel- 
ing, and  selling  nursery  stock.  His  travels 
took  him  over  twenty-one  states,  and  also  into 
New  and  Old  Mexico,  during  which  time  he 
disposed  of  nearly  a  half  million  dollars 
worth  of  stock.  While  on  the  road  he  made 
his  home  at  Aurora,  and  during  which  time 
he  put  out  ten  acres  of  strawberry  plants 
in  Aurora,  and  cultivated  and  sold  the  same 
to  the  trade. 

On  leaving  the  employ  of  the  nursery 
company,  Mr.  Plummer  worked  for  about 
two  years  at  his  trade,  and  then  returned  to 
Massachusetts,  and  located  on  the  old 
homestead  which  he  operated  until  in  De- 
cember, 1883,  when  he  returned  to  Kane 
county,  and  located  on  the  place  where  he 
now  resides,  and  on  which  he  has  continued 
to  live,  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits. 
On  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  he  was 
married,  September  13,  1864,  to  Miss  Ma- 
tilda, a  daughter  of  Alexis  and  Ophelia  B. 


734 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


(Long)  Hall,  the  latter  being  a  daughter  of 
Dr.  Silas  Long,  who  was  the  first  physician 
in  Big  Rock  township.  He  came  from  Mas- 
sachusetts, but  was  a  native  of  Vermont. 
In  1836  he  located  on  the  farm  now  occu- 
pied by  our  subject.  Alexis  Hall  was  also 
one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  Kane  coun- 
ty, who  on  coming  here,  purchased  a  tract 
of  about  five  hundred  acres,  which  he  placed 
under  cultivation.  Squire  Hall  was  a  very 
prominent  man  in  the  early  days,  and  held 
various  positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He 
died  here  January  15,  1883,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-two  years;  his  wife  survived  him  six 
years,  dying  February  26,  1889.  Mrs. 
Plummer  was  reared  on  the  farm  here,  and 
after  attending  the  public  schools  of  the 
neighborhood,  finished  her  course  at  Jen- 
nings Seminary,  Aurora.  Her  father  was 
twice  married,  and  she  was  one  of  the  chil- 
dren by  the  second  wife.  On  the  division 
of  the  estate,  after  the  death  of  the  parents, 
she  succeeded  to  the  part  on  which  they 
now  reside.  To  Mr.  and  Mr.  Plummer 
one  daughter  was  born,  Mary  O.,  now  the 
wife  of  H.  Leon  Cutting,  who  resides  in 
Stamford,  Connecticut,  and  is  in  govern- 
ment employ  as  postal  clerk  on  the  Ham- 
burg and  American  line  of  steamers,  run- 
ning between  New  York  and  Hamburg  and 
Berlin.  He  passed  an  examination  among 
six  thousand  applicants  for  governmental 
positions,  and  is  now  one  of  sixteen  engaged 
in  that  work. 

Politically,  Mr.  Plummer  is  a  lifelong 
Republican  and  a  firm  believer  in  the  prin- 
ciples of  that  party.  He  was  made  a  Mas- 
ter Mason  in  Aurora  in  1859,  and  is  now  a 
Knight  Templar.  For  forty-three  years  he 
has  been  identified  with  the  interests  of 
Kane  county,  and  in  its  growth  and  pros- 
perity he  takes  especial  pleasure. 


JOHN  G.  KIRK,  who  owns  and  operates 
a  large  farm  on  section  10,  Burlington 
township,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Lanark- 
shire, Scotland,  December  31,  1843.  He 
was  fifth  in  a  family  of  seven  children  born 
to  Joseph  and  Charlotte  (Schoulds)  Kirk. 
Joseph  Kirk  and  his  wife  were  both  natives 
of  "  Bonnie  Scotland,"  as  was  also  his  fa- 
ther, Joseph  Kirk,  Sr. ,  who  for  many  years 
was  an  officer  of  the  British  army.  He  was 
born  near  the  town  of  Bigger,  in  the  eastern 
part  of  Lanarkshire,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  farming  until  coming  to  America  in  1851. 
After  coming  to  the  United  States  he  again 
took  up  the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  at  which 
he  continued  until  his  death  in  1858,  when 
he  had  reached  the  advanced  age  of  seventy- 
one  years. 

John  G.  Kirk  left  the  land  of  his  birth 
when  a  lad  of  eight  years,  and,  coming 
direct  to  the  United  States,  settled  in  North- 
port,  near  New  Haven,  Connecticut,  in 
company  with  his  parents.  Here  he  resided 
for  six  years,  attending  school  in  the  mean- 
while. In  1857  the  bright  halo  of  success 
which  surrounded  the  west  at  that  time 
attracted  him,  and  determining  to  succeed 
in  life,  he  immigrated  to  Illinois,  settling 
in  St.  Charles,  Kane  county,  where  he  re- 
sided for  a  number  of  years,  and  then  went 
to  Chicago.  After  trying  various  kinds  of 
employment  he  engaged  in  the  meat-market 
business,  at  which  he  continued  for  two 
years,  when  he  left  the  mercantile  trade  to 
take  the  position  of  fireman  on  the  Illinois 
Central  railroad,  also  later  being  employed 
by  the  Northwestern  railway  at  the  same 
work.  Leaving  the  railroad,  at  which  he 
had  been  engaged  for  over  two  years,  he 
came  back  to  St.  Charles,  where  he  bought 
a  small  farm  and  opened  up  a  meat  market 
in  the  town,  which  occupied  his  attention 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


735 


for  the  succeeding  two  years.  He  kept  his 
farm  for  three  or  four  years;  then  selling  it, 
rented  a  farm  in  Virgin  township  for  three 
years. 

In  1 88 1  Mr.  Kirk  bought  the  farm  on 
which  he  now  resides,  consisting  of  one  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  finely  cultivated  farm 
land.  This  he  ran  as  a  dairy  farm  princi- 
pally until  1896,  when  he  commenced  buy- 
ing and  selling  dairy  stock  and  fattening 
steers  for  the  market  in  connection  with  his 
general  farming.  On  purchasing  his  farm 
our  subject  rebuilt  the  house  and  moved 
the  barns  and  other  outbuildings  across  the 
road  to  a  later  purchase,  in  order  to  make 
the  group  of  buildings  one  home  place.  The 
farm  is  well  improved  and  is  extremely  fer- 
tile, being  well  tiled  throughout. 

To  the  father  and  mother  of  Mr.  Kirk 
seven  children  were  born,  their  order  of 
birth  being  as  follows:  Jane,  the  wife  of 
Samuel  S.  Lee,  residing  in  St.  Charles; 
Francis,  married  and  residing  with  his  chil- 
dren west  of  Batavia;  Elizabeth,  deceased; 
Joseph,  residing  near  St.  Charles,  Illinois; 
John  G.,  our  subject;  Margaret,  deceased; 
and  William,  who  is  now  living  in  Chicago. 

On  the  3rd  of  April,  1862,  Mr.  Kirk  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Louisa  Pazen, 
a  native  of  Germany,  born  at  Ems,  on 
River  Lahn,  in  Hessen  Nassen,  April  20, 
1839,  and  came  to  America  in  1853,  sailing 
from  Amsterdam  and  landing  in  New  York, 
being  sixty-three  days  on  the  water.  She 
came  direct  to  Chicago,  where  the  marriage 
ceremony  was  solemnized.  The  father  of 
Mrs.  Kirk  died  while  they  yet  resided  in 
their  native  land,  and  before  leaving  the  old 
country  Mrs.  Pazen  took  all  the  children 
through  Amsterdam,  showing  them  the 
various  points  of  interest,  as  more  than 
likely  they  would  never  have  the  opportun- 


ity to  again  view  the  grand  old  town.  Mrs. 
Kirk  yet  remembers  well  the  line  of  de- 
markation  where  the  muddy  waters  of  the 
Lahn  mingle  with  the  clean  green  of  the 
Rhine,  as  it  flows  into  the  latter. 

To  Jacob  and  Helen  (Bensz)  Pazen  were 
born  seven  children:  Frank  C.,  a  former 
resident  of  Wisconsin,  is  now  deceased; 
Gertrude,  deceased;  Jacob,  who  now  resides 
in  Oskosh,  Wisconsin;  Sophie,  deceased; 
Louisa,  the  wife  of  our  subject;  Susetta, 
living  in  the  city  of  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin; 
and  Joseph,  who  occupies  a  very  prominent 
position  with  the  Chicago  fire  department. 
He  is  the  second  assistant  to  the  chief,  and 
is  well  and  favorably  known  in  political  and 
social  circles,  where  he  exerts  considerable 
influence. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kirk  have  been  blessed  by 
the  birth  of  eight  children,  seven  of  whom 
are  yet  living.  Frank,  the  eldest  born  is 
deceased.  The  living  are:  Ella,  residing 
at  home  with  her  parents;  Walter,  who  is  a 
milk  conductor  on  the  Illinois  Central  rail- 
way, running  to  Chicago,  married  Laura  God- 
frey, a  daughter  of  Charles  B.  Godfrey,  of 
Burlington,  Illinois,  and  by  whom  she  has 
two  children — Elmer  and  Verna;  Lillie,  re- 
siding at  home;  Jennette  married  Ennis 
Chapman,  a  blacksmith  of  Burlington,  Illi- 
nois, and  has  three  children — Florence, 
Ada  and  Frank;  Mary,  Gertrude  and  Adella, 
all  residing  with  their  father  and  mother  in 
Burlington  township. 

In  political  faith,  Mr.  Kirk  is  an  ardent 
Republican,  and  while  not  caring  for  official 
position,  preferring  to  give  his  attention  to 
his  business  interests,  has  been  prevailed 
upon  to  accept  the  office  of  justice  of  the 
peace,  which  he  has  held  since  1896,  prior 
to  which  time  he  served  as  constable  for 
four  years.  He  was  also  a  school  director 


736 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


for  six  years.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Kirk  is  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  belonging  to  the  lodge  at  St. 
Charles,  Illinois. 

While  a  resident  of  Chicago,  he  was  se- 
lected to  drive  and  escort  President  Lincoln 
around  through  the  city.  He  is  president 
of  the  Annual  Picnic  Association  of  Burling- 
ton township,  the  meetings  of  which  attract 
many  thousands. 


HAROLD  D.  HEMMENS,  editor  and 
publisher  of  the  "  Daily  and  Weekly 
Courier,"  was  born  in  Elgin  in  1858.  In 
1882  he,  with  the  late  W.  S.  Doherty,  be- 
gan the  publication  of  the  "Courier,"  and 
has  since  continued  the  work  up  to  the 
present  time.  He  advocates  all  measures 
for  the  good  of  the  city,  and  champions  its 
progress  along  all  beneficial  lines.  Journal- 
ism has  been  his  life  work,  and  in  his  chosen 
field  of  labor  he  has  won  a  fair  success. 


JOHN  W.  CRIGHTON,  section  4,  Ge- 
neva township,  is  one  of  the  practical, 
representative  farmers  of  the  township  in 
which  he  resides.  He  is  what  may  well  be 
termed  "  a  native  son  of  Illinois,"  born  in 
Dundee  township,  Kane  county,  September 
15,  1854.  The  father  of  our  subject,  Will- 
iam Crighton,  was  born  in  Scotland,  where 
he  attained  his  majority,  and  came  to  the 
United  States  a  young  man  of  twenty-one. 
Corning  direct  to  Illinois,  he  located  in  Chi- 
cago, and  there  engaged  in  the  butcher 
business  for  some  years.  He  later  re- 
moved to  Kane  county,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  •  farm  near  Dundee,  which  he 
opened  up  and  improved.  Mr.  Crighton 
continued  in  agricultural  pursuits  for  a  num- 


ber of  years,  and  having  acquired  a  com- 
petence, which  enables  him  to  live  in  ease 
and  retirement,  he  moved  to  the  village  of 
Dundee,  where  he  has  since  resided.  Will- 
iam Crighton  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Grace  Todd,  whose  land  of  nativity 
was  Scotland,  but  who  came  to  this  coun- 
try when  a  lass  of  seven.  Her  father, 
James  Todd,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Kane  county,  locating  in  Dundee  town^ 
ship. 

John  W.  Crighton,  our  subject,  grew  to 
manhood  on  the  old  farm  in  Dundee  town- 
ship, and  received  his  education  in  the  dis- 
trict and  high  school  at  Dundee.  He  re- 
mained at  home  until  he  attained  his  ma- 
jority, and  then  went  to  Chicago,  and  there 
worked  one  year  for  other  parties  in  the 
milk  business,  then  started  in  the  same  line 
for  himself.  For  thirteen  years  he  contin- 
ued in  the  milk  business  in  Chicago  with 
gratifying  success,  having  worked  up  a  large 
trade.  About  1886  he  traded  his  Chicago 
property  for  seventy-eight  acres  of  his  pres- 
ent farm,  and  in  the  spring  of  1889  moved 
to  the  place  and  has  since  been  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits.  Since  locating  on  the 
farm  he  has  built  a  good  residence  and 
large  barn  and  made  other  substantial  im- 
provements. To  his  original  purchase  he 
has  added  sixty-five  acres  adjoining,  and  has 
now  one  of  the  best  improved  farms  in  the 
neighborhood. 

Mr.  Crighton  was  married  at  Glen 
Ellyn,  Illinois,  April  29,  1880,  to  Miss 
Mary  Cooper,  a  native  of  Illinois,  born  and 
reared  at  Glen  Ellyn,  and  a  sister  of  Hon. 
L.  C.  Cooper,  of  that  place.  By  this  union 
there  are  three  living  children — Harry  Les- 
lie, Edith  A. ,  and  John  Wilbur.  The  first 
born,  William,  died  when  five  years  of  age. 

Politically  Mr.    Crighton  is  a   life-long 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


737 


Republican,  having  cast  his  first  presiden- 
tial ballot  for  Rutherford  B.  Hayes  in  1876. 
The  principles  of  the  party  have  ever  been 
such  that  he  could  readily  give  his  assent 
to,  but  he  has  never  been  a  politician  in  the 
common  acceptation  of  the  term.  Office 
seeking  especially  has  been  distasteful  to 
him,  his  time  and  attention  being  given  to 
his  business  interests.  Religiously  his  wife 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  in  which  she  is  especially  interest- 
ed. Socially  they  are  both  held  in  the 
highest  esteem,  and  have  many  friends  in 
Kane  and  Cook  counties.  Success  has 
crowned  their  efforts,  and  they  are  num- 
bered among  the  well-to-do  citizens  of  Ge- 
neva township. 


THOMAS  H.  SOLOMON,  who  owns 
and  operates  a  farm  on  section  16, 
Burlington  township,  was  born  in  the  city 
of  Chicago,  on  State  'street,  September  12, 
1850,  and  was  the  second  child  to  bless 
the  union  of  Thomas  and  Emma  (Pierce) 
Solomon.  Thomas  Solomon,  the  father  of 
our  subject,  was  born  in  Cornwall,  Eng- 
land, and  in  early  life  learned  the  trade  of  a 
shoemaker.  This  occupation  he  followed 
in  Cornwall,  and  also  in  Chicago  after  his 
removal  to  the  United  States.  In  1854  he, 
desiring  a  change,  moved  to  Burlington 
township,  where  he  purchased  one  hundred 
and  thirty-seven  acres  of  farming  land,  and 
here  resided  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1896,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years. 

Thomas  Solomon  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Emma  Pierce,  a  native  of 
Cornwall,  England,  and  a  daughter  of  John 
Pierce.  Mrs.  Solomon  died  in  November, 
1884,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six.  To  this 
union  was  born  five  children,  all  of  whom 


are  yet  living,  and  whose  order  of  birth  is 
as  follows:  John,  residing  in  Sycamore, 
De  Kalb  county,  Illinois;  Thomas  H.,  the 
subject  of  this  review;  Joseph,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Nebraska;  William, now 
operating  a  grocery  in  Ottawa,  Illinois; 
Mary  Jane,  who  first  married  Dr.  Morand, 
and  after  his  death  was  again  united  in  mar- 
riage, being  wedded  to  William  Keren,  who 
is  engaged  in  farming  in  Michigan. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  but  four 
years  of  age  when,  he  came  with  his  parents 
to  Kane  county,  settling  in  Burlington  town- 
ship. Here  he  attended  school  until  the 
age  of  fifteen,  after  which  he  aided  his  father 
in  the  cultivation  of  the  home  farm,  but 
upon  reaching  his  majority  he  was  joined 
in  wedlock  with  Miss  Grace  Munn,  and 
rented  a  farm  in  Virgil  township  for  one 
year.  Returning  to  Burlington  township, 
he  leased  his  father's  farm  for  three  years, 
and  then  moved  to  St.  Charles,  Illinois, 
where  he  was  employed  in  various  capaci- 
ties for  the  succeeding  two  years.  Remov- 
ing back  to  Burlington  township,  Mr.  Solo- 
mon bought  a  small  farm  of  twenty-six 
acres,  where  he  resided  twelve  years.  Sell- 
ing this  place,  he  again  rented  his  father's 
homestead.  In  June,  1891,  he  purchased 
his  present  place,  consisting  of  forty  acres, 
which  he  operates  as  a  dairy  farm,  also 
being  largely  interested  in  bees.  In  con- 
nection with  his  dairy  business,  he  raises 
hogs  and  poultry  for  the  market. 

On  the  24th  of  September,  1871,  Mr. 
Solomon  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Grace  Munn,  as  before  mentioned.  Mrs. 
Solomon  was  born  in  Virgil  township,  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  and  is  the  daughter  of  John 
Munn,  a  native  of  East  Kent,  England. 
John  Munn  emigrated  to  America  in  1845, 
and  lived  to  the  age  of  seventy-one  years, 


738 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


dying  about  1878.  His  father,  JohnMunn, 
Sr. ,  died  in  England,  where  he  resided  all 
his  life.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Solomon  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Thankful 
Northway,  a  daughter  of  Harmon  North- 
way,  a  native  of  England.  To  John  and 
Thankful  Munn  were  born  seven  children, 
of  whom  Mrs.  Solomon  was  third  in  order 
of  birth. 

The  union  of  Thomas  H.  Solomon  and 
Grace  Munn,  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of 
six  children:  Fred,  residing  at  home; 
Stella,  wife  of  Wm.  Van  Doosen,  a  farmer 
of  Burlington,  and  to  whom  have  been 
born  one  child,  Edith;  Fannie  is  the  wife  of 
Edward  Vogle,  who  is  engaged  in  farming 
in  Riley  township,  McHenry  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  to  them  one  child  has  been  born, 
which  -died  in  infancy;  Frank,  Edna  and 
Ida,  all  residing  with  their  parents. 

Mr.  Solomon  is  an  ardent  supporter  of 
Republican  principles,  and  has  been  some- 
what active  in  local  politics.  He  was  an 
efficient  constable  of  the  township  for 
twelve  years,  and  filled  that  office  to  the 
satisfaction  of  others  as  well  as  his  parti- 
sans. He  was  also  school  director  for  a 
period  of  six  years.  Fraternally,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica, Burlington  camp,  No.  471. 


CH.  WAYNE,  who  has  attained  dis- 
tinction as  one  of  the  able  members  of 
the  Elgin  bar,  is  now  practicing  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Botsford,  Wayne  &  Bots- 
ford.  In  this  profession  probably  more 
than  any  other  success  depends  upon  indi- 
vidual merit,  upon  a  thorough  understand- 
ing of  the  principles  of  jurisprudence,  a 
power  for  keen  analysis,  and  the  ability  to 
present  clearly,  concisely  and  forcibly  the 


strong  points  in  his  cause.  Possessing  these 
necessary  qualifications,  Mr.  \Vayne  is  ac- 
corded a  foremost  place  in  the  ranks  of  the 
profession  in  Kane  county,  and  stands  to- 
day as  one  of  the  most  esteemed  members 
of  the  Elgin  bar. 

A  native  of  Union,  McHenry  county, 
Illinois,  he  was  born  December  27,  1855, 
the  only  child  of  Harley  and  Ellen  (Dietz) 
Wayne.  His  paternal  grandfather,  An- 
thony Wayne,  a  native  of  the  Empire  state, 
came  to  Illinois  in  1842,  locating  in  McHenry 
county,  where  he  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  had  a  family  of  three  sons 
and  a  daughter,  and  died  at  an  advanced 
age.  The  maternal  grandfather,  William 
Dietz,  was  also  born  in  New  York,  and  was 
of  German  lineage.  He  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  and  died  at  the  age  of  sixty 
years.  Both  the  parents  of  our  subject 
were  born  in  New  York.  The  father,  locat- 
ing in  McHenry  county  about  1842,  was  a 
general  merchant  of  Union  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  was  a  very  prominent  and  influ- 
ential citizen,  especially  active  in  affairs 
political.  He  became  one  of  .the  ardent 
advocates  of  the  Republican  party  on  its 
organization,  and  in  1860  served  as  clerk  of 
the  house  of  representatives  of  Illinois.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  Civil  war  he  loyally  re- 
sponded to  the  country's  call,  mustering  as 
a  member  of  Company  D,  Fifteenth  Illinois 
Infantry.  He  was  elected  to  the  rank  of 
captain,  and  as  such  fell  fighting  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Shiloh,  April  5,  1862,  when  thirty- 
eight  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Wayne  still  sur- 
vives her  husband,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  church,  to  which  he  also  belonged. 

Charles  H.  Wayne  was  reared  in  the 
village  of  Union,  and  acquired  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  that  town  and  Ma- 
rengo.  Later  he  attended  the  Chicago 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


739 


University,  where  he  was  graduated  in  the 
class  of  1880.  Determining  to  enter  the 
legal  profession  and  make  the  practice  of 
law  his  life  work,  he  became  a  student  in 
the  law  office  of  A.  B.  Coon,  of  Marengo, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  December, 
1882.  He  came  to  Elgin  in  March,  1883, 
and  has  practiced  here  continually  since 
with  marked  success.  He  was  a  deep 
thinker,  a  logical  reasoner,  strong  in  argu- 
ment and  forceful  in  delivery,  and  his  ad- 
dresses before  court  or  jury  never  fail  to 
carry  great  weight  and  seldom  fail  to  con- 
vince, he  having  won  some  notable  forensic 
triumphs  when  opposing  some  of  the  strong- 
est members  of  the  Elgin  bar. 

On  the  I7th  of  January,  1888,  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  Mr.  Wayne  and  Miss 
Mary  C.  Smith,  a  daughter  of  Leonidas  L. 
and  Sarah  (Stewart)  Smith.  She  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Episcopal  church  and  presides 
with  gracious  hospitality  over  their  pleasant 
home,  which  is  a  favorite  resort  with  their 
many  friends.  Mr.  Wayne  belongs  to 
Marengo  lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Lansing 
chapter,  R.  A.  M.;  Bethel  commandery, 
No.  36,  K.  T.,  and  Medinah  temple  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine  of  Chicago.  He  also  belongs 
to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  In 
politics  is  a  Republican.  He  was  president 
of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Elgin  for  one 
term  and  also  mayor  of  the  city  for  one 
year,  and  his  administration  of  the  munici- 
pal affairs  was  progressive  and  reformatory. 
He  is  deeply  interested  in  all  that  pertains 
to  the  public  welfare  and  is  accounted  one 
of  the  most  valued  citizens  of  Elgin. 


JEROME  B.   ELLIS,  who  is  engaged  in 
fanning  and  stock    raising    in    Geneva 
township,  first  came  to  Kane  county  in  the 


fall  of  1856,  and  has  here  since  continued 
to  reside.  He  was  born  in  Warrensburg, 
Tioga  county,  New  York,  November  12, 
1838.  His  father,  Samuel  Ellis,  was  a  na- 
tiee  of  the  same  county  and  state,  born  in 
1805.  He  there  grew  to  manhood  and  mar- 
ried Margaret  Westbrook,  also  a  native  of 
Tioga  county,  New  York.  In  1844  he  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  Canada,  and 
there  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  buy- 
ing and  shipping  to  various  points.  For 
eleven  years  he  engaged  in  that  business 
and  in  1856  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
and  bought  the  farm  where  our  subject  now 
resides,  and  which  was  a  fairly  well  im- 
proved place.  Here  he  engaged  in  general 
farming,  and  here  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  life,  dying  in  May,  1865,  at  the  age  of 
sixty  years.  His  wife  survived  him  for 
years,  passing  away  in  December,  1895, 
when  nearly  eighty-nine  years  old.  Of  their 
family  of  eight  children,  all  grew  to  mature 
years.  They  were  Joshua,  who  settled  in 
Bay  City,  Michigan,  where  he  engaged  in 
business;  Jerome  B.,  of  this  review;  Daniel, 
a  farmer  of  Kane  county;  Mrs.  Van  Wert, 
of  Geneva;  Mrs.  John  Fick,  Samuel,  Ed- 
ward and  Mrs.  Langs.  The  four  last  named 
are  now  deceased. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  young 
man  of  seventeen  when  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  Kane  county.  In  the  common 
schools  of  Canada  and  also  in  the  schools 
of  Geneva  he  received  a  good  education. 
He  remained  with  his  father,  assisting  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  home  farm  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  when  he  left  home,  and 
spent  two  seasons  upon  the  lake,  ,and  then 
spent  two  years  roving  around,  principally 
through  the  east.  His  father  being  ill  he 
returned  home  and  took  charge  of  the  farm, 
taking  care  of  his  parents  during  the  re- 


740 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


mainder  of  their  lives.  After  his  father's 
death  he  succeeded  to  the  old  homestead, 
on  which  he  has  since  made  some  valuable 
improvements.  In  addition  to  general 
farming,  for  some  years  he  has  been  en- 
gaged in  breeding  and  dealing  in  pure-blood 
Jersey  cattle,  and  also  in  Plymouth  Rock 
poultry,  in  which  he  has  built  up  a  good 
business.  He  has  also  dealt  somewhat  ex- 
tensively in  blooded  Berkshire  hogs.  His 
reputation  for  the  purity  of  his  stock  has 
brought  him  customers  from  many  of  the 
states  of  the  union.  At  present  he  has  a 
herd  of  twelve  pure  Jerseys  and  about 
twenty-five  Berkshires.  While  he  still  re- 
sides upon  the  old  homestead,  he  sold  the 
farm  to  James  Swan,  of  Chicago,  in  1891. 
He  owns  a  farm  on  section  6,  Geneva  town- 
ship, a  well  improved  place  of  eighty-four 
acres. 

Mr.  Ellis  was  married  in  Chicago,  Feb- 
ruary 14,  1871,  to  Miss  Laura  Powers,  of 
St.  Charles,  Illinois,  a  native  of  Canada, 
but  reared  and  educated  in  Kane  county, 
and  a  daughter  of  James  Powers,  also  a  na- 
tive of  Canada,  but  who  emigrated  from 
that  country  with  teams  at  a  very  early  day. 
By  this  union  there  are  two  children:  Ern- 
est J.,  a  young  man  engaged  in  railroad- 
ing with  the  Northwestern  railroad;  and 
Charles,  a  student  of  the  Geneva  High 
Schools. 

Politically  Mr.  Ellis  is  a  lifelong  Demo- 
crat, and  in  1860  cast  his  first  presidential 
ballot  for  the  "little  giant",  Stephen  A. 
Douglas,  since  which  time  he  has  voted  for 
every  presidential  nominee  of  that  party. 
He  does  not  consider  himself  a  politician  in 
the  ordinary  sense,  but  believes  in  every 
man  exercising  the  rights  of  franchise.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  church  at  Geneva.  For  forty- 


two  years  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Kane 
county,  and  has  ever  taken  an  interest  in 
that  which  would  add  to  its  prosperity.  He 
is  well  known  as  a  man  of  good  business 
ability  and  a  practical  farmer.  His  friends 
are  many  throughout  the  county. 


/->EORGE  MICHAEL  SCHNEIDER, 
v_J  deceased,  was  born  near  Prospect 
Park,  Du  Page  county,  Illinois,  September 
23>  '853.  He  was  reared  in  DuPage  coun- 
ty, and  attended  the  German  school  at 
Naperville,  Illinois,  and  the  public  schools 
in  the  Bonapart  district  in  Du  Page  county. 
Our  subject  was  the  son  of  Adam  Schneider, 
a  native  of  Bavaria,  and  who  came  to 
America  in  1840.  He  is  yet  living  on  a 
farm  in  Du  Page  county  at  the  age  of  seventy 
years,  a  fine,  hearty,  hale  old  gentleman, 
who  is  getting  the  best  out  of  life.  Adam 
Schneider  married  Margaret  Schulz,  daugh- 
ter of  Peter  and  Mary  A.  (Eisenhutt)  Schulz, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Baden. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  George  M. 
Schneider  became  his  own  master,  and  was 
employed  on  farms  till  twenty  years  of  age. 
On  reaching  his  twenty-first  birthday  he 
started  to  learn  the  blacksmith  trade  at 
Prospect  Park,  Illinois,  under  William  Wag- 
ner, and  worked  for  him  five  years  and  ten 
months.  He  came  to  Burlington  township 
in  1880,  and  purchased  a  shop  and  residence 
and  here  continued  in  business  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  October  27,  1893. 
Mr.  Schneider  was  a  devout  member  of  the 
Catholic  church  and  died  in  the  full  assur- 
ance of  faith.  In  politics  he  was  a  Demo- 
crat, and  though  not  desiring  official  position 
served  as  school  director  for  eight  years,  and 
as  school  trustee  for  four  years.  Fraternally 
he  was  a  member  of  Kane  camp,  No.  471, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


74i 


M.  W.  A.,  of  Burlington,  Illinois.  He  was 
a  man  of  many  lovable  traits,  genial,  whole- 
souled  and  friendly  to  all  whom  he  knew, 
and  a  man  much  missed  by  his  friends  and 
acquaintances,  as  well  as  by  his  neighbors 
and  family.  He  was  always  a  kind  parent 
and  affectionate  husband,  and  no  man  has 
been  more  sincerely  mourned. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Schlick  in  Milton 
township.  Du  Page  county,  Illinois.  She 
was  born  in  Prospect  Park,  and  is  "the 
daughter  of  Casper  Schlick  and  Margaret 
Wiedneder,  the  latter  a  daughter  of  Michael 
Weidneder,  a  native  of  Bavaria  and  a 
cooper  by  trade.  Caspar  Schlick  was  for 
many  years  employed  on  the  railroad  at 
Prospect  Park,  and  died  at  the  residence  of 
his  son,  Joseph  Schlick,  in  Burlington 
township,  August  13,  1895,  a^  the  age  of 
seventy-six.  His  wife  died  some  years  pre- 
vious, passing  away  March  26,  1887,  aged 
sixty-seven. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schneider  six  children 
were  born  as  follows:  Annie  E.,  Frank  J., 
George  P.,  Margaret  K.,  Laura  Mary  and 
Carl  Michael.  Mrs.  Schneider  is  a  member 
of  the  Catholic  church, and  is  also  an  active 
member  of  the  Ladies  of  the  Maccabees, 
Burlington  Hive.  Her  father  made  his  home 
with  her  during  the  last  eight  years  of  his 
life,  up  to  a  few  months  of  his  death,  when 
he  went  to  live  with  his  son,  Joseph,  as  be- 
fore stated.  He  was  a  fine,  noble-hearted 
old  gentleman  and  was  most  highly  respected 
by  all  who  knew  him. 


DENISON    R.   JENCKS,   a   well-known 
and   prominent   citizen  of   Elgin,  is  a 
representative  of  one  of  the   honored  pio- 
neer families  of   Kane  county.      Not  only  is 


there  particular  interest  attaching  to  his 
career  as  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this 
section,  but  in  reviewing  his  genealogical 
record  we  find  his  lineage  tracing  back  to 
the  colonial  history  of  the  nation,  and  to 
that  period  which  marked  the  inception  of 
the  grandest  republic  the  world  has  ever 
known. 

Mr.  Jencks  was  born  October  13,  1837, 
in  North  Adams,  Berkshire  county,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Amelia 
B.  (Bowles)  Jencks.  He  is  a  descendant  of . 
Governor  Jencks,  of  Rhode  Island,  who  was 
of  English  ancestry.  His  grandfather, 
Thomas  Jencks,  was  a  native  of  that  state 
and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  A  certificate 
given  to  him  for  service  in  the  war  of  1812 
is  now  in  the  possession  of  our  subject,  it 
being  for  twenty-one  dollars  and  drawing 
interest  at  seven  per  cent,  until  paid. 

Henry  Jencks,  our  subject's  father,  was 
born  in  Smithfield,  Rhode  Island,  and  from 
that  state  removed  to  Massachusetts,  where 
at  different  times  he  was  engaged  in  busi- 
ness as  a  merchant  and  hotel-keeper.  He 
was  also  connected  for  a  time  with  the  Fink 
&  Walker  stage  line.  Coming  west  in  April, 
1841,  he  located  in  Dundee,  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  took  up  a  claim  fro.m  the 
government  and  engaged  in  its  cultivation 
for  a  few  years.  In  1 849  he  gave  up  farm- 
ing and  removed  to  the  town  of  Dundee. 
Politically  he  was  first  an  old-line  Whig,  and 
later  a  Republican,  taking  quite  an  active 
and  influential  part  in  local  politics.  He 
died  in  Elgin  April  7,  1877,  his  wife  in  Dun- 
dee in  October,  1871.  Both  were  charter 
members  of  the  Baptist  church  at  the  latter 
place,  and  were  earnest,  consistent  Chris- 
tian people.  She  was  a  native  of  Utica, 
New  York,  and  a  daughter  of  Frederick  and 
Amelia  Bowles,  who  were  also  born  in  that 


742 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


state.  Our  subject  is  the  younger  of  two 
children,  the  other  being  Elizabeth,  now 
deceased.  By  a  former  marriage  the  father 
had  seven  children,  all  of  whom  have  de- 
parted this  life. 

Amid  pioneer  scenes  Denison  R.  Jencks 
was  reared,  and  in  the  public  schools  of 
Dundee  acquired  his  early  education,  which 
was  supplemented  by  a  three-years'  course 
in  Drury  Academy,  at  North  Adams,  Massa- 
chusetts. Returning  to  his  home  in  Dun- 
dee, he  engaged  in  merchandising,  and  dur- 
ing President  Lincoln's  administration  was 
appointed  postmaster  at  that  place,  serving 
as  such  for  six  years,  when  he  resigned  in 
favor  of  a  crippled  soldier.  He  also  filled 
the  office  of  township  treasurer  for  three 
years.  In  March,  1872,  he  came  to  Elgin, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  At  first 
he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits,  but 
on  account  of  ill  health  he  gave  up  that 
business  and  accepted  the  agency  of  a  num- 
ber of  reliable  insurance  companies.  He 
continued  in  that  business  for  about  twenty 
years,  and  then  turned  it  over  to  his  son, 
while  he  lives  retired. 

On  the  25th  of  October,  1859,  Mr. 
Jencks  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Elizabeth  A.  Hollister,  who  was  born  in 
Danbury,  Connecticut,  and  was  a  daughter 
of  A.  S.  and  Elizabeth  Hollister,  natives  of 
Connecticut.  Mrs.  Jencks,  who  was  a  faith- 
ful member  of  the  Baptist  church,  died  Jan- 
uary 1 8,  1897.  The  only  child  born  to  them 
died  in  infancy.  Later  they  adopted  Fred 
W.  Jencks,  who  has  succeeded  his  father  in 
business. 

Politically  Mr.  Jencks  is  identified  with 
the  Republican  party.  For  three  consecu- 
tive years  he  served  as  assistant  supervisor, 
and  in  1878  was  elected  alderman,  holding 
that  office  for  thirteen  years,  and  uninter- 


ruptedly for  eleven  years.  He  was  then 
succeeded  by  his  son.  He  is  a  charter 
member  of  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution.  His 
public  and  private  life  are  above  reproach, 
for  his  career  has  been  one  characterized  by 
the  utmost  fidelity  to  duty.  He  receives 
and  merits  the  high  regard  of  the  entire 
community. 


MICHAEL  J.  GETZELMAN,  a  retired 
farmer  living  in  the  village  of  Hamp- 
shire, comes  from  the  Fatherland,  and  the 
strongest  and  most  creditable  characteris- 
tics of  the  Teutonic  race  have  been  marked 
elements  in  his  life,  and  have  enabled  him 
to  win  success  in  the  face  of  opposing  cir- 
cumstances. Possessing  the  energy  and 
determination  which  marked  the  people  of 
Germany,  and  by  the  exercise  of  his  powers 
he  has  steadily  progressed,  winning  not  only 
a  handsome  competency  but  has  commanded 
universal  respect  by  his  straight-forward 
business  methods.  He  was  born  in  Ober- 
Altenheim,  Bavaria,  Germany,  October 
22,  1832,  and  is  the  son  of  Malachi  and 
Mary  Getzelman, both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  the  same  country,  the  former  born  in 
1801,  and  the  son  of  Andrew  Getzelman,  a 
farmer  who  died  in  Germany  when  eighty- 
two  years  of  age.  Malachi  Getzelman  was 
a  mason  by  trade,  which  occupation  he  fol- 
lowed in  his  native  land.  On  coming  to 
America,  in  1848,  he  settled  in  Hampshire 
township,  Kane  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
first  acquired  forty  acres  of  land,  and  began 
agricultural  pursuits.  Before  his  death,  in 
1862,  he  had  acquired  one  hundred  and 
seventy  acres. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended 
the  public  schools  of  his  native  land  until 
fourteen  years  of  age,  when  he  was  con- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


743 


firmed  and  taken  into  the  church.  Two 
years  later  he  came  to  America  with  his 
parents,  the  family  sailing  from  Havre, 
France,  April  29,  1848,  and  landing  in  New 
York  after  a  voyage  of  twenty-nine  days. 
Our  subject  came  to  Hampshire  township 
and  remained  with  his  parents  until  after 
attaining  his  majority.  He  began  life  for 
himself  by  renting  the  farm  of  S.  K.  Will- 
iams for  one  year,  and  then  the  farm  of 
Mrs.  Smith  for  one  year,  after  which  he 
bought  from  the  latter  eighty  acres,  which  he 
proceeded  to  improve.  This  was  the  foun- 
dation of  the  fortune  that  has  attended 
him,  and  he  now  owns  four  hundred  and 
ninety  acres,  divided  into  three  farms,  all 
of  which  is  under  the  highest  state  of  culti- 
vation. 

Mr.  Getzelman  was  married  in  Hamp- 
shire township  to  Mary  Frederick,  a  native 
of  Germany  and  a  daughter  of  Mathias 
Frederick,  who  was  also  a  native  of  the 
same  country,  but  who  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica when  his  daughter  was  but  two  years  old. 
By  this  union  nine  children  have  been  born, 
as  follows :  William,  who  married  Mary 
Wreshe  and  lives  in  Chicago;  Elizabeth, 
deceased  ;  Susan,  at  home ;  Cyrus,  who 
married  Sophia  Schrader,  and  lives  in  Hamp- 
shire township;  John,  who  married  Emma 
Brenner,  and  also  lives  in  Hampshire  town- 
ship; Annie, the  wife  of  Frank  Brenner,  living 
in  Hampshire  township;  Julius,  who  mar- 
ried Maggie  Hass,  and  also  resides  in  Hamp- 
shire township;  Andrew  and  Emma,  who 
yet  reside  with  their  parents  and  are  stu- 
dents in  the  Hampshire  schools. 

The  farms  of  our  subject  are  cultivated 
by  his  sons,  who  have  been  reared  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  are  thorough  practical 
farmers.  The  entire  family  are  members 
of  the  Evangelical  church,  and  in  politics 

37 


Mr.  Getzelman  is  a  Republican.  The  only 
office  which  he  has  ever  held  has  been  that 
of  school  director. 


OYLVESTER  SHERMAN  MANN,  de- 
O  ceased,  was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
most  prominent  citizens  of  Kane  county. 
He  was  of  an  old  New  England  family,  the 
members  of  which  were  all  of  strong  men- 
tality, of  fine  education,  and  above  the  aver- 
age in  brain  and  influence  in  the  communi- 
ties where  they  lived.  His  father,  James 
Mann,  was  born  in  Massachusetts  January 
I,  1794,  and  died  in  Burlington  township, 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  September  22,  1878. 
He  lived  in  Massachusetts  until  he  attained 
his  majority,  when  he  removed  to  Wyoming 
county,  New  York,  where  he  purchased  a 
farm  and  erected  a  hotel  at  North  Java, 
which  he  ran  for  fourteen  years.  In  1844 
he  came  west,  by  lake  from  Buffalo  to  Chi- 
cago, and  thence  to  Burlington  township, 
Kane  county,  where  he  purchased  twelve 
hundred  acres  of  land,  built  a  large  frame 
house  and  at  once  commenced  its  improve- 
ment. Some  years  later,  while  on  a  visit 
to  his  old  home  in  New  York,  the  house 
was  burned.  On  his  return  he  built  a  larger 
and  more  substantial  residence  of  brick, 
large  enough  to  serve  as  a  hotel,  in  which 
he  kept  a  public  house  for  many  years.  The 
building  was  demolished  in  1897  by  OUT 
subject  and  a  fine  frame  farm  house  erected 
in  its  place. 

James  Mann  was  quite  prominent  in  the 
early  history  of  Burlington  township,  and 
was  a  man  of  strong  personality,  politically 
a  Whig  in  early  life,  later  a  Republican,  and 
religiously  a  Congregationalist.  He  was  the 
son  of  William  Mann,  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts. James  Mann  maried  Lucy  Sher- 


744 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


man,  a  native  of  Java,  New  York,  born 
March  18,  1798,  and  who  died  September 
24,  1870.  Of  their  ten  children  four  only 
survive,  as  follows:  Lucy,  wife  of  Amos 
Brown,  of  Lockport,  New  York;  Parmeno, 
living  in  Nebraska;  Alfred,  living  in  Elgin; 
and  Sherman  D. ,  of  Burlington,  Illinois. 

Sylvester  S.  Mann  was  born  May  30, 
1827,  in  North  Java,  New  York.  His  edu- 
cation was  obtained  while  yet  living  in  New 
York,  and  he  came  west  with  his  parents  in 
1844.  While  yet  in  his  twentieth  year  he 
opened  a  store  in  the  village  of  Burlington, 
and  under  the  firm  name  of  Mann  &  Brown 
engaged  in  a  general  mercantile  trade,  and 
also  at  the  same  time  engaging  in  farming. 
Later  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Mann, 
Hapgood  &  Co. ,  and  the  business  continued, 
while  he  was  also  interested  in  a  store  in 
Hampshire,  run  under  the  name  of  Hatha- 
way &  Co. 

Mr.  Mann  was  married  May  18,  1850, 
in  Burlington  township,  to  Caroline  Young, 
born  in  the  town  of  Plainfield,  Monroe 
county,  New  York,  July  17,  1826,  and  a 
daughter  of  Simon  and  Betsy  (Meyers) 
Young.  Her  parents  moved  from  New 
York  to  Ohio  in  1833,  where  they  resided 
some  five  or  six  years,  and  then  came 
to  Kane  county,  Illinois.  Simon  Young 
was  born  in  America  of  English  parents, 
and  was  second  of  a  family  of  three  sons, 
the  others  being  Nicholas  and  Emanuel. 
The  latter  was  a  bachelor  and  died  at  a  very 
old  age.  Betsy  Meyers  was  born  in  Cayuga 
county,  New  York.  To  Simon  and  Betsy 
Young  nine  children  were  born,  of  whom 
Caroline  was  seventh  in  order  of  birth. 
Nearly  all  attained  old  age.  The  living  are: 
Daniel,  who  lives  at  Elgin,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-six  years;  Stephen,  who  also  resides 
in  Elgin,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years; 


John,  living  in  Waukegan,  Illinois,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six  years;  and  Caroline, 
widow  of  our  subject.  To  our  subject  and 
wife  six  children  were  born,  the  first  dying 
in  infancy.  The  others  are:  Elvira,  who 
married  C.  H.  Potter,  of  Elgin;  Alice;  Irvin, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  five  years;  John  S., 
of  whom  further  mention  is  made  in  this 
sketch;  and  Nellie,  wife  of  Dr.  O.  A.  Chap- 
pell,  of  Elgin. 

Sylvester  S.  Mann,  from  the  time  he  at- 
tained his  majority,  occupied  a  prominent 
position  in  the  political  affairs  of  his  town- 
ship and  county.  He  served  as  supervisor 
in  1858,  and  several  succeeding  years.  In 
1863,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  legis- 
lature, and  in  the  session  of  1 863-4  assisted 
in  bringing  about  the  disagreement  between 
house  and  senate,  which  enabled  Governor 
Yates  to  prorogue  the  legislature.  He  was 
re-elected  in  1865,  and  during  this  term  se- 
cured the  location  of  the  Northern  Illinois 
Hospital  for  the  Insane,  at  Elgin,  and  when 
additions  were  made  necessary,  his  constit- 
uents re-elected  him  in  1872.  Others 
seemed  unable  to  accomplish  the  results  re- 
quired, but  he  secured  an  appropriation 
sufficient  to  make  the  necessary  changes. 
For  some  years  he  was  an  official  in  the 
management  of  the  Hospital.  In  1866,  he 
was  appointed  and  served  as  collector  of  In- 
ternal Revenue  of  his  district. 

Mr.  Mann  was  largely  interested  in  the 
improvement  of  cattle,  and  in  1883  went 
to  Europe,  on  the  steamer  City  of  Chester, 
which  was  later  sunk  in  the  Golden  Gate, 
San  Francisco.  While  abroad  he  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  head  of  Holstein 
cattle,  and  one  year  later,  two  hundred  and 
ninety-eight  head,  which  he  imported  in  two 
shipments.  He  was  one  of  the  first  import- 
ers of  this  valuable  breed  in  Illinois.  For 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


745 


some  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Holstein 
Breeders'  Association,  in  which  he  rendered 
valuable  service.  Fraternally  he  was  a 
member  of  the  old  Masonic  lodge  at  Bur- 
lington. In  1866,  he  moved  to  the  city  of 
Elgin,  where  his  death  occurred  August  14, 
1885. 

John  S.Mann, son  of  Sylvester  S.  Mann, 
grew  to  manhood  in  Kane  county,  and  in 
Elgin,  married  Mattie  L.  B.  Arnold,  a  na- 
tive of  that  city,  and  a  daughter  of  Marshall 
Newton  Arnold,  who  was  born  in  Wellesley 
Hill,  Massachusetts,  and  who  came  west  in 
1871,  to  assume  a  position  as  expert  watch- 
maker, in  the  factory  at  Elgin.  He  was 
the  son  of  Thomas  Ambrose  Arnold,  who 
died  when  a  young  man.  His  grandfather, 
Thomas  Arnold,  was  a  large  property  owner 
in  Chicago.  The  Arnolds  are  members  of 
an  old  colonial  family,  who  first  settled  near 
Farmington,  Maine,  and  who  trace  their  de- 
scent from  Myir,  King  of  Kent,  in  the 
twelfth  century.  Marshall  N.  Arnold  mar- 
ried Mary  Sharpe,  a  native  of  Jackson,  Mis- 
sissippi. His  death  occurred  in  1884.  To 
John  S.  Mann  and  wife  one  child  was  born, 
Alice  Caroline. 

In  1890,  five  years  after  the  death  of 
our  subject,  the  family  moved  back  to  Bur- 
lington, occupying  the  old  homestead.  The 
farm  being  managed  by  John  S.  Mann,  who 
is  a  practical  farmer,  and  a  member  of  the 
Holstein  Breeder's  Association  of  America. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  Kane  camp, 
No.  471,  M.  W.  A.,  of  Burlington. 


/CHARLES  M.  PIERCE,  who  is  en- 
V_>  gaged  in  farming  on  section  27,  Bur- 
lington township,  was  born  in  Sycamore 
township,  De  Kalb  county,  Illinois,  April 
30,  1 86 1,  and  came  with  his  parents  in  the 


fall  of  that  year  to  the  farm  which  he 
now  occupies.  His  father,  Daniel  Wesley 
Pierce,  was  second  in  a  family  of  six  chil- 
dren. He  was  born  in  the  village  of  Sha- 
vertown,  Delaware  county,  New  York,  on 
the  2Oth  of  September,  1834,  and  came 
west  by  boat  from  Buffalo  to  Chicago  with 
his  parents  when  about  the  age  of  twelve. 
His  father,  Martin  Pierce,  a  native  of  New 
York,  settled  three  and  a  half  miles  north 
of  Genoa,  Illinois,  dying  in  1890  at  the  age 
of  ninety-eight  years,  at  the  residence  of 
his  son  William,  near  Genoa,  De  Kalb 
county,  Illinois. 

Daniel  Pierce  attended  school  in  his  na- 
tive village  until  coming  west,  and  for  one 
year  in  Genoa  township.  When  quite  a 
young  man  he  rented  a  farm  in  Sycamore 
township,  De  Kalb  county,  where  he  resid- 
ed until  his  removal,  in  1861,  to  Burlington 
township.  Here  he  lived  until  1885,  when 
he  rented  his  farm  to  our  subject  and  moved 
back  to  the  Sycamore  township  farm,  where 
he  lived  retired  until  his  death  in  1887.  He 
was  -united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Delia  Ann 
Dayton,  October  8,  1857,  who  was  born  in 
De  Kalb  county,  June  18,  1836,  and  the 
daughter  of  Alvin  Dayton,  a  native  of  Ver-. 
mont.  Her  father  died  on  a  farm  three 
and  a  half  miles  east  of  Sycamore,  Illinois, 
in  August,  1887.  He  married  Abagail  Wy- 
man,  who  resides  on  the  old  home  place  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-five  years.  They 
were  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  as  were  their  parents. 

Charles  M.  Pierce  is  the  only  son  of  his 
parents,  and  was  only  •  one  year  old  when 
he  moved  with  them  from  De  Kalb  county. 
He  attended  the  district  schools  of  his  neigh- 
borhood until  eighteen  years  of  age.  He 
then  worked  for  his  father  until  the  age  of 
twenty-one,  when  he  rented  his  father's 


746 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


farm  for  one  year.  Mr.  Pierce  married  the 
girl  of  his  choice  and  removed  to  Elgin 
township,  where  he  resided  for  one  year. 
Returning,  he  rented  his  father's  farm  for 
the  following  five  years,  after  which  he 
again  moved  to  Elgin,  and  for  two  years 
was  engaged  in  the  hay  and  grain  business, 
and  also  in  teaming.  Having  fallen  heir  to 
his  father's  farm  in  the  spring  of  1 889,  he 
rented  it  during  his  residence  in  Elgin,  com- 
ing back  in  September,  1892,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  The  farm  consists  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  land,  which  is 
used  principally  as  a  dairy  farm.  Mr. 
Pierce  keeps  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  head 
of  cows,  the  product  of  which  he  sells  to 
the  creamery.  He  also  raises  stock  for  sale 
and  large  quantities  of  grain.  It  is  a  highly 
improved  farm,  most  of  which  were  made 
by  his  father  in  his  lifetime.  He  has  a  large 
house  and  barn  and  good  outbuildings  on 
the  place  and  everything  is  up  to  date,  and 
shows  the  work  of  a  practical  farmer. 

Our  subject  was  married  to  Miss  Ida 
Wright,  the  eldest  of  four  living  children 
born  to  Solomon  and  Caroline  (Pease) 
Wright,  who  are  residing  in  Elgin.  The 
three  younger  ones  are  George,  Frank  and 
William.  They  had  one  other  child  who 
died  young.  Solomon  Wright  was  born  in 
Putnam  county,  New  Yerk,  March  10,  1836, 
and  is  the  son  of  Baldwin  and  Elizabeth 
(Foster)  Wright.  Baldwin  Wright  is  the 
son  of  Solomon  Wright.  Caroline  Wright, 
the  mother  of  Mrs.  Pierce,  was  born  in  the 
state  of  New  York,  in  1848,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  Pease,  who  married  Salome 
Cottrell. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pierce  were  born  three 
children,  Roy  Alvin,  Charles  Wesley  and 
Fred  Solomon.  He  is  a  Republican  in  his 
political  views,  and  has  been  a  school  di- 


rector since  1896.  Fraternally  Mr.  Pierce 
is  a  member  of  K.  O.  T.  M. ,  of  Burlington, 
while  his  wife  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Ladies  of  the  Maccabees  of  the  same  town. 


ORSON  L.  WEAVER,  residing  on  sec- 
tion 30,  Batavia  township,  Kane  coun- 
ty, owns  and  operates  a  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred and  forty-eight  acres.  It  lies  four 
miles  southwest  of  the  city  of  Batavia,  and 
is  a  well-improved  and  valuable  farm.  He 
is  a  native  of  New  York,  born  in  the  town 
of  Ellisburg,  Jefferson  county,  September 
22,  1836.  His  father,  George  Weaver,  was 
a  native  of  the  same  county  and  state,  born 
in  1811.  He  there  married  Abigail  Colvin, 
also  a  native  of  the  same  county  and  state. 
In  1840,  with  his  wife  and  children,  he 
drove  through  with  teams  to  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  arrived  in  September  of 
that  year.  First  entering  a  tract  of  forty 
acres,  in  Blackberry  township,  he  later 
traded  that  place  and  located  in  Batavia 
township,  where  he  opened  up  another  farm, 
on  which  he  resided  for  some  years,  after 
which  he  purchased  the  farm  on  which  our 
subject  now  resides.  When  he  purchased 
the  land  it  was  entirely  uncultivated,  but 
with  him  it  was  but  a  short  time  before  he 
developed  a  fine  farm,  on  which  he  later 
erected  good  buildings,  and,  buying  more 
land,  had  at  the  time  of  his  death  three 
hundred  and  seventy-seven  acres.  He  died 
there  in  June,  1891,  at  the  age  of  eighty 
years.  His  first  wife  died  some  ten  years 
previously,  and  he  later  married  again. 

George  and  Abigail  Weaver  were  the  par- 
ents of  three  sons  and  four  daughters,  who 
grew  to  mature  years.  Electa  married  Ed- 
ward Brown,  and  they  located  in  Vermont, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


747 


where  he  engaged  in  the  hotel  business.  Later 
they  moved  to  North  Dakota,  where  they 
now  reside.  Adelia  Ann  married  H.  P. 
Brown,  of  Vermont,  a  brother  of  Edward 
Brown,  the  husband  of  her  sister.  Luella 
A.  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Knox,  and  they 
reside  in  Kansas.  Celesta  died  at  the  age 
of  fifteen  years.  Orson  L.,  our  subject, 
and  D.  R.  are  both  substantial  farmers  re- 
siding in  Batavia  township,  the  latter  being 
now  retired.  Alvaro  died  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  years.  George  grew  to  manhood, 
married  and  died  when  only  twenty-two 
years  old. 

Orson  L.  Weaver  grew  to  manhood  on 
his  father's  farm,  and  attended  the  public 
schools  during  the  winter  months,  and  as- 
sisted in  the  cultivation  of  the  farm  the  re- 
mainder of  the  year.  He  remained  under 
the  parental  roof  until  twenty-two  years  of 
age.  In  1860  he  married  Augusta  Bodine, 
a  native  of  Seneca  county,  New  York,  where 
her  parents  lived  and  died.  She  was  a  lady 
of  good  education,  and  was  a  teacher,  both 
in  New  York,  and  after  her  removal  to  Kane 
county.  By  this  union  there  were  four  chil- 
dren: Hattie  grew  to  womanhood,  married 
and  resides  in  Iowa.  Charles  died  at  the 
age  of  six  years.  Celesta  married  and  re- 
sides in  Sac  county,  Iowa.  William  H.  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Iowa. 

After  marriage,  Mr.  Weaver  located  on 
the  home  farm,  and  after  raising  one  crop, 
on  the  ist  of  August,  1862,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
fourth  Regiment,  Illinois  Volunteer  Infan- 
try, and  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  was  mus- 
tered into  the  United  States  service.  He 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Raymond, 
Mississippi,  Jackson,  Mississippi,  Champion 
Hill,  and  Vicksburg.  For  some  time  he 
was  on  provost  duty  in  the  latter  place,  after 


which  he  participated  in  the  battle  of  Span- 
ish Fort.  He  was  then  taken  sick,  and  sent 
to  the  hospital  at  Fort  Gibson,  where  he 
remained  about  one  month.  On  the  4th  of 
August,  1865,  he  was  discharged  at  Chicago, 
and  returned  to  his  home.  Soon  after  he 
went  to  Clinton  county,  Iowa,  where  he 
bought  a  fatm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  on  which  he  remained  until  Novem- 
ber, 1875.  Selling  that  place  he  returned 
to  Kane  county,  to  the  old  home  farm, 
where  he  remained  two  years,  then  went 
west  to  Fort  Kearney,  and  there  engaged  in 
farming  for  about  two  years,  when  he  again 
returned  to  Kane  county,  and  resumed  his 
place  on  the  old  home  farm.  After  the 
death  of  his  father,  he  and  his  brother 
bought  out  the  other  heirs,  and  later  divided 
the  place,  our  subject  taking  one  hundred 
and  eighty-seven  acres.  Here  he  has  since 
continued  to  reside,  and  in  addition  to  dairy 
farming,  has  been  engaged  in  breeding  and 
and  dealing  in  full  blooded  Short-horn  cattle, 
and  Poland  China  hogs.  The  old  house  has 
been  remodeled  by  him  and  a  large  barn 
erected,  with  a  slate  roof,  being  one  of  the 
best  in  the  township. 

At  Fairbury,  Nebraska,  in  December, 
1878,  Mr.  Weaver  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Marietta  Finch,  born  in  White- 
side  county,  Illinois,  but  reared  and  educated 
in  Clinton  county,  Iowa.  Her  father, 
Samuel  Finch,  was  a  native  of  Canada,  of 
English  descent.  He  married  Lydia  Claw- 
son,  and  later  moved  to  Whiteside  county, 
Illinois,  from  which  place  he  moved  to  Min- 
nesota, where  his  wife  died,  and  he  later 
married  again  and  settled  in  Clinton  county, 
Iowa.  By  trade  he  was  a  cooper,  as  was 
his  father  and  three  brothers,  all  of  whom 
engaged  in  that  business  in  Whiteside  coun- 
ty, Illinois.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weaver, 


748 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


three  children  have  been  born — Adam  L. , 
Edith  L.  and  Brayton  L. 

Politically  Mr.  Weaver  is  a  Republican. 
His  firsj  presidential  ballot  was  cast  in  1860, 
for  Abraham  Lincoln,  while  his  last  one,  in 
1896,  Was  cast  for  William  McKinley.  For 
several  years  he  served  as  highway  commis- 
sioner, and  hap  also  served  for  some  years 
on  the  school  board.  With  the  exception 
of  the  time  spent  in  Iowa  and  Nebraska, 
he  has  been  a  resident  of  Illinois  for  fifty- 
eight  years,  and  in  his  adopted  county  has 
doije  his  full  share  in  developing  its  various 
interests. 


WILLIAM  H.  ELLITHORPE.— 
Among  the  representative  farmers  of 
Burlington  township  none  are  better  known 
or  more  widely  respected  than  he  whose 
name  heads  this  sketch.  The  subject  of 
this  review  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he 
now  lives,  and  here  he  has  spent  his  entire 
life,  coming  into  this  world  May  31,  1848. 
He  is  third  in  a  family  of  six  children  born 
to  Stephen  R.  and  Emily  (Smith)  Elli- 
thorpe. 

Stephen  R.  Ellithorpe  is  the  son  of  John 
Ellithorpe,  a  native  of  Springfield,  Massa- 
chusetts, who  was  a  captain  in  the  war  of 
1812,  being  in  the  engagement  at  Platts- 
burg  and  other  battles  of  the  war.  He 
married  Eliza  Chapman,  daughter  of  a  vet- 
eran captain  of  the  same  war.  To  this 
union  were  born  six  children:  John,  who 
settled  in  Burlington  township, dying  at  about 
the  age  of  sixty-five  years;  Oliver  died  in 
Elgin,  aged  seventy  years;  Timothy  died  in 
Burlington,  Illinois,  at  about  the  same  age; 
Stephen,  the  father  of  our  subject;  Jedde- 
diah  is  actively  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business  at  Russell,  Russell  county,  Kansas; 


Albert  C.,  who  is  a  wagonmaker  by  trade, 
resides  in  Chicago,  and  is  the  inventor  of  the 
air  cushion  elevator.  He  served  in  the  war 
for  the  Union  with  a  regiment  from  Chica-* 
go,  and  among  the  various  battles  was  en- 
gaged in  the  one  at  Pea  Ridge.  He  was  the 
chief  of  the  commissary. 

Stephen  R.  Ellithorpe  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Sheldon,  Franklin  county,  Vermont, 
April  16,  1819,  and  in  1841  concluded  to 
come  west,  driving  overland  fifteen  hundred 
miles  to  Illinois.  Landing  in  Chicago,  Mr. 
Ellithorpe  found  himself  with  only  thirty 
cents  and  a  strong  determination  to  suc- 
ceed, in  his  possession,  but  with  that  stead- 
fast industry  which  has  characterized  the 
"Yankee  "  ever  since  the  word  was  known, 
he  set  to  work  at  whatever  he  could  find  to 
do.  For  one  year  he  engaged  in  cutting 
and  hauling  wood  to  Chicago  for  market, 
at  that  time  there  being  an  abundance  in 
the  near  vicinity.  In  1842  he  removed  to 
Burlington  township  and  settled  on  the 
farm  where  he  now  resides  with  his  son,  our 
subject,  he  being  one  of  the  first  pioneers  in 
that  township. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  married  to 
Miss  Emily  Smith,  born  in  Colwell's  Manor, 
Canada,  April  15,  1821,  and  the  daughter 
of  Nathan  Smith,  born  February  9,  1786, 
and  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  Nathan 
Smith  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Phoebe  Huxley,  born  August  28,  1795,  and 
to  this  marriage  were  born  thirteen  chil- 
dren: Uziel,  Emily, William,  Mary  A.,  de- 
ceased, Elizabeth,  John  G.,  Malcolm,  La- 
fayette, Henry,  Marv,  Frank  and  Lorenzo. 
The  marriage  of  Stephen  R.  and  Emily 
(Smith)  Ellithorpe  was  blessed  by  the  birth 
of  six  children,  as  follows:  Franklin,  who 
died  in  1875;  Marion  wedded  Mary  J.  Smith 
and  is  now  residing  in  Iowa;  William  H., 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


749 


the  subject  of  this  review;  Phoebe,  wife  of 
J.  B.  Reset,  lives  in  Algonguin,  McHenry 
county,  Illinois;  Antoinette  married  Alva 
Ashcraft  and  is  now  residing  in  De  Kalb, 
De  Kalb  county,  Illinois;  Nathan  S.  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lulu  Doty  and 
is  living  in  Iowa. 

Stephen  R.  Ellithorpe  built  the  first 
board  shanty  in  the  township  and  was  also 
the  first  man  to  erect  a  frame  house  and 
school  house.  He  at  one  time  paid  fifty 
per  cent  interest  for  the  use  of  money 
needed.  He  takes  the  Democratic  side  of 
the  political  question  and  has  served  in  nu- 
merous positions  of  honor  and  trust,  among 
which,  that  of  assessor  and  town  clerk.  He 
is  now  living  with  his  son,  our  subject,  on 
the  old  homestead,  and  as  he  comes  of  an 
extremely  long-lived  race,  he  bids  fair  to 
reach  the  century  mark,  having  already 
lived  to  the  age  of  eighty  years,  with  all  his 
faculties,  mental  and  physical,  unimpaired. 
He  still  has  in  his  possession  deeds  from 
the  government  for  the  old  homestead.  His 
wife  is  now  in  her  seventy-eighth  year,  and 
will  no  dpubt  continue  to  accompany  her 
husband  on  life's  journey  for  many  more 
years,  as  she  is  enjoying  life  with  good 
health,  and  has  a  zeal  that  is  surprising. 

William  H.  Ellithorpe  attended  the  dis- 
trict and  common  schools  of  his  neighbor- 
hood, where  he  received  his  education,  and 
is  a  graduate  of  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Com- 
mercial College,  of  Chicago.  He,  unlike 
many  boys,  was  content  to  remain  on  the 
farm,  and  now,  as  he  gets  on  in  years,  can 
realize  the  wisdom  of  his  course  more  fully 
than  he  could  in  the  past.  He  has  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  on  section  26,  which 
makes  a  total  of  four  hundred  acres.  The 
latter,  however,  is  leased  to  tenants.  Mr. 
Ellithorpe  operates  his  farm  as  a  dairy,  as 


well  as  a  general  farm,  and  milks  from 
eighteen  to  twenty  head  of  cows.  He  is 
also  engaged  in  breeding  full-blooded  Dur- 
ham cattle. 

On  the  20th  of  October,  1875,  our  sub- 
ject was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mar- 
tha Worden,  a  native  of  De  Kalb  county, 
Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and 
Martha  (Ferguson)  Worden,  the  former  a 
native  of  Chautauqua  county,  New  York,  and 
the  latter  of  Scotland.  To  our  subject  and 
wife  were  born  two  children:  Benjamin 
F.,  born  June  23,  1876,  and  Stephen  R. , 
born  August  25,  1879. 

In  political  issues  he  has  been  very 
prominent,  especially  in  local  elections. 
He  is  a  Democrat,  the  principles  of  which 
party  being  instilled  into  his  mind  from  boy- 
hood up.  He  has  served  in  various  posi- 
tions, being  township  treasurer  for  fourteen 
years,  town  clerk  for  the  same  length  of 
time,  notary  public  for  a  period  of  twelve 
years,  town  trustee  of  schools  and  held 
other  minor  official  positions.  In  his  po- 
litical as  well  as  social  and  business  life, 
Mr.  Ellithorpe  made  many  friends,  and  no 
one  in  the  township  where  he  has  so  long 
resided  is  held  in  higher  or  more  sincere 
respect. 


TAMES  A.  RUTLEDGE,  M.  D.,  room 
<J  19  Spurling  block,  Elgin,  is  a  physician 
and  surgeon  of  acknowledged  skill,  one 
standing  high  in  the  medical  profession. 
He  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  August 
21,  1 86 1,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Abi- 
gail J.  (Richardson)  Rutledge,  the  former  a 
native  of  Canada,  the  latter  of  Illinois. 
They  were  the  parents  of  four  children: 
William,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Emma, 


750 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  Rockford,  Illinois;  James  A.,  of  this 
sketch;  and  Joseph,  of  Elwood,  Indiana. 

Thomas  Rutledge,  the  father,  was  by 
trade  a  carpenter,  an  occupation  chosen  be- 
fore coming  to  the  States,  at  which  he  worked 
for  some  years  in  Canada.  In  1860  he 
located  in  St.  Louis,  and  during  the  war 
was  foreman  of  the  St.  Louis  arsenal,  during 
which  time  he  also  superintended  the  con- 
struction of  a  number  of  gunboats  at  Cairo, 
Illinois.  About  the  close  of  the  war,  being 
still  in  the  employ  of  the  government,  he 
was  ordered  west  to  superintend  the  build- 
ing of  some  forts  on  the  frontier.  While 
engaged  in  that  work  his  death  occurred  at 
Cheyenne,  in  1866,  while  comparatively  a 
young  man. 

On  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs. 
Rutledge  moved  with  her  four  fatherless 
children  to  the  city  of  DeKalb,  DeKalb 
county,  Illinois,  and  three  years  later  to 
Rockford,  Illinois,  where  she  still  lives,  and 
where  she  reared  her  family,  giving  them 
all  the  advantages  possible  in  securing  an 
education  and  becoming  honored  members 
of  society. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
Joseph  Rutledge,  was  a  native  of  Canada, 
where  his  entire  life  was  spent.  The  ma- 
ternal grandfather,  Benjamin  Richardson, 
was  a  native  of  New  York,  a  blacksmith 
and  farmer  by  occupation.  He  was  one  of 
the  first  settlers  of  Winnebago  county,  Ill- 
inois, and  one  of  his  sons  was  the  first  white 
child  born  in  that  county.  He  had  a  large 
family  and  died  in  old  age. 

The  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject 
were  spent  in  DeKalb  and  Rockford,  and 
his  literary  education  was  completed  in  the 
high  school  of  the  latter  city,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1879.  He  then  studied 
pharmacy,  and  later  entered  Rush  Medical 


College,  graduating  therefrom  in  1886. 
Soon  after  graduating  he  located  in  Field- 
ing, Illinois,  where  he  commenced  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession.  His  success  was 
gratifying,  but  wishing  a  more  extended 
field  he  came  to  Elgin  in  1895,  a°d  here 
he  has  since  continued  in  practice.  While 
a  general  practitioner  he  has  made  a  spe- 
cialty of  the  diseases  of  women  and  chil- 
dren, in  which  line  he  is  considered  author- 
ity. Since  his  graduation  the  Doctor  has 
taken  two  courses  in  the  Polyclinic  in  Chi- 
cago, and  in  all  ways  endeavors  to  keep 
posted  in  the  improvements  being  constantly 
made  in  medicine  and  surgery.  His  prac- 
tice is  constantly  growing,  and  patients 
coming  from  various  points  are  being  con- 
stantly treated  by  him. 

In  Fairdale,  Illinois,  April  13,  1887,  Dr. 
Rutledge  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Mary  H.  Crill,  an  adopted  daughter  of  Isaac 
Crill,  of  that  place.  They  now  reside  at 
No.  370  Chicago  street,  Elgin,  where  their 
many  friends  are  given  a  cordial  welcome. 
Mrs.  Rutledge  is  a  member  of  the  First 
Congregational  church  of  Elgin,  and  does 
considerable  church  and  Sunday-school 
work. 

The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  Kish- 
waukee  lodge,  No.  402,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of 
Kingston;  Sycamore  chapter,  No.  49,  R. 
A.  M. ;  and  Sycamore  commandery,  K.  T. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  the  Modern  Woodmen,  Court  of 
Honor,  and  Home  Forum,  of  Elgin,  and  in 
the  three  last  named  is  examining  physician. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Century 
Club,  of  Elgin.  Politically,  he  is  independ- 
ent in  the  best  sense  of  the  term,  voting  for 
such  men  and  measures  as  at  the  time  he 
believes  will  best  conserve  the  interest  of 
the  people.  Professionally,  he  is  a  mem- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


her  of  the  Fox  River  Medical  Society  and  of 
the  American  Medical  Association,  in  both 
of  which  he  takes  an  active  interest,  taking 
part  in  the  discussion  of  subjects  brought 
before  the  societies  and  contributing  to 
them  papers  on  various  subjects.  As  a  citi- 
zen the  Doctor  is  greatly  esteemed,  and  as 
such  he  takes  a  lively  interest  in  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  his  adopted  city. 


CHARLES  E.  GREGORY,  city  editor 
\J  of  the  "Daily  News,"  of  Elgin,  was 
born  in  that  city,  in  the  '505,  a  son  of  Sam- 
uel E.  and  Mary  Ann  (Moffatt)  Gregory. 
The  father  was  born  in  Orange  county, 
New  York,  in  1812,  in  which  county  his 
parents  spent  most  of  their  lives.  In  their 
family  were  ten  children,  namely:  Noah, 
Hiram,  James,  John,  Sylvester,  Benjamin, 
Samuel,  Mrs.  Hannah  Van  Duzer,  Mrs. 
Katy  Stevens  and  George,  all  of  whom  are 
now  deceased  with  the  exception  of  John. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  Orange  county,  New  York,  born  in 
Blooming  Grove,  September  27,  1811,  and 
was  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Deborah 
Moffat,  of  Orange  county,  New  York. 

During  the  '403  Samuel  E.  Gregory  em- 
igrated westward  and  located  in  Elgin,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  engaged  in  business  as  a 
manufacturer  of  carriages  and  wagons,  and 
also  as  a  dealer  in  agricultural  implements. 
On  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party 
he  joined  its  ranks  and  became  one  of  its 
stanch  supporters.  Beth  he  and  his  wife 
were  leading  members  of  the  early  Presby- 
terian church  of  Elgin,  and  took  an  active 
and  prominent  part  in  its  work.  He  died 
September  27,  1872,  and  she  passed  away 
October  19,  1896,  honored  and  respected 
by  all  who  knew  them.  In  their  family 


were  six  children:  William  M.,  Mary  H. 
and  Henry  S.,  all  now  deceased;  Emma  L. , 
wife  of  George  E.  Hawthorne  (see  sketch 
elsewhere  in  this  volume);  Kate  E.,  wife  of 
Dr.  Daniel  H.  Whitford;  aad  Charles  E., 
of  this  review. 

The  early  life  of  our  subject  was  passed 
in  Elgin,  obtaining  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  the  city.  Throughout  his 
active  business  life  he  has  been  interested 
in  journalistic  and  newspaper  work,  and  for 
the  past  twelve  years  has  been  connected 
with  the  "  Daily  News."  Prior  to  this  he 
was  for  a  time  associated  with  the  same  pa- 
per. In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

On  the  2Oth  of  July,  1884,  Mr.  Gregory 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  E. 
Slade,  a  native  of  Polo,  Illinois,  and  a 
daughter  of  Stephen  M.  Slade,  who  is  now 
living  retired  in  Elgin.  Her  mother  died 
some  years  ago.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gregory 
have  two  children:  Carl  E.  and  Bessie  A. 


ERWIN  C.  CONNER,  postmaster  and 
general  merchant  at  Richardson,  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  although  not  numbered 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Kane  county, 
is  a  well-known  citizen  and  popular  business 
man.  He  was  born  in  Holland,  New  York, 
June  7,  1848,  and  is  the  son  of  Caleb  and 
Margaret  (McCarther)  Conner,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Vermont,  and  who  were  the 
parents  of  twelve  children,  of  whom  our 
subject  is  ninth  in  order  of  birth.  From 
Vermont,  Caleb  Conner  moved  to  Holland, 
New  York,  in  an  early  day,  and  there  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits. 

On  the  home  farm  in  Holland,  New 
York,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  his 
boyhood  and  youth,  and  received  a  fairly 
good  education  in  its'  public  schools.  In 


752 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1874  he  came  west  to  Elgin,  Illinois,  re- 
maining there  three  months  and  then  re- 
turned .to  Holland,  New  York,  in  order  to 
care  for  his  mother.  He  continued  in  that 
filial  duty  untjj  her  death,  July  16,  1881. 
In  1883  he  returned  to  Illinois,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Kane  county. 
On  the  3rd  of  October,  1876,  Mr.  Con- 
ner was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Fan- 
nie Crystal,  a  native  of  Canada,  and  they 
have  one  child,  Harry,  born  February  22, 
1890.  Mr.  Conner  located  at  Richardson, 
in  1886,  engaging  in  the  mercantile  trade. 
February  15,  1887,  he  received  the  appoint- 
ment of  postmaster,  and  served  in  that 
position  until  April  15,  1898.  In  the  years 
that  have  passed  he  has  succeeded  in  build- 
ing up  a  good,  substantial  trade.  In  politics 
he  is  thoroughly  independent,  voting  for 
men  rather  than  party.  In  his  business 
relations  he  has  been  quite  successful,  and 
is  numbered  among  the  well-to-do  men  of 
Kane  county.  As  a  citizen  he  is  greatly 
esteemed  and  those  who  know  him  best 
trust  him  the  more  implicitly. 


PHILIP  SCHULZ.  deceased,  was  for 
years  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Kane 
county,  and  a  farmer  whose  ability  was  un- 
questioned. He  was  born  in  the  village  of 
Obergimper,  Baden,  Germany,  May  25, 
1838.  His  father,  Peter  Schulz,  was  born 
in  the  same  place  September  21,  1798,  and 
died  in  DuPage  county,  Illinois,  January  i, 
1867.  He  was  a  farmer  all  his  life.  He 
married  Mary  Eva  Eisenhutt,  a  native  of  the 
same  village,  born  in  1797,  and  who  died  in 
1867.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Julia,  who  married  Jacob 
Miller,  but  is  now  deceased;  John,  who 
lives  near  Glen  Ellyn,  Du  Page  county,  Illi- 


nois; Margaret,  who  married  Adam  Schnei- 
der, ;  and  Philip,  our  subject. 

Philip  Schulz  came  to  America  with  his 
parents  in  the  fall  of  1846.  By  boat  they 
w«nt  from  Mannheim,  Germany,  to  Havre, 
France,  from  which  place  they  sailed,  land- 
ing at  New  York  city,  and  coming  west  by 
way  of  the  Hudson  river,  Erie  canal  and 
the  lakes  to  Chicago,  certainly  a  long  dis- 
tance by  water.  The  family  settled  between 
Wheaton  and  Lisle,  Du  Page  county,  where 
the  father  engaged  in  farming  and  where 
our  subject  grew  to  manhood,  in  the  mean- 
time assisting  in  the  cultivation  of  the  home 
farm  and  receiving  his  education  in  the  pub- 
lic school.  He  was  married  in  the  city  of 
Chicago,  September  15,  1861,  to  Miss  Caro- 
line Delles,  who  was  born  in  the  village  of 
Mensdorf,  Luxemburg,  Germany,  January 
1 8,  1843,  and  who  came  to  America,  with 
an  uncle,  in  March,  1858,  sailing  from 
Havre,  France,  to  New  York,  beingtwenty- 
eight  days  on  the  water.  From  that  city 
she  came  west  to  Chicago,  where  she  lived 
until  her  marriage.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
Phillip  and  Catherine  (Koehler)  Delles,  both 
natives  of  Germany,  the  former  being  a  son 
of  Jacob  Delles,  who  lived  and  died  in  Ger- 
many. Phillip  Delles  was  an  inn-keeper 
and  merchant  during  early  life,  and  later 
became  an  official  on  a  state  railroad,  from 
which  he  retired  after  twenty-five  years 
service,  with  a  small  pension  from  the  gov- 
ernment. His  death  occurred  in  his  native 
land,  December  20,  1893,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-seven years.  His  wife  is  yet  living 
in  the  old  home  in  Germany,  and  is  now 
seventy-nine  years  old.  They  were  the 
parents  of  eleven  children,  seven  of  whom 
are  yet  living,  as  follows:  Caroline,  widow 
of  our  subject;  John  living  in  Sycamore, 
Illinois;  Michael,  living  in  Iowa;  James  and 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


753 


Joseph  in  Chicago;  Pierre,  making  his  home 
with  his  mother  in  the  old  country;  and 
Margaret,  now  Mrs.  Olivier,  living  in  Paris, 
France. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schulz  ten  children 
were  born,  all  of  whom  are  living  save  one, 
Annie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eight  years. 
The  others  are  Mary,  Caroline,  Philip, 
Katherine,  Rosa,  Elizabeth,  Odelia,  Frank 
and  Emma.  Of  these,  Katherine  married 
Michael  Rineck,  and  lives  in  Chicago;  Rosa 
is  a  teacher  in  the  Hampshire  schools,  while 
Elizabeth  is  engaged  in  teaching  at  Lily 
Lake;  Frank  is  attending  the  Metropolitan 
Business  College,  Chicago;  and  Emma  is 
in  school  at  Hampshire. 

After  marriage,  Mr.  Schulz  lived  for  two 
years  on  his  father's  farm,  then  rented  a 
farm  near  Naperville  for  three  years,  and 
in  December,  1866,  came  to  Burlington 
township,  where  he  purchased  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land,  and  there  for  six- 
teen years  was  actively  engaged  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits.  From  time  to  time  he  added 
to  his  original  tract,  until  he  was  the  owner 
of  three  hundred  and  thirty  acres.  In  the 
fall  of  1882,  he  retired  from  active  farming, 
and  in  December  of  that  year  moved  to 
the  village  of  Hampshire,  where  he  resided 
until  his  death,  July  i,  1896.  His  death 
occurred  in  San  Francisco,  California,  while 
on  a  tour  through  the  west.  Religiously 
he  was  a  Catholic,  and  in  politics  was  a 
Democrat.  About  the  only  offices  that  he 
held  was  that  of  school  director  and  that  of 
city  alderman.  The  family  still  make  their 
home  in  Hampshire. 

Philip  Schulz,  Jr.,  son  of  Phillip  and 
Caroline  Schulz,  was  born  near  Xaperville, 
July  10,  1865.  He  was  reared  on  the  farm, 
on  section  8,  Burlington  township,  and  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  district  schools, 


He  moved  with  the  family  to  Hampshire,  in 
1 882,  and  there  resided  until  1883.  He  mar- 
ried Lena  Fidler,  October  29,  1894,  who 
was  born  in  Garnet,  Kansas,  and  a  daughter 
of  Nicholas  and  Angelina  (Hasterd)  Fidler. 
By  this  union  there  is  one  child,  Martha 
Angeline.  For  a  number  of  years  he  has 
rented  two  hundred  and  ten  acres,  a  part  of 
the  family  estate,  and  has  since  been  en- 
gaged in  dairy  farming  with  gratifying 
success. 


JOSEPH  US  DAVENPORT,  who  resides 
on  section  19,  Batavia  township,  is  a 
native  of  Du  Page  county,  born  in  Downer's 
Grove,  March  3,  1845.  His  father,  Theron 
Davenport,  was  born  in  Seneca  county, 
New  York,  in  1825.  He  there  married  Deb- 
orah Swarthout,  who  was  born  in  the  same 
year,  and  in  the  same  county  and  state,  and 
who  was  the  daughter  of  James  Swarthout. 
The  Swarthouts  are  of  Holland  ancestry, 
and  one  of  that  name  was  of  the  first  four 
families  to  locate  in  Seneca  county,  New 
York.  The  Davenports  are  of  English 
ancestry,  and  were  also  among  the  early 
settlers  of  that  county.  Stephen  Daven- 
port, the  grandfather  of  our  subject, lived  to 
be  over  one  hundred  years  old.  With  his 
son  Theron,  he  came  to  Illinois,  in  1844, 
and  first  located  in  Du  Page  county,  where 
they  took  up  a  half  section  of  land,  and 
opened  a  farm.  The  following  year  Theron 
Davenport  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
and  located  near  Aurora,  where  he  engaged 
in  farming,  and  where  he  resided  some 
years.  He  later  moved  to  South  Dakota, 
locating  at  Washington  Springs,  where  he 
now  resides. 

Josephus  Davenport  grew  to  manhood 
in  Kane  county,  near  where  he  now  resides, 


754 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  had  fair  school  advantages,  attending 
first  the  common  school,  then  the  Aurora 
High  School  and  Jennings  Seminary.  He 
remained  with  his  father  for  several  years 
after  attaining  his  majority  and  assisted  him 
in  the  farm  work.  He  was  first  married  in 
Aurora  in  1868,  to  Louise  Bodine,  of  Sen- 
eca county,  New  York,  and  who  died  on  the 
farm  in  May,  1875,  leaving  one  daughter, 
Nina  L. ,  now  the  wife  of  Elmer  Given,  a 
railroad  conductor,  residing  at  Huron,  South 
Dakota.  They  have  one  son,  Harold  W. 

In  Sugar  Grove  township,  June  22,  1876, 
Mr.  Davenport  married  Helen  Niles,  a  na- 
tive of  Kane  county,  born  in  Sugar  Grove 
township,  and  a  daughter  of  Williams  Niles, 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Kane  county. 
She  was  educated  in  the  common  schools 
and  Aurora  Seminary,  and  was  a  teacher 
for  twelve  years  previous  to  her  marriage. 

In  1876  Mr.  Davenport  bought  the  farm 
where  he  now  resides,  which  was  the  old 
homestead  of  his  father,  and  has  here  since 
been  actively  engaged  in  farming  and  dairy- 
ing. Since  residing  here  he  has  built  a  sub- 
stantial residence,  good  barn,  and  various 
outbuildings,  and  has  now  one  of  the  best 
improved  farms  in  the  township.  Polit- 
ically he  is  a  lifelong  Republican,  his  first 
presidential  ballot  being  cast  for  U.  S.  Grant 
in  1868.  While  always  taking  a  commend- 
able interest  in  political  affairs,  office  seek- 
ing has  not  been  to  his  taste.  He  is  a  farm- 
er pure  and  simple,  and  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  best  in  Kane  county.  Religiously 
Mrs.  Davenport  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  of  Batavia,  and  fra- 
ternally he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  of  that  place.  A 
life-long  resident  of  the  county,  he  is  well 
known,  especially  in  the  southern  part  and 
wherever  and  by  whoever  known  he  is  held 


in  the  highest  esteem.  He  is  a  man  of  good 
business  ability,  of  exemplary  habits  and 
upright  character. 


DANIEL  J.  MYERS,  of  the  village  of 
Big  Rock,  and  who  is  there  living  a 
retired  life,  was  for  over  forty  years  actively 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  Kane 
county.  He  was  born  iu  Chenango  county, 
New  York,  April  26,  1823,  and  is  the  son  of 
Nathan  and  Elizabeth  (Fowler)  Myers,  the 
former  a  native  of  Vermont  and  the  latter 
of  New  York.  Nathan  Myers  grew  to  man- 
hood in  his  native  state  and  when  a  young 
man  moved  to  New  York,  where  his  mar- 
riage was  solemnized.  For  years  he  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  boots  and 
shoes,  saddles  and  harness,  at  Columbus, 
New  York,  where  his  last  days  were  spent. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  man- 
hood in  Chenango  county,  and  was  educated 
in  the  schools  of  Columbus,  supplemented 
by  two  terms  in  New  Berlin  Academy.  In 
1845,  ne  came  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  a 
young  man,  and  first  located  in  Blackberry 
township,  where  he  entered  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres,  which  he  partially  im- 
proved, and  there  resided  for  three  years, 
going  thence  to  Sugar  Grove,  where  he  re- 
mained two  years,  and  in  1850  moved  to 
Big  Rock  township.  All  his  lumber  for 
building  purposes  he  hauled  from  Chicago, 
where  nearly  all  his  necessary  supplies  were 
obtained.  All  the  products  of  his  farm  he 
hauled  to  Chicago,  and  there  disposed  of 
them,  either  for  cash  or  trade.  In  Big 
Rock  township,  he  bought  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  raw  land,  which  he  fenced  and 
improved  and  on  which  he  resided  and  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  1886,  when  he  leased 
the  place  to  his  son,  but  yet  made  it  his 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


755 


home  until  1896.  To  his  original  tract  he 
added  one  hundred  and  thirteen  acres  ad- 
joining. The  improvements  on  his  place 
were  allot  a  most  substantial  character,  and 
in  all  his  undertakings  he  met  with  a  fair 
degree  of  success.  In  addition  to  his  other 
landed  interests,  he  purchased  two  farms  in 
Sugar  Grove  township,  both  of  which  are 
well  improved,  and  on  which  his  sons 
reside. 

Mr.  Myers  was  united  in  marriage  in 
Kane  county,  November  16,  1846,  with 
Miss  Sarah  M.  West,  a  native  of  Chenango 
county,  New  York,  and  a  daughter  of  David 
West,  also  a  native  of  the  same  county,  and 
who  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  in  Kane 
county.  By  this  union  there  are  three  sons. 
The  oldest,  William  West,  now  owns  and 
operates  a  valuable  farm  in  Sugar  Grove 
township.  Lucien  P.,  married,  owns  and 
operates  a  well  improved  place  in  Sugar 
Grove  township.  The  third  son,  Charles 
D.,  is  also  married,  and  owns  a  valuable 
farm  in  Sugar  Grove  township.  The  moth- 
er of  these  children  died  December  1 1 ,  1 884. 
On  the  29th  of  September,  1896,  Mr.  Myers 
was  again  married,  in  Big  Rock  township, 
his  second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Ellen 
Grouse,  who  was  born  in  Big  Rock  town- 
ship, Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  who  is  the 
daughter  of  Mark  Seavey.  one  of  the  hon- 
ored early  settlers,  who  located  in  Big  Rock 
township,  in  1843,  coming  from  Wyoming 
county,  New  York,  where  he  grew  to  man- 
hood, and  married  Lucy  Ann  Campbell,  a 
native  of  Wyoming  county,  New  York,  and 
a  daughter  of  Roger  Campbell,  of  that  coun- 
ty. Mr.  Seavey  was  one  of  the  prosperous 
farmers  of  Kane  county,  and  here  spent  his 
last  days,  dying  about  1852.  His  widow  is 
yet  living,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years, 
and  makes  her  home  with  Mr.  Myers.  Of 


the  two  sons  and  four  daughters  of  Mary 
and  Lucy  Ann  Seavey,  all  are  yet  living  and 
are  married.  Mrs.  Myers  grew  to  woman- 
hood, and  September  16,  1865,  married  Eg- 
bert Grouse,  a  native  of  Duchess  county, 
New  York,  who  came  to  Kane  county  with 
his  parents,  and  here  made  his  home  until 
his  death,  October  4,  1881.  His  widow 
lived  on  the  farm  for  a  number  of  years 
after  his  death,  and  then  purchased  a  lot  in 
the  village  of  Big  Rock,  on  which  she  built 
a  residence,  and  where  she  has  since  con- 
tinued to  reside. 

Politically  Mr.  Myers  is  a  Republican, 
and  cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  John 
C.  Fremont,  in  1856.  He  has  never  wa- 
vered in  his  support  of  Republican  principles 
from  that  time  to  the  present.  He  has  held 
various  positions  of  honor  and  trust,  the  du- 
ties of  [which  he  has  fulfilled  in  a  satisfac- 
tory manner  to  all  concerned.  A  firm  be- 
liever in  the  public  school  system,  he  has 
for  years  cheerfully  served  as  a  member  of 
the  school  board.  For  fifty-three  long 
years  h,e  has  been  a  resident  of  Kane  coun- 
ty, and  has  contributed  his  full  share  to- 
wards its  development.  He  is  honored, 
trusted  and  respected  by  all  who  know  him. 


WILLIAM  J.  GILBERT,  who  resides 
in  a  beautiful  home  at  No.  330  Divis- 
ion- street,  Elgin,  Illinois,  was  born  at  Brim- 
field,  Illinois,  January  9,  1847,  and  is  the 
son  of  James  and  Lucy  (Jaqueth)  Gilbert, 
the  former  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  the 
latter  of  Indiana.  They  were  the  parents 
of  twelve  children,  nine  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing, as  follows:  Arnold,  of  El  Paso,  Illi- 
nois; Christopher,  of  Peoria,  Illinois; 
Charles,  of  Verona,  Mississippi;  Frank,  of 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Indiana;  William  J. ;  Emma;  Mrs.  Alice 
Campbell,  of  Champaign,  Illinois;  Eliza- 
beth, wife  of  Thomas  Radbone,  of  Elm- 
wood,  Illinois;  and  Erastus,  of  Elgin,  Illi- 
nois. . 

James  Gilbert  was  by  trade  a  carpenter 
and  came  to  Illinois  at  an  early  day,  locat- 
ing in  Peoria.  He  now  resides  in  Brim- 
field,  Peoria  county.  For  some  years  he 
worked  at  his  trade,  then  became  a  farmer, 
and  for  the  past  few  years  has  been  living  a 
retired  life.  In  his  business  operations  he 
has  been  quite  successful,  and  is  now  the 
owner  of  several  farms.  His  wife,  who  was 
a  member  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist  church, 
passed  to  her  reward  many  years  ago. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 
was  a  native  of  England,  who  came  to 
America  with  three  other  brothers  and  they 
separated  in  New  York.  On  coming  west, 
while  on  the  Mississippi  river  with  his  wife, 
they  took  the  yellow  fever  and  died.  He 
owned  land  in  the  south,  which  he  traded 
for  land  warrants  in  the  west,  but  all  knowl- 
edge of  this  has  been  lost.  They  had  sev- 
eral children,  but  only  one  son.  The  ma- 
ternal grandfather  was  a  native  of  one  of 
the  eastern  states. 

William  J.  Gilbert,  our  subject,  was 
reared  in  Peoria  county,  on  his  father's 
farm.  In  the  district  schools  of  that  coun- 
ty he  began  his  education,  and  later  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  Elgin,  to  which 
place  he  came  in  the  fall  of  1866.  After 
leaving  school  he  clerked  for  Bartlett  & 
Waldron,  in  a  book  and  stationery  store, 
and  remained  in  that  store  until  Mr.  Bart- 
lett sold  out,  and  then  went  with  him  into 
a  grocery  store,  where  he  remained  until 
1872.  He  then  started  in  the  book  and 
stationery  business  for  himself,  in  which  he 
remained  until  1893,  when  he  sold  out  and 


is  now  engaged  in  the  real-estate  and  rent- 
ing business. 

In  January,  1894,  Mr.  Gilbert  was  uni- 
ted in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Rebecca  Burritt, 
widow  of  Peter  Burritt,  and  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Rebecca  McBride.  In  1896, 
they  erected  one  of  the  handsomest  resi- 
dences in  Elgin.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  Ma- 
son and  a  member  of  Bethel  commandery, 
K.  T. ,  and  also  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 
Politically,  he  is  a  Republican.  At  present 
he  is  secretary  of  the  Elgin  Packing  Com- 
pany, which  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  in- 
dustries of  Elgin.  A  lifelong  resident  of 
Illinois,  and  a  resident  of  Elgin  since  1866, 
he  is  well  and  favorably  known. 


F)HILIP  RAMER,  a  veteran  of  the  war 
1  for  the  Union,  and  an  enterprising 
farmer  of  Virgil  township,  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  this  state  since  1846,  and  of  Kane 
county  since  1866.  He  is  a  native  of  Ohio, 
born  March  13,  1840,  and  is  the  son  of 
Henry  and  Susan  (Troupe)  Ramer,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
who  located  in  Ohio  at  an  early  day.  They 
were  the  parents  of  ten  children — Peter,  Levi, 
John,  deceased,  Henry,  Phillip,  Anthony, 
George,  Maria,  Catherine,  and  Lovina,  the 
latter  being  deceased.  From  Ohio/  Henry 
Ramer  moved  with  his  family  to  Illinois  in 
1846,  and  purchased  five  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  Government  land,  eighty  acres  for 
each  of  his  seven  sons.  He  located  in  De 
Kalb  county,  just  across  the  line  from  Kane 
county,  and  there  engaged  in  farming  ex- 
tensively, becoming  quite  prosperous,  and 
adding  materially  to  his  stock  of  this  world's 
goods.  He  gave  special  attention  to  stock- 
raising  in  connection  with  general  farming. 
His  death  occurred  on  the  old  homestead 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


757 


when  he  was  eighty-six  years  old.  Well 
known  throughout  Kane  and  De  Kalb  coun- 
ties, he  was  a  man  universally  respected, 
and  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  being  an  hon- 
est man. 

Phillip  Ramer,  our  subject,  was  reared 
on  the  farm,  and  received  his  education  in 
the  old  log  school  house  in  De  Kalb  county, 
Illinois.  While  his  school  life  was  limited 
and  the  education  received  therein  not  of 
the  best,  he  has  yet  become  a  well  informed 
man,  gaining  knowledge  by  reading  and 
observation.  He  has  always  followed  the 
vocation  of  a  farmer,  having  a  taste  for  it, 
and-  having  no  desire  to  change. 

The  war  for  the  union  being  in  progress, 
Mr.  Ramer  enlisted  November  9,  1861,  as 
a  member  of  Company  G,  Fifty- eighth  Regi- 
ment Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  at  Aurora, 
and  with  his  regiment  went  to  the  front. 
He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Fort  Don- 
elson  and  Shiloh,  and  after  the  latter  en- 
gagement was  taken  sick  and  for  three 
months  was  in  the  hospital.  He  was  then 
discharged  from  the  service  and  returned 
home.  After  spending  some  time  in  re- 
gaining his  health,  he  again  engaged  in 
farm  work.  In  consequence  of  ill  health, 
caused  by  disease  contracted  while  in  the 
army,  he  now  draws  a  pension  from  the 
general  government. 

After  his  return  from  the  front,  Mr.  Ra- 
mer located  in  De  Kalb  county,  where  he 
remained  until  1866,  when  he  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Virgil  township,  near 
Maple  Park,  and  at  once  began  its  improve- 
ment, and  has  there  remained  until  the 
present  time.  He  also  owns  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  in  Ottawa  county,  Kan- 
sas. 

On  the  ist  of  January,  1866,  Mr.  Ra- 
mer was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Olivia 


Watson,  of  Kaneville,  Illinois,  but  a  native 
of  New  Jersey.  By  this  union  were  six 
children,  two  of  whom  are  deceased.  The 
living  are  Alvin,  Harley,  Charlie  and  Lloyd. 
Those  deceased  were  Fielding  A.  and  Ger- 
trude. Fraternally  Mr.  Ramer  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
and  religiously  he  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  a  firm  be- 
liever in  the  principles  of  the  party.  As  a 
citizen  he  is  enterprising,  and  as  a  farmer 
his  ability  is  recognized  by  all.  Socially  he 
is  greatly  esteemed. 


NATHAN  PERRY  COLLINS,  M.  D., 
was  for  years  one  of  the  best  known 
physicians  in  Kane  county.  He  was  the 
grandson  of  Solomon  Collins,  and  the  son 
of  Dr.  Nathan  Collins,  probably  a  native  of 
New  Hampshire,  who  came  to  Kane  county 
in  November,  1835,  locating  at  Clintonville, 
now  South  Elgin.  In  company  with  Dr. 
Joseph  Tefft  and  P.  C.  Gilbert,  he  drove 
through  by  wagon  from  Madison  county, 
New  York,  the  two  Doctors  bringing  with 
them  their  families,  but  sending  their  furni- 
ture and  household  goods  by  lake.  They 
did  not  find  them  in  Chicago  until  June, 
1836,  although  they  made  frequent  trips  of 
inquiry.  On  their  arrival  they  left  their 
families  at  ''Yankee  settlement,"  on  the 
Des  Plaines  river,  in  Cook  county,  and  on 
horseback  rode  over  the  prairies  searching 
a  place  of  settlement.  They  visited  settle- 
ments at  Aurora,  Blackberry,  Geneva,  and 
that  of  Ira  Minard,  where  the  insane  asy- 
lum now  stands.  Descending  the  river  a 
few  miles  to  the  present  site  of  South  Elgin, 
Dr.  Collins  took  up  a  claim  on  the  west 
side,  and  Dr.  Tefft  on  the  east  side  of  the 


758 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


river.  The  next  spring,  however,  Dr.  Col- 
lins removed  to  St.  Charles,  and  the  first  brick 
building  erected  in  that  place  was  for  his 
use  as  an  office.  It  was  erected  in  1837, 
and  is  still  standing,  but  now  used  as  a  sta- 
ble. The  Doctor  died  in  1841,  a  few 
months  prior  to  the  birth  of  our  subject. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the 
early  settlers,  very  influential,  and  of  a 
genial  disposition. 

Dr.  Nathan  Collins  married  Miss  Fannie 
Gilbert,  whose  birth  occurred  in  De  Ruyter, 
New  York.  She  was  a  member  of  one  of 
the  three  families  so  intimately  connected 
in  the  early  settlement  of  Kane  county — 
the  Teffts,  the  Gilberts  and  the  Collinses. 
Of  their  family  of  five  children,  four  reached 
years  of  maturity,  as  follows:  Adeline,  who 
married  Thomas  Orcutt;  Marian,  who  mar- 
ried Manley  Morgan;  Lydia,  who  married 
Adolphus  Brown,  and  Nathan  Perry.  Dr. 
Nathan  Collins  was  a  cousin  of  Commodore 
Perry,  from  whom  our  subject  received  his 
middle  name. 

Nathan  Perry  Collins  was  born  in  St. 
Charles,  Illinois,  July  9,  1841.  After  the 
death  of  his  father,  his  mother  resided  for 
a  time  at  Elgin,  at  Clintonville  and  St. 
Charles,  where  our  subject  attended  school, 
as  well  as  at  Aurora.  The  mother  died 
when  he  was  about  twelve  years  old,  and  he 
then  lived  in  the  family  of  P.  C.  Gilbert,  a 
relative  for  whom  he  worked  for  his  board. 
He  early  evinced  the  desire  to  make  the 
medical  profession  his  life  work,  and  to  that 
end  read  medicine  with  Dr.  Whitford,  in  El- 
gin, some  two  or  three  years,  after  which 
he  began  practice  in  a  small  town  in  Illi- 
nois. Later  he  took  a  course  in  the  Cincin- 
nati Eclectic  Medical  College,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  February  1 1,  1868.  He 
then  began  practice  in  Earlville,  Illinois, 


and  in  a  short  time  secured  a  patronage  that 
kept  him  so  constantly  employed  that  his 
health  broke  down.  For  rest  and  recrea- 
tion he  took  a  trip  to  Minnesota,  and  there 
met  the  woman  who  was  later  to  become 
his  wife. 

Dr.  Collins  was  married  near  Lyle, 
Mower  county,  Minnesota,  May  5,  1870,  to 
Miss  Mary  A.  Whitford,  a  native  of  Erie 
county,  Pennsylvania.  Her  father,  Asahel 
Whitford,  was  born  in  Otsego  county,  New 
York,  and  was  by  occupation  a  farmer. 
From  Otsego  county  he  moved  to  Erie  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  and  later  returned  to  New 
York,  locating  in  Madison  county,  where  he 
married  Eliza  Mitchell,  born  in  De  Ruyter, 
Madison  county,  and  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
and  Mary  (Mosher)  Mitchell,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  New  York.  Joseph  Mitch- 
ell followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer  dur- 
ing his  entire  life.  When  a  boy  he  lived  on 
Nantucket  Island,  and  many  were  the  stories 
told  around  the  fireside  of  his  early  life 
among  the  fisher  folks  and  seafaring  men. 
His  father  was  a  native  of  the  Isle  of  Wight. 
After  the  death  of  Joseph  Mitchell,  his 
widow  made  her  home  with  Mrs.  Collins, 
passing  to  her  rest  November  30,  1896. 
She  was  the  mother  of  five  children,  Mrs. 
Collins  being  the  only  survivor.  Religiously 
she  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church.  In  the  spring  of  1866  Asahel 
Whitford,  who  was  the  son  of  Ezekiel  and 
Aurilla  (Ruggles)  Whitford,  removed  from 
Madison  county  and  settled  near  Lyle, 
Mower  county,  Minnesota,  where  he  lived 
until  a  short  time  before  his  death,  when, 
believing  a  change  of  climate  would  be 
beneficial,  he  came  to  South  Elgin,  and 
made  his  home  with  our  subject  until  his 
death,  May  9,  1887,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
nine  years. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


759 


Returning  to  Earlville,  our  subject  re- 
sumed practice,  but  again  broke  down, 
when  he  closed  his  office  and  left  with  his 
wife  for  Minnesota.  Joining  a  surveying 
corps,  he  remained  with  the  party  during 
the  summer  and  fall,  but  spent  the  winter 
with  his  wife  at  the  home  of  her  parents.  In 
the  spring  following  he  came  to  Clintonville, 
now  South  Elgin,  and  built  a  house  on  part 
of  his  father's  old  claim,  with  the  intention 
of  locating  here  but  temporarily.  His  prac- 
tice grew  so  rapidly  that  he  decided  to  re- 
main and  so  rebuilt  the  house,  which  is  now 
the  home  of  the  family.  It  is  a  large,  com- 
modious dwelling  on  Main  street. 

To  Dr.  Collins  and  wife  three  children 
were  born.  Fannie  died  in  infancy.  Cor- 
nelia W.  married  Rev.  Thomas  Ream,  the 
present  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  at  Barrington,  Illinois,  and  they 
have  two  children,  Dorothy  H.  and  Mary 
A.  William  P.  is  a  student  in  a  Chicago 
medical  college,  but  makes  his  home  with 
his  mother.  During  his  vacations  he  finds 
employment  in  the  Malleable  Iron  Works  in 
St.  Charles.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

Dr.  Collins  was  a  martyr  to  his  profes- 
sion. His  practice  was  very  large  in  the 
country,  and  calls  came  to  him  day  and 
night.  On  the  22nd  of  December,  1895, 
he  had  a  hard  drive  all  day,  during  which 
time  he  was  suffering  great  pain  in  his  heart, 
but  made  no  complaint  at  home,  not  even 
mentioning  it.  That  night,  however,  the 
pain  grew  so  severe  a  physician  had  to  be 
called.  He  grew  rapidly  worse  and  expired 
during  the  early  hours  of  the  morning  of  De- 
cember 24.  Dr.  Collins  was  a  man  of  de- 
cisive character — facts  were  quickly  consid- 
ered and  decision  quickly  rendered.  He  was 
unerring  in  his  judgment  of  cases  coming 
under  his  care;  kind,  but  firm  in  his  direc- 

38 


tions  and  management  of  a  case.  He  was 
a  man  whose  place  in  the  community  can 
scarcely  be  filled.  While  not  a  church  mem- 
ber, he  was  a  religious  man.  In  politics  he 
was  a  Republican,  but  his  professional  duties 
kept  him  from  accepting  an  official  position 
but  that  of  school  director,  which  was  forced 
upon  him  for  many  years.  Fraternally,  he 
was  a  member  of  the  old  Clintonville  lodge, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  which  was  afterwards 
merged  into  one  of  the  Elgin  lodges.  He 
was  also  a  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America,  of  South  Elgin,  for  which 
he  was  medical  examiner. 


DJ.  HOGAN,  member  of  the  Demo- 
cratic state  central  committee,  now 
residing  in  the  beautiful  city  of  Geneva,  is  a 
native  of  the  Prairie  state,  born  in  Chicago, 
December  7,  1856.  He  is  a  son  of  John 
Hogan  and  wife,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Ireland,  but  who  emigrated  to  this  coun- 
try at  an  early  date,  locating  in  Chicago 
about  1837,  where  he  successfully  engaged 
in  mercantile  pursuits  until  the  great  fire  in 
in  October,  1871.  His  death  occurred  in 
that  city  in  1873,  while  his  wife  survived 
him  some  ten  years,  dying  in  1883.  They 
were  the  parents  of  two  sons,  our  subject 
and  his  brother,  Dr.  Hogan,  who  for  seven 
years  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  Paris,  France.  He  is  now 
deceased.  Both  parents  were  earnest  and 
devout  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church  and  died  in  that  faith. 

Our  subject  grew  to  manhood  in  his  na- 
tive city,  and  after  receiving  his  education 
in  the  primary  and  parochial  schools,  en- 
tered the  University  of  Notre  Dame,  near 
South  Bend,  Indiana,  from  which  institution 
he  graduated.  Later  he  entered  the  .Union 


760 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


College  of  Law,  at  Chicago,  and  after  pur- 
suing the  prescribed  course  received  his 
degree  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1875. 
For  some  seven  years  he  engaged  in  active 
practice,  securing  a  good  and  valuable  cli- 
entage, but  other  interests  demanded  his 
attention  and  he  therefore  abandoned  the 
law. 

While  on  a  visit  to  Ireland,  Mr.  Hogan 
was  united  in  marriage  May  20,  1879,  with 
Mary  Agnes  Duhig,  who  was  born,  reared 
and  educated  in  that  country.  Returning 
home  he  brought  with  him  his  bride  and 
they  began  their  domestic  life  .in  Chicago, 
which  was  their  home  until  1887,  when 
they  removed  to  the  more  quiet  city  of 
Geneva,  where  they  have  since  continued 
to  reside.  Two  children  have  come  to  bless 
their  union — Mary  E.,  a  young  lady  now  at- 
tending Mrs.  Rice's  Girl's  Collegiate  School 
of  Chicago,  in  the  class  of  1899,  and  John 
P. ,  a  student  in  the  University  of  Chicago, 

Mr.  Hogan  is  very  fond  of  travel  and 
has  visited  the  various  European  countries 
eleven  times,  taking  in  most  every  place  of 
interest  in  England,  Ireland,  Wales,  Scot- 
land, France,  Spain,  Italy  and  Germany. 
While  visiting  the  old  world  so  many  times, 
he  has  not  neglected  his  own  country,  but 
has  been  in  almost  every  state  and  territory 
of  the  union.  ,  As  might  be  expected,  his 
knowledge  of  various  countries  is  extensive, 
and  it  is  a  rare  .treat  to  .listen  to  his  descrip- 
tion of  places  and  men  that  he  has  seen. 

A  life-long  Democrat,  Mr.  Hogan  has 
taken  a  lively,  interest  in  political  affairs 
and  has  given  much  of  his  time  and  means 
in  advocacy  of  the  principles  of  his  party. 
His  reputation  as  a  party  worker,  thorough 
and  systematic  organizer,  is  well  known 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
land  and  has  brought  him  into  prominence 


and  deserved  recognition.  Few  men  are 
better  posted  in  regard  to  the  relative 
strength  and  weak  and  strong  points  of  the 
various  parties.  That  knowledge  he  util- 
izes in  strengthening  his  own  party  and 
weakening  the  opposing  one.  While  work- 
ing for  his  party,  giving  to  it  his  best  efforts, 
he  has  never  himself  sought  or  cared  for 
official  position.  He  has  served  as  alder- 
man and  mayor  of  his  adopted  city,  and  for 
some  years  has  been  a  member  of  the  board 
of  trustees  of  the  Northern  Illinois  Hospital 
for  the  Insane  at  Elgin.  He  is  one  of  the 
oldest  members  of  the  Democratic  state 
central  committee,  and  the  services  of  no 
man  are  more  highly  appreciated. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Hogan  is  a  member  of 
the  Elks,  and  religiously  he  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Catholic  church.  / 


ROBERT  GEDDES  EARLEY,  junior 
member  of  the  firm  of  Lovell  &  Earl- 
ey, with  offices  in  the  Spurling  block,  El- 
gin, is  a  young  man  whose  record  appears 
to  be  creditable.  He  is  one  of  Illinois'  na- 
tive sons,  having  been  born  in  Rock  Island, 
August  26,  1866,  his  parents  being  John 
Hertmann  and  Laura  (Grover)  Earley. 
His  father  was  also  a  native  of  Illinois,  and 
the  grandfather,  Robert  Early,  was  a  native 
of  Virginia,  whence  he  came  to  this  state  at 
an  early  day;  he  was  a  "  Henry  Clay  Whig" 
in  politics,  and  his  memory  is  revered  by  all 
who  live  to  remember  him  at  that  time. 
John  H.  Earley,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
the  only  son  of  Robert  Earley,  and  now 
lives  in  Woodstock,  Illinois,  where  he  is  en- 
gaged in  the  hardware  business.  He  mar- 
ried Laura  Grover,  daughter  of  G.  L. 
Grover,  who  comes  from  Pennsylvania  and 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


761 


is  now  living  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  John 
H.  Earley,  in  Woodstock,  Illinois,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety-two  years.  Mrs. 
John  H.  Earley  was  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  her  parents  resided  for  many 
years  and  thence  removed  to  Rock  Island, 
Illinois,  where  her  father  was  elected  to  and 
filled  the  office  of  sheriff  for  a  number  of 
terms.  Both  the  Earleys  and  Grovers  are 
of  Revolutionary  stock,  the  great-grandfa- 
ther, Joseph  Grover,  having  come  from 
England  in  colonial  days,  and  joined  the 
American  army  when  the  colonists  renounced 
any  and  all  allegiance  to  the  British  crown, 
and  served  with  credit  to  himself  during 
nearly  two  years  of  that  terrible  campaign 
and  fight  for  liberty  of  the  American  peo- 
ple. Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  H.  Earley  are  the 
parents  of  two  children,  Hattie,  who  died 
in  infancy,  and  Robert  G.,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch. 

It  was  in  the  common  schools  of  Wood- 
stock, Illinois,  that  Robert  G.  Earley  ac- 
quired his  primary  education,  supplemented 
by  a  course  in  the  Woodstock  High  School, 
from  which  he  graduated  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen years,  being  one  of  the  youngest 
students  who  at  that  time  had  completed 
the  course. 

A  short  time  after  laying  aside  his  text- 
books he  obtained  a  position  in  the  abstract 
office  of  Richards  &  Arnold,  at  Woodstock, 
Illinois,  where  he  remained  for  upwards  of 
three  years,  acquiring  a  splendid  post-grad- 
uate course  under  the  able  tutorship  of  one 
of  the  best,  if  not  the  best,  abstracter  in 
the  state  of  Illinois,  Hon.  Emery  E.  Rich- 
ards. From  Woodstock  Mr.  Earley  was 
called  to  Geneva,  Kane  county,  Illinois,  and 
there  took  a  position  in  the  office  of  the 
county  and  probate  clerk;  in  these  positions 
he  gained  considerable  knowledge  of  law 


and  acquired  an  ambition  and  desire  to  en- 
ter the  legal  profession. 

In  1891  Mr.  Earley  came  to  Elgin  and 
entered  the  office  of  Judge  Edward  C.  Lov- 
ell,  who  directed  his  law  studies  until  his 
admission  to  the  bar,  in  May,  1896,  and 
thus  well  equipped,  began  his  chosen  work. 

Mr.  Earley  was  married  July  9,  1892,  to 
Miss  Elsie  A.  Forrest,  a  daughter  of  James 
E.  and  Adelaide  (Morse)  Forrest,  early  res- 
idents of  Kane  county,  Illinois,  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  LaFox.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Earley  have 
only  one  surviving  child,  Caroline,  an  inter- 
esting little  sunbeam  of  twenty-one  months. 
Mrs.  Earley  is  a  memberof  the  First  Church 
of  Christ,  Scientist;  is  an  officer  of  the  Key 
Note  Club,  a  musical  society  of  Elgin,  and 
shares  with  her  husband  in  the  warm  regard 
of  many  friends. 

In  politics  Mr.  Robert  G.  Earley  is  a  stal- 
wart Republican,  and  is,  and  has  been  since 
its  organization,  chairman  of  the  executive 
committee  of  the  Lincoln  Republican  Club, 
an  organization  which  now  numbers  over 
eight  hundred  members,  and  has  also  been 
an  executive  committeeman  for  his  county 
for  several  years  in  the  National  League  of 
Republican  clubs,  and  to  the  national  con- 
ventions, of  which  he  has  been  three  times 
elected  a  delegate. 

Mr.  Early  also  belongs  to,  and  is  a  com- 
mitteeman, in  the  Society  of  the  Sons  of 
the  Revolution,  and  is  also  a  memberof  the 
Knights  of  Pythias.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Hamilton  Club,  of  Chicago. 


EVELYN  E.  RICH,  Hampshire,  Illinois. 
One  of  the  oldest,  as  well  as  most  hon- 
orable,   families    in    Kane    county,   is    that 
from  which   the  subject  of   this  sketch  has 


762 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


sprung.  The  family  in  America  is  descended 
from  four  brothers  who  came  together  from 
Wales  in  early  colonial  days,  the  ancestor 
of  this  branch  of  the  family  settling  in  one 
of  the  New  England  states.  The  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  Elijah  Rich,  Sr. ,  was 
born  in  Wiliamstown,  Massachusetts,  and 
after  serving  through  the  Revolutionary  war 
settled  in  Vermont,  where  he  died  at  the 
age  of  seventy-seven  years. 

Elijah  Rich,  Jr.,  an  only  son,  was  born 
in  Massachusetts,  June  10,  1795,  and  when 
a  child  removed  with  his  parents  to  Ver- 
mont, where  he  was  reared.  Here  he  mar- 
ried and  some  of  his  children  were  born. 
Early  in  1834  he  started  west  on  horseback, 
and  after  traversing  four  or  five  states  ar- 
rived in  Naperville,  Illinois,  at  the  house  of 
his  friend,  Hiram  Goodrich,  whom  he  had 
known  in  his  native  state.  From  here  he 
rode  over  much  of  the  northern  part  of  Illi- 
nois, through  several  counties,  finally 
selecting  a  tract  on  section  31,  Deerfield 
precinct,  now  Rutland  township,  and  re- 
turned to  Naperville.  Leaving  his  horse 
here,  he  returned  to  Vermont  by  way  of 
the  lakes  in  the  summer,  and  sent  his 
nephew,  E.  R.  Starks,  who  was  living  with 
him,  to  come  west  to  hold  the  claims  he 
had  made  for  them,  which  Mr.  Starks  did 
that  fall. 

Xn  the  spring  of  1836,  Mr.  Rich  again 
turned  his  face  westward  bringing  his  family 
with  him,  coming  as  he  had  returned,  by 
water.  From  White  Hall,  New  York,  they 
came  by  the  Erie  canal  to  Buffalo,  coming 
thence  by  lake  to  Chicago,  and  by  wagon 
to  Naperville,  where  the  family  was  left 
while  Mr.  Rich  and  his  nephew  built  a 
house  to  shelter  them.  Coming  to  their 
claims  as  early  as  the  season  would  permit, 
the  two  first  built  a  cabin  on  Mr.  Starks' 


claim  which  they  occupied,  until  some 
ground  could  be  broken  and  a  crop  planted. 
Later  a  larger  and  more  commodious  dwell- 
ing was  erected  on  Mr.  Rich's  claim,  prob- 
ably the  largest  log  house  in  the  county, 
and  as  soon  as  completed  the  family  came 
out  from  Naperville  and  here  the  venerable 
pioneer  made  his  home  until  his  death  No- 
vember 10,  1871. 

On  this  homestead  he  reared  a  family 
of  sons  and  daughters,  who  have  lived  as  he 
lived,  honored  and  respected  by  all  who 
knew  them.  His  passing  carried,  from 
among  us  one  of  the  grand  old  men  who 
fearlessly  faced  the  hardships  of  the  wilder- 
ness to  provide  for  their  families  a  greater 
heritage  than  the  flinty  hills  of  New  Eng- 
land could  afford,  and  leave  them  sufficient 
of  this  world's  goods  to  save  them  from  the 
many  privations  which  he  endured. 

Mr.  Rich  was  twice  married,  first  to 
Triphosa  Fowler,  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Betsey  Fowler,  natives  of  Vermont.  She 
bore  him  four  children,  two  of  whom  sur- 
vive: Thomas  F. ,  of  Hampshire,  Illinois; 
and  Melissa,  widow  of  Charles  Bradford, 
living  in  South  Dakota.  His  second  mar- 
riage was  to  Anise  Meacham,  to  whom  six 
children  were  born:  Anise,  deceased,  mar- 
ried N.  R.  Sanford;  Clarissa,  wife  of  Albert 
Shurtleff,  lives  in  South  Dakota;  Venelia, 
who  married  E.  B.  Arnold,  and  also  lives  in 
South  Dakota;  Delia  died  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  years;  Evelyn  E.,  our  subject,  a 
twin  brother  of  Eveline,  deceased,  who 
married  John  Gage,  also  deceased,  of  whom 
more  is  said  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Evelyn  E.  Rich,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  born  on  the  old  home  farm  in 
Rutland  township,  April  26,  1839.  He  was 
reared  on  the  homestead,  attending  the  dis- 
trict schools  until  the  age  of  sixteen,  at 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


763 


which  time  he  began  life  for  himself.  Rent- 
ing a  farm  for  two  years,  he  discontinued 
farming,  at  the  end  of  that  time  and  for  an 
equal  period  was  engaged  at  carpentering, 
when  he  again  took  up  his  regular  calling, 
and  was  employed  on  the  farm  until  going 
into  the  Union  army  to  help  suppress  the 
Rebellion,  enlisting  May  2,  1864,  in  Com- 
pany K,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-first  Reg- 
iment Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  the 
one-hundred-day  service.  He  remained 
nearly  twice  his  enlisted  time,  being  mus- 
tered out  October  loth,  of  the  same  year. 
The  regiment  to  which  Mr.  Rich  was  at- 
tached was  assigned  to  garrison  duty  and 
stationed  most  of  the  time  along  the  Missis- 
sippi river. 

On  his  return  from  the  war  Mr.  Rich  re- 
sumed farming,  and  after  the  death  of  his 
father,  in  1871,  purchased  the  old  home- 
stead. Here  he  resided  until  1888,  when 
he  retired  from  active  farming,  purchased  a 
fine  property  in  the  village  of  Hampshire, 
where  he  takes  the  world  easy,  while  still 
in  the  prime  of  life. 

The  old  homestead,  consisting  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  unusually  fertile 
land,  is  not  excelled  by  any  farm  in  Rutland 
township.  The  wide  lawn  stretching  down 
to  the  highway,  with  its  magnificent  old 
trees,  patriarchs  of  the  original  forest,  with 
the  woodland  across  the  way,  makes  a  pict- 
ure of  rural  beauty  pleasing  to  every  eye 
that  beholds  it,  be  he  artist  or  ploughboy. 
The  residence,  an  unusually  large  and  com- 
modious building,  one  of  the  most  substan- 
tial in  the  country,  was  erected  by  the  first 
proprietor  of  the  estate,  while  the  present 
owner  built  the  large  barn,  112x44,  and 
many  of  the  minor  buildings  on  the  farm. 
Dairy  farming  is  the  present  industry,  a 
fine  herd  of  some  sixty  head  of  cattle  being 


kept  thereat  all  times,  and  frequently  many 
more  find  shelter  there. 

Mr.  Rich  has  been  by  no  means  idle 
since  leaving  the  farm,  but  has  been  an  ex- 
tensive dealer  in  live  stock  of  all  kinds. 
He  buys  and  ships  milch  cows,  having  at 
all  times  a  large  number  on  hand  for  sale. 
He  is  an  excellent  judge  of  the  horse,  and 
no  one  in  Kane  county  drives  a  finer  pair  of 
high-spirited,  handsome  roadsters  than  Mr. 
Rich. 

For  a  companion  in  life  Mr.  Rich  chose 
the  daughter  of  one  of  the  most  honored  of 
Kane  county's  pioneers,  Miss  Helen  Doty, 
a  native  of  Ohio,  where  the  family  was  re- 
siding a  few  years  prior  to  continuing  their 
migration  westward  in  the  early  days  when 
Illinois  was  emerging  from  the  wilderness. 
Henry  Doty,  father  of  Mrs.  Rich,  was  born 
in  Delaware  county,  New  York,  October 
1 6,  1813.  In  early  life  he  removed  to 
Ohio,  where  he  lived  a  few  years,  and  then 
came  further  west,  spending  one  year  at 
Kenosha,  Wisconsin.  On  his  advent  to 
Illinois  his  whole  capital  was  two  and  one- 
half  dollars — a  small  beginning  from  which 
he  made  a  success  in  life  that  is  a  credit  to 
any  man,  and  one  of  which  his  descendants 
may  well  be  proud. 

October  10,  1843,  he  settled  upon  the 
farm  now  owned  by  his  son,  William  E. , 
and  for  fifty  years  lived  upon  and  cultivated 
it.  His  deed,  direct  from  the  government, 
signed  by  President  James  K.  Polk,  is  in 
possession  of  the  family  still.  Mr.  Doty 
died  October  28,  1893,  having  lived  on  the 
farm  fifty  years  and  eight  days. 

The  grandfather,  Elijah  Doty,  was  a 
native  of  New  York  state.  He  died  in  Ohio 
aged  sixty-seven  years.  His  wife,  who  was 
Polly  Hodges,  attained  the  age  of  ninety- 
seven,  passing  away  on  the  home  farm  in 


764 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Kane  county.  Her  marriage  occurred  at  the 
age  of  sixteen,  and  she  became  the  mother 
of  fourteen  children,  five  of  whom  survive. 

Henry  Doty  first  married  Persis  F.  Bur- 
rington,  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  daugh- 
ter of  Chauncey  and  Roxina  (Folkner)  Bur- 
rington,  who  lived  to  be  ninety-five  and 
ninety  respectively.  Of  Mr.  Doty's  first 
marriage  four  children  were  born,  the 
mother  dying  when  they  were  very  young. 
The  three  surviving  are  Henry  S.  Doty,  of 
Sauk  county,  Minnesota;  Mrs.  Rich  and 
Mrs.  C.  T.  Campbell,  living  in  Crowley 
county,  Kansas.  Of  Mr.  Doty's  second 
marriage  to  Maria  Page,  three  children  were 
born,  only  one  of  whom  survives,  William 
E.  Doty,  occupying  and  owning  the  old 
home  farm. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rich  seven  children 
have  been  born:  Addie  E. ,  who  married 
Frank  Ball  and  is  living  on  the  home  farm 
in  Rutland  township.  To  them  eight  chil- 
dren have  been  born.  May  E.,  who  mar- 
ried A.  D.  Brown,  of  Forks,  Wyoming  Ter- 
ritory, is  the  mother  of  one  child.  Milton, 
died  in  1890,  aged  twenty-three  years. 
Henry  E.  lives  in  Wyoming  on  a  large 
ranch,  and  with  him  is  Ralph,  who  employs 
part  of  his  time  teaching.  Arthur  died  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  months;  Ethel,  the 
youngest,  is  a  successful  teacher  of  Hamp- 
shire township. 

In  politics  Mr.  Rich  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican, having  supported  that  party  and  its 
principles  since  attaining  his  majority.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public, Hampshire  post. 


/CHARLES  H.  STRINGER.— The  world 
\—*  instinctively  pays  deference  to  the  man 
whose  success  is  worthily  achieved,  over- 


coming the  obstacles  and  difficulties  in  his 
path  until  he  has  reached  a  high  position  in 
the  business  world.  This  is  a  progressive 
age,  and  he  who  does  not  advance  is  soon 
left  far  behind.  Mr.  Stringer,  by  the  im- 
provement of  opportunities  by  which  all 
are  surrounded,  has  steadily  and  honorably 
worked  his  way  upward  until,  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  he  was  one  of  the  large  landed 
proprietors  of  Elgin  township,  Kane  county. 

Mr.  Stringer  was  born  near  Montreal, 
Lower  Canada,  October  31,  1834,  a  son  of 
George  Stringer,  a  native  of  Yorkshire, 
England,  who  was  in  the  Canadian  militia 
during  the  rebellion,  and  suffered  captivity. 
The  father  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1835,  which  was  during  the  infancy  of  our 
subject,  who  never  saw  him  until  nearly 
grown.  The  mother  died  when  he  was 
about  six  or  seven  years  of  age.  As  his 
school  privileges  were  limited,  he  was  most- 
ly self-educated,  but  acquired  a  good  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  men  and  affairs.  In  his 
native  land  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  har- 
ness and  trunk  maker,  but  never  followed 
those  occupations  after  coming  to  Kane 
county,  Illinois,  in  1855,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years. 

Joining  his  father  in  Kane  county,  where 
he  settled  at  a  very  early  day,  Mr.  Stringer 
remained  with  him  until  his  marriage  with 
Miss  Fannie  Bishop,  daughter  of  John 
Bishop,  a  native  of  England.  They  have 
become  the  parents  of  five  children,  name- 
ly: Kate,  now  the  wife  of  Robert  Canada, 
a  farmer  of  Big  Stone,  Minnesota;  George, 
deceased;  Carl,  who  married  Cora  Griffin, 
of  Mitchell  county,  Iowa,  and  now  lives  on 
his  father's  farm  in  that  state;  Daisy,  the 
wife  of  John  McGary,  of  Elgin;  and  Harry, 
a  resident  of  New  Mexico. 

After   his    marriage,  Mr.    Stringer    pur- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


765 


chased  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  at 
Youngsdale,  Elgin  township,  where  he  lived 
for  twenty  years,  and  then  removed  to 
Mitchell  county,  Iowa,  purchasing  three 
hundred  twenty  acres  there.  He  continued 
the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  that 
place  until  1888,  when  he  leased  it  to  his 
son  and  returned  to  Illinois.  He  owned  his 
father's  old  homestead  on  the  western 
boundary  of  the  corporation  of  Elgin,  it  be- 
ing a  valuable  tract  of  four  hundred  twenty 
acres,  formerly  a  stock  farm  and  now  a 
dairy  farm  supplied  with  one  hundred  milch 
cows.  Mr.  Stringer  was  always  a  lover  of 
good  horses,  was  an  excellent  judge  of  the 
noble  steed,  and  since  1895  was  inter- 
ested in  fine  trotting  stock.  Being  pleased 
with  the  famous  "  Loafer,"  the  fastest  horse 
in  Chicago — he  bought,  trained  and  devel- 
oped him,  and  then  sold  to  the  present 
owner.  As  a  business  man  Mr.  Stringer 
was  always  prompt,  reliable  and  ener- 
getic, and  as  a  citizen  commanded  the  re- 
spect and  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact.  In  his  political  affilia- 
tions he  is  an  ardent  Republican,  but  has 
never  cared  for  the  honors  or  emoluments 
of  public  office. 


HERBERT  Z.  BERRY,  who  for  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  century  was  con- 
nected with  the  "Aurora  Beacon,"  has 
been  a  resident  of  the  city  since  the  age  of 
two  years.  He  was  born  in  Medina,  Ohio, 
November  7,  1855,  and  is  the  son  of  Thomas 
E.  and  Ann  (Pierce)  Berry,  the  former  a 
native  of  Ireland,  born  in  1821,  and  who 
came  to  America  when  about  nineteen  years 
of  age,  and  the  latter  a  native  of  England, 
born  in  1829,  and  who  was  fifteen  years  of 
age  when  with  her  parents  she  emigrated  to 


the  United  States.  In  1857  Thomas  E. 
Berry,  with  his  family,  located  in  Aurora, 
which  was  his  home  during  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  He  died  July  22,  1896,  his  wife 
preceding  him  to  their  heavenly  home  some 
fifteen  years,  dying  April  5,  1881.  Of  their 
eleven  children,  five  are  yet  living,  three  of 
whom  make  their  homes  in  Aurora,  one  in 
Beardstown,  Illinois,  and  one  in  Chicago. 
The  living  are  O.  Adelbert,  Herbert  Z. , 
A.  Doc,  William  H.  and  Bertram.  The 
first  four  named  are  married. 

Herbert  Z.  Berry  grew  to  manhood  in 
Aurora  and  was  educated  in  its  public 
schools.  In  1868,  when  but  thirteen  years 
of  age,  he  commenced  work  in  the  "  Her- 
ald "  printing  office  in  that  city,  and  was 
connected  with  that  establishment  for  three 
years  and  two  months.  He  then  engaged 
with  Dudley  Randall,  who  commenced  the 
publication  of  the  "  Illustrated  City  Life," 
and  was  Mr.  Randall's  principal  assistant. 
The  paper  survived  but  ten  months,  the 
material  of  the  office  being  sold  to  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  "Aurora  Beacon."  Mr. 
Berry  was  tendered  and  accepted  a  situation 
in  the  latter  establishment,  where  he  re- 
mained until  March,  1897,  over  a  quarter 
of  a  century,  a  faithful  workman  with  pro- 
gressive ideas.  For  fifteen  years  he  held 
the  responsible  position  of  superintendent 
and  manager  for  the  "Beacon."  While 
connected  with  that  establishment  he  won 
an  enviable  reputation  for  being  prompt 
and  reliable  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  his 
business,  and  the  well-deserved  popularity 
of  the  "  Beacon  "  as  a  newspaper  publish- 
ing office  and  as  a  job  printing  office  in  a 
large  measure  was- due  to  him. 

Politically  Mr.  Berry  is  an  ardent  Repub- 
lican, and  for  the  promulgation  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  party  has  contributed  of  his 


766 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


time  and  means.  He  has  held  several  posi- 
tions of  honor  and  trust,  non-remunerative, 
and  has  at  all  times  been  a  public-spirited 
and  loyal  citizen.  He  has  been  on  the 
board  of  public  works,  and  is  at  present 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  West  Aurora 
Cemetery  Board  of  Managers. 

On  his  retirement  from  the  "Beacon," 
March  3,  1897,  Mr.  Berry  spent  eleven 
months  in  travel,  in  an  attempt  to'regain 
his  worn-out  condition,  and  so  admirably 
did  he  succeed  that  on  February  i,  1898,  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  A.  G.  Worm- 
wood, to  do  general  book  and  job  printing, 
and  February  20,  1898,  they  left  the  place 
of  business  which  Mr.  Wormwood  had  oc- 


cupied in  a  like  capacity  for  several  years, 
and  moved  to  their  present  elegant  new 
quarters  at  Nos.  79,  81  and  83  Main  street, 
where  they  have  one  of  the  finest  general 
printing  offices  in  the  state  of  Illinois.  For 
thirty  years  Mr.  Berry  has  been  identified 
with  the  printing  and  publishing  interests  of 
Aurora,  and  is  well  and  favorably  known 
throughout  Kane  and  adjoining  counties. 

On  the  loth  of  November,  1880,  Mr. 
Berry  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Martha  W.  Hoyt,  of  Aurora,  daughter  of 
A.  J.  and  Caroline  Hoyt,  for  many  years 
residents  of  the  city.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Berry  are  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  all 
who  know  them. 


' 


INDEX, 


Abbott,  Dr.  Edward  H 146 

Adams,  DeWitt  C 25 

Adams,  Henry  B 547 

Adams.  John  Manly 85 

Adams,  Samuel  L 27!) 

Aldrich,  Nathan  J 430 

Alexander,  George 612 

Allen.  Charles 569 

Allen,  John 406 

Ames,  Charles 671 

Anderson,  Andrew 710 

Anderson.  Charles  J . . .  368 

Anderson,  David 648 

Archibald,  Robert 67 

Atchison.  Rev.  W.  D 332 

Backus.  Charles  II 440 

Baker,  Edward 291 

Baker,  George 150 

Baker,  Theron ..  877 

Baldwin,  Uuane  B 388 

Baldwin,  Silas 49 

Baldwin.  William  W 13 

Barrett,  Charles  H 725 

Barrows,  M.  T  358 

Battle,  James  W 478 

Beebe,  D.  R 195 

Heitli.  George  A 646 

Bell,  James  F 614 

Bell,  l)r.  John  F 555 

Benjamin,  Todd 713 

Bennett,  Arthur  A 348 

Berner,  Frank  H 543 

Berry,  Herbert  Z '. . . .  765 

Bevier,  Isaac  T 287 

Hishop,  Thomas 33 

Black,  William  H 127 

Black,  Willis  L 196 

I'.hirkniiin,  Erastus  W 256 

Blazier,  Henry 187 

Bloss,  F.  W 617 

Boldt.E.J 365 

Borden.  Gail 543 

Bosworth,  Franklin  S 42 

Botsford,  K.  N ...     16 

Bowman.  Francis  H 467 

Brill.  Samuel  S    626 

Brill,  Fred  R 226 

Brown,  J  ames  C 380 

Brown,  John  A 416 


Brown,  George  Wr.  L 260 

Brown,  Morris  P 525 

Brown,  Dr.  Simon  P 288 

Bucklin,  Anson  C 131 

Burlingame,  Uwight  E • 68 

Murns,  Michael 562 

Burroughs,  Dr.  L.  M 397 

Burton,  Francis 152 

Burton,  William 276 

Calhoun,  Dr.  C.  D 663 

Calkins,  Cyrus 706 

Callow,  Walter  H 590 

Cassem,  Randall IMS'.} 

Chapman,  Samuel  W 11 

Chamberlin,  Dwight  A 475 

Chilvcrs,  Robert 631 

Chisholm,  George  S 243 

Christiansen,  Vigo  V    632 

Clark,  JohnJ 426 

Clark.Joseph :i»4 

Clyue,  Lewis  C.  60S 

Collins,  Dr.  Nathan  P 757 

Colson.J.F 523 

Conner,  Erwin  C' 751 

Constant,  Dr.  William  E 269 

Constantino.  Louis  A 390 

Cook,  George  W 104 

Cornell,  E.  W.  K 107 

Cox,  Benjamin . .  173 

Crawford,  Dr.  H.  M 615 

Crego,  George  M 580 

Crighton.  John  W 736 

Crouse,  Charles  M  659 

Cummings,  Charles  O 280 

Dale,  Richard 717 

Dauberman,  Jonathan  S 638 

Dauberiuan,  McClellan 660 

Daum ,  George  E  . . 707 

Davenport,  Josephus 75.'! 

Davidson,  Orlando 529 

Deane,  Charles  P 198 

Dean,  Louis  A 720 

Demmer,  Herman  F 258 

Denney,  Kbenezer 404 

Densmore,  Harvey  B 700 

Dettmer.  Augustus  H 732 

Dickson,  Corydon  L 702 

Dickinson,  William  F 351 


Dobson,  Frank 715 

Doty,  Isaac  V 126 

Douglass,  Elon  G 178 

Dorr  Brothers 655 

Drake,  Nathan  A ..  447 

Duncan,  Thomas  W  41 

Duraut,  Bryant 394 

Earley.  Robert.  G .....  760 

Eaton,  Ebenezer  P 367 

Egan,  Robert  S 105 

Elliott,  John  F 301 

Ellis,  Jerome  B  739 

Ellithorpe,  William  H 748 

Eno,  EdwardS 185 

Erikson,  Charles  E 454 

Evans,  William  W 601 

Fellows,  Daniel  J 494 

Kerry,  Joseph  Sanford 407 

Fickensher,  Henry 418 

Fish.  Joseph  M 484 

Fisher,  Charles  H 628 

Fink,  Josiah  A     667 

Footh,  Silas  S 711 

Forbes,  Duncan 51 

Foss,  Eben 60 

Foster.  Rev.  Caleb.; 386 

Fraser,  William   W 677 

Frazier,  Walter  S 635 

Frear,  George   389 

Freiler.  Phillip 250 

French,  Ruric  A 622 

Gage,  Ernest  A 711 

Gahagan,  Dr.  Henry  J 218 

(•amble,  Winfield  S 92 

Gardner,  John 464 

Gardner.  Joseph  W 465 

Getzelman,  Malachi  C 144 

Getzelman,  Michael  J 742 

Geyer,  Christofer  F  718 

Gifford,  Abel  D 52 

Gift.  Samuel  J 310 

Gilbert,  Horace 606 

Gilbert,  Persons  C  230 

Gilbert,  William  J 755 

Gillett,  Arthur  L 4:>5 

Gillett,  Lewis  H 566 

Goetting,  William  H 205 


;68 


INDEX. 


(. laic.  John  W   ...      641 

Goodrirh,  Dr.  Grant il->.". 

Goodell,  Joel SKI 

Gorham,  Jacob  U 32!t 

Graves,  A.  C 253 

Gray,  Mrs.  D.  P ::'.m 

Gregory.  Charles  E 751 

Gronberg,  Charles  A 325 

Grote.  William 729 

Hagen,  George  P  98 

Haley,  George  S  293 

Hamilton,  David  723 

Hanson,  Ezra 116 

Hardy,  Dr.  Hiram  T 490 

Harger.  Merritt 200 

Barter.  Samuel 714 

Hartman,  Thomas 443 

Harvey,  George  P 31 

Hasler,  John  A 634 

Hatch,  Elam  F 722 

Hathaway,  Annas 527 

Hawes,  Moses  W 380 

Hawley,  Arvin  T 532 

Hawley.  Dr.  Sidney  B 437 

Hawthorne,  George  E 84 

Hayward.  Laban 388 

Healy,  John  L 66 

Heath,  Sidney , 110 

Hemmens,  Harold  D 736 

Hemrick.  Philip  H 688 

Hill,  David 199 

Hinds,  Alexander  L 691 

Hippie,  James  W 375 

Hodder,  John  H 420 

Hogan.D.J 759 

Holden.  Timothy  N 600 

Holmes,  Joseph  R 91 

Holt,  Jonathan  M  423 

Hoover.  S.  N 373 

Hoxie.  Edgar  B 207 

Hoyt.  Jacob  N 586 

Hubbard.  A.  H 621 

Hunt.  Major  B.  T 38 

Hunt.EdwardL  419 

Hunt,  Squire  D 697 

Hurd.  John  N 473 

Huth,  Rev.  Casper  J 27 

Ingham.  Joseph 665 

Irwin,  Clinton  F 176 

James,  Robert  T 703 

Janecke,  Jr..  John  F     668 

Japp,  August 265 

Jencks,  D.  R  741 

Jencks.  Fred  W 153 

Johnson.  Hans 154 

Joslyn.  Frank  W 336 

Judd,  Asahel  T 618 

Judd.  Sarson  L 520 

Judson,  Lewis  B 560 

Karl,  John  Henry 370 

Kelly.  A  rf red  W 436 

Kelly.  John  489 

Kemp.  John     470 

Kiinball,  William  C 334 


Kirclihoff.  Gustavo  K C7 

Kirc-lilioff.  Herman  H 117 

Kirk,  John  G 7:il 

Klein,  Peter MB 

Kliek.  William  399 

Knotl.  George  H lln 

Kramer.  Frank 183 

Krumro,  Henry  C 448 

Lamson.  D.  E 684 

Larkin.  Cyrus  H 267 

Lasher,  Hiram 596 

Laue,  Dietrich 353 

Lawrence.  Marshall 727 

Leake,  Thomas  W  542 

Leatherman,  Abraham 159 

Lee.  Samuel  H 559 

Lee,  Warren  S 1147 

Leet,  William 410 

Levey.  Charles 4«!) 

Lewis,  Charles  E 175 

Lilibridge,  W.  P 429 

Linden,  John  'W 4T!I 

Lindgren,  John  G 247 

Little.  Alexander  C 538 

Little,  James ' 553 

Logan,  John  A 209 

Long,  Jacob  Phillip 206 

Longacre,  Or.  H.  Y 331 

Loomis,  Amasa  W 224 

Lovell,  Edward  C 536 

Lovell,  Vincents 188 

Lowrie,  A.  H 503 

McChesney,  II  554 

McCormick,  Thomas 628 

McCredie,  William 272 

McDonald,  James  D 605 

McDonald,  William  Wallace 417 

McDonough,  John 82 

McElroy,  Dr.  James 168 

McGlincy,  Col.  R.  P 190 

McKellar,  John 299 

McKindley,  Daniel  M 239 

McKinnell,  Peter 312 

McMahon,  James 721 

McQueen,  John  A 355 

Mann,  Adin 56 

Mann,  Dr.  A.  L 311 

Mann,  Sylvester  S 743 

Marshall,  Frederick  J 625 

Marshall,  George  P 282 

Marshall,  Richard  S 287 

Marshall,  Romeo  W 271 

Marshall,  William 156 

Marshall,  William  E 240 

Melms,  Charles 270 

Merrefleld,  Walter  A 425 

Merrill,  William  W 574 

Messenger,  William  L 535 

Mighell,  Franklin  P. 685 

Mighell.  Silas  H 690 

Miller,  John  S 674 

Minard,  James  C 701 

Mink,  James  V 466 

Monroe.  C.  Dallas 345 

Moore.  Daniel  B 1102 

Moore,  John  B 210 


Morgan,  I.yman  D '.   ..  378 

Muirhead,  George 428 

Myers,  Daniel  J ?.'•  t 

Myers,  S.  W 7111 

Newman,  John 122 

Newman.  Joseph 433 

Newman.  William  W 528 

Oakley,  A>>em  A 719 

Uhls,  Dr.  Honry  (i 533 

Outhouse,  Renalwiu r,:u 

Pearce,  Ezekiel 486 

Peck  Brothers 576 

Pelton,  Dr.  O.  L 551 

Perkins.  Francis  B 114 

Pfrangle,  William 292 

Phelps,  Archer  B 682 

Pierce,  Charles  M     745 

I'ierpont,  Kobert 575 

Pingree.  Hev.  Andrew 455 

Plummer.  Samuel  R 733 

Pouley,  Samuel  E 883 

Potter,  Theron  J 309 

Powers,  John  R  21 

Pratt,  DeWitt  C 689 

Pratt,  Dr.  H.  L 203 

Pratt,  Dr.  William  A 393 

Preston,  Mrs.  Sarah  F 409 

Price,  Arwin  E 705 

Price,  William  M 678 

Prindle,  James  P     571 

Quackenbush,  Charles  C 453 

Quackenbush,  Marvin 36 

Radloff,  John 161 

Ramer,  Philip 756 

Randall,  John  D.  506 

Kang,  Henry 346 

Ranstead,  John  W 219 

Read,  John  J 724 

Reams,  Harrison  H 236 

Reed,  George  B 595 

Reid,  Alexander 515 

Reid,  Dr.  Charles  P 28 

Reid,  James  F 616 

Rich,  Evelyn  K 761 

Rich,  Thomas  F 294 

Richardson,  John  H .     654 

Rickert,  Jacob  D 496 

Riddle,  Adoniram 463 

Rockwell,  James 344 

Roehl,  Fred 155 

Robertson,  Edward  P 510 

Roche,  William 584 

Root,  Anson  W 137 

Rosencrans,  Asa 304 

Rosencrans.  Dr.  Halsey 132 

Rowell,  Samuel  C 189 

Rudd,  Hiram  D 698 

Ruggles,  George  F . .    624 

Russell,  John  A 204 

Rutledge,  Dr.  James  A 749 

Sallisberg,  Jacob 707 

Salflsberg,  Jacob  E 546 


INDEX. 


769 


Sawyer,  Henry  (i 214 

Schader,  Anton  K 220 

Schiokler,  Philip 627 

Schneider,  George  M 740 

Schoeberlein,  John  Adam 405 

Schulz.  Philip  752 

Scott,  John  H 4'.lT 

Scott,  William 565 

Seavey,  Henry in'J 

Seymour,  Horace  J <Wt> 

Seymour,  John  W       44 

Seymour,  Josephs B 459 

Sharp,  Charles  F 686 

Shaw,  James 278' 

Shedd,  Otis  N 266 

Sherwin,  William  W 308 

Sherwood,  Abraham  P 255 

Sholes,  David  W.   ...  519 

Skinner.  Baxter  O 524 

Skinner,  James 563 

Slater,  Dr.  Catharine  B 695 

Smailes,  Col.  William 72 

Smith,  Alfonso  A 594 

Smith,  Edward  S 336 

Solomon,  Thomas  H 737 

Southworth,  M.  O 635 

Spalding,  Coit 709 

Spencer,  Sidney  U 549 

Starks,  Evelyn  L 680 

Starr,  Ezra  M L 216 

Stenger,  Michael 457 

Sternberg,  Charles 109 

Stone,  Charles  A 303 

Stoughton,  Rev.  J.  C 480 

Stowe,  Levi  S 217 

Stowell,  Lysander 180 

Stephens,  I.  S 585 

Stringer,  Charles  H ; 764 


Stringer,  Robert 100 

Suhr,  Charles  W 300 

Sundcrland,  Waterman  It 591 

Swit/.er,  Jabez 325 

Switzer,  Samuel 229 

Taylor,  Dr.  Richard  C 675 

Tazewell,  Frank  B 548 

Tefft,  Jonathan 62 

Tefft,  Dr.  Joseph 476 

Tefft.  Thomas  W 138 

Thiers,  Mrs.  Ruth  Ann  581 

Thomas,  Nathanael  J 400 

Thompson,  Edwin  W 458 

Thompson,  Moses  H 22 

Thorns,  Alexander  P 517 

Thon,  Louis 444 

Thornton,  Milton 12 

Thorwarth,  John  F 450 

Torrey,  Willard  C 507 

Town,  Morris  C   , 288 

Treadwell,  Manley  P 259 

Tuck,  Reuben 544 

Tupper,  William  H 689 

Tuttle,  Daniel 843 

Tyers,  John 499 

Tyrrell,  Dr.  Pierce 509 

VanDeusen,  Peter 487 

VanGorder,  Daniel 15 

VanPattan,  J.  S 248 

Van Volkenburg,  George 704 

Vollor,  Joseph 319 

Voltz,  JohnD 99 

Wagner.  Joel 657 

Waldron,  Elisha  D 120 

Walker,  Alexander  R 687 


Walker,  James 234 

Warford,  Henry  86 

Warren,  Isaac  H 14 

Waterhouse,  II.  B..... 513 

Waterman,  Daniel  B 237 

Watson,  Charles  W 593 

Wayne,  C.  H 738 

Weaver,  Adam 726 

Weaver,  Orson  L  746 

Webster,  Franklin (ill 

Weed,  Elisha 20 

Weld,  Owen  B 80 

Weld,  Russell    90 

Weld,  Dr.  Salem  E 106 

Wells,  Rev.  George  H 656 

Wheaton,  Charles 9 

Whildin,  Edward  C 676 

Whildin,  John  C 693 

White,  William  L 673 

Wilber,  Charles  T 449 

Wilcox,  Gen.  John  S 162 

Wilcox,  Silvanus  245 

Wilder,  Mrs.  Clark 439 

Williams,  J.  J 664 

Willis,  HenryB 235 

Windett,  Robert  A 505 

Wing,  William  H 74 

Woodruff,  Cyras  H 297 

Wright,  Alden  K 136 

Wright.  James 488 

Yarwood,  Louis  H 130 

Young,  Francis  L 556 

Young,  George  A 446 

Younges,  Smith 314 


Zack,  N.  R. 


460 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBAN* 


THE  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD  OF  KANE  COUNTY 


